User reviews

Good writing. Good acting. Good story. Great sets and costumes. Some awkward directing and acting at times but not distracting. Then there was the final episode. No spoilers but it really unraveled for me. Not what you would expect but a bit absurd.

It's a legal drama set in modern London, England, following the charge of rape against a senior government minister who is also the best friend of the Prime Minister.

James Whitehouse (Ben Radcliffe/Rupert Friend) is the senior minister and close friend from Oxford University days with Prime Minister Tom Southern (Jake Simmance/Geoffrey Streatfeild). James is married to Sophie (Hannah Dodd/Sienna Miller); they have three children. Olivia Lytton (Naomi Scott) is a researcher on Whitehouse's staff and a person with whom he had an affair for five months. A week after he broke off the affair, they had a sexual encounter, after which she charged him with rape. Kate Woodcroft (Nancy Farino/Michelle Dockery) is the prosecution counsel arguing the charges against Woodhouse.

The six-part series begins with the widely publicized scandal of the affair, followed by the rape charge and the subsequent trial. Throughout, there are flashbacks to the Oxford University days when Whitehouse and Southern were members of a wild partying group called the Libertines. We gradually learn that a death occurred at the Libertines' last party for which no one has been held accountable. Sophie was already Whitehouse's girlfriend at the time. Kate's relationship to it all is initially unclear but becomes apparent as the series continues.

This is a series with strong, well-developed characters, and the quality of the acting is high. The story raises good questions about the nature of consent in sexual relations. For me, the problem is the plot is fatally flawed because it's not believable. It forced me too often to not roll my eyes. This is unfortunate because the actors and the core issue deserved better.

...but ended badly. I'd rate the first few episodes a '9' for production values and staying away from some easy (and overdone) tropes. But the last few sunk it to a 6.

People seem to be disappointed especially by the end ; it's a shame though that the series doesn't end with satisfaction to the audience , it's well-paced, n with smart dialogue and a hood sienna Miller and the cinematography is thoughtful yet ONE BIG blunder is the twist at episode 5 ( not necessary and really far fetched ) which spoils the narrative ; still worth watching though.

Surprised by all the negative reviews! I just finished this show moments ago & I was captivated by it!

It feels like in this world the victims don't win but in this story they actually do, which though perhaps unbelievable (as many have stated here), is refreshing to see. I'd like to live in a world where victims speak up and are heard. Where bravery & truth are rewarded...

Anyways - I really enjoyed this show and was hooked immediately! Easy to binge (I did). Great acting, wonderful cast and you really see the development of the story play out...Siena beautifully displayed the stages of grief in a way that felt real to watch. Bravo! This show was also good at helping the audience trade allegiances. While at the beginning you're rooting for a man's life and family to remain intact, by the end I'd be surprised if you didn't feel differently. Where at first it seems the lines of truth & fiction are blurred...as the show progresses it's easy to draw a conclusion at to what actually happened. They sell the story well in that aspect.

Concerning the subject matter, as a sexual assault survivor myself, I often find shows revolving around these themes to be hard to watch, but for some reason I did not find the show triggering. I felt that it conveyed the gravity, tragedy & reality of sexual assault in a way that I was able to stomach. Which I think here is important to note.

Ultimately this is a very moving, powerful story of a woman choosing to do the right thing & prioritizing justice over loyalty. Highly recommend.

I'll feel like this short drama was intended to spark debate but ended like some scooby doo episode. It's such a shame because the pertinent issue got totally lost.

It's engaging all throughout with unexpected twists at the middle and in the end. All the main actors are so convincing in their roles; the viewer feels he's right there where the action is.

There's this particular scene in the heat of the hearing where James is giving his testimony, and he and Kate appear in the scene and no one else. It gave the sense they were in deadly mortal combat and added to the dramatic flourish of the scene. And the viewer feels the suspense like what those in the courtroom could have felt while awaiting the jury's verdict. The scene is directed in such a way that the verdict could go either way. But watch out for the ending. It's the least of what you would have expected.

Sienna Miller, Rupert Friend and Michelle Dockery are splendid. I also praise Joselle Simon for her portrayal of the defense lawyer Angela Regan: deliberate and incisive.

I don't understand the negative reviews, seems like a lot of people think a woman should just accept the fact that her husband had an affair for 5 months and potentially raped two women. Personally, I think any woman who stayed with a man like that has very little respect for herself and her children.

This series is captivating, beautifully acted by both Sienna Miller and Michelle Dockery and fantastically edited. From start to finish it is just so exciting and the twist in the middle makes it even more interesting.

The ending was a bit flat maybe, but the whole series never gets boring and is a very good representation of how men so often get away with rape, especially if they come from well-to-do backgrounds or are in high positions.

This show just didn't make it. Being in the legal profession for nearly 50 years I try avoid carping criticism based on legal technicalities. For example, I think "The Verdict" with Paul Newman was a great drama, although it was not without inaccuracies in terms of its portrayal of the litigation process.

Anatomy is another story. Its problems relate to the plot devices that lead to a ridiculous ending. The first three episodes started well enough. Typical of British Productions the acting was top notch and the dialogue was witty. After that it was all downhill. Without giving away the details, it turns out that the story turns on a ridiculous twist that is impossible to accept. The ending was simply ludicrous. Oddly enough there were a few simple changes in the plot twists that could have rendered the whole story acceptable and believable.

Anyway if you wish to see a legal drama that starts with the word Anatomy I suggest Otto Preminger's great "Anatomy of a Murder" with Jimmy Stewart, Lee Remick, George C Scott et al.

Remarkable story and very entertaining. The first episode was worrisome and looked like becoming a soapy, but from episode 2 to 5 the story became a court case which was not far fetched and was a good reflection of real life. The sixth episode was a misnomer and should not have ended as it did. This episode is pure fiction and impossible to happen in real life.

An amazing actress that can carry a show.

Truth be told Sienna Miller was, until a few days ago for me, just a name and face that rings a bell. Looking through her filmography, I somehow missed everything she was in. Her performance in this is addictive, she was the main character for me.

This is quite a remarkable dramatic series. The writing is complex, the characters are flawed, the morality is grey. The acting is great, every actor is a recognizably part of the who's who of UK stage and screen. (The UK have working actors who show up to ply their trade whether it is for four months or a day). The plot is contemporary and surprising. I am usually pretty good at predicting a twist but, not only did I not anticipate a twist, but when it arrived, I only saw it seconds before it was revealed. I give this series an 8 (remarkable) out of 10. {Courtroom Drama}

It's a very misleading series. It's not about the trial or the case or the guilt or lack of it. They don't even bother to show us Olivia's side it's more an indictment of privilege and high society. But it spends 5 episodes barely dealing with it until it explodes. It is superbly shot and acted but I ended up feeling like I barely got a glimpse of the true story.

My Review- Anatomy of a Scandal : Netflix My Rating 8/10

I've read some really unfair and negative reviews of this new series and totally disagree with their hostile views.

I would really like to see at least another series because the central character Barrister Kate Woodcroft played with great style and flair by Michelle Dockery could carry a series on her own .

I wondered if that's what the Producers had in mind as the conclusion leaves us with an exciting cliff hanger.

The story is so topical at the moment with at least 3 local Political sexual misconduct allegation scandals in Australia.

The male power privilege in Governments and Parliaments over the world are ripe pickings for dramatic series and in my estimation Anatomy of a Scandal succeeds admirably .

Developed by David E. Kelley and Melissa James Gibson, based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Vaughan the series begins with Sophie Whitehouse played wonderfully by Sienna Miller the wife of British Tory MP James Whitehouse. Sophie learns that her husband has been having an affair with an aide. The news goes public, blowing up their lives and forcing her to deal with the consequences of her husband's disastrous decisions. To make matters worse, James is accused of rape and has to stand trial.

It's wonderful to see Michelle Dockery step outside the grandeur of Downton Abbey to take on the gritty and challenging role of Barrister Kate Woodcroft who is the prosecutor on the rape case later realising that her prosecution as well as threatening to tear into Westminster and the Whitehouse marriage could also tear her career apart.

The Whitehouse marriage seems strong and picture postcard till husband James is caught out and accused by staffer Olivier Lytton of non consensual sex after the break up of their affair.

Rupert Friend as James Whitehouse gives a convincing version of events but as we see in flashback and the testimony of the victim Olivier plus recollections of his wife concerning their early courtship and university days doubt sets in as to James true character.

One of the main criticisms of the series I've read is to the plot line and coincidental connection between James Whitehouse and Barrister Kate Woodcroft.

No spoilers but peoples character and appearance do alter over 15 years especially when trauma is involved.

I've seen countless series with much less credible plot scenarios than Anatomy of a Scandal and think this story is an insight into the effect of a sexual scandal amongst the privileged elite and the women caught up in its wake.

Director S. J. Clarkson has directed many top series like Succession ,Orange is the New Black ,Life on Mars and Dexter and I think she has done a fine job directing this insightful and entertaining series.

Average story, but it is absolutely ridiculous how much more unrealistic it gets from episode to episode.

Not exactly what I would call exciting, but it's okay.

Seen worse.