I’m so excited. Peacock’s mini-series, All Her Fault, finally premiered after being announced over a year ago.
It’s based on Andrea Mara’s best-selling novel and features a mother’s worst nightmare as Marissa Irvine (Sarah Snook) realizes her young son is missing.
Book-to-screen adaptations feature some of my favorite storylines, especially those with strong female lead characters.
Some of you may have watched the series because you enjoy psychological thrillers and have read the book, while others are likely massive fans of Sarah Snook or Dakota Fanning.
All Her Fault detailed the horrors of a child kidnapping beautifully. Still, I hated that society only blamed Marissa (Snook) and Jenny Kaminski (Dakota Fanning) for their nanny’s errors.
Sometimes, horrible accidents happen. And the main question remains: why was everything only the mother’s responsibility? Why weren’t the fathers more hands-on?
Why Are Mothers the Only Ones Who Have To Balance Family and Career?
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for two working parents to have young children. It takes a lot of practice and effective communication to coordinate schedules and playdates.
Marissa assumed that Jenny, the lovely mom she’d recently connected with, had texted her the details. She had no reason to doubt or think a nanny would have kidnapped her child.
Should she have taken the extra few minutes to call and check? Probably. But what mom hasn’t been overtired from work and dealing with their kindergartener?
And again, why couldn’t Peter have looked into it? I know he only blamed her in the heat of the moment, but it only highlighted that women hold the entire world on their shoulders.
Marissa only blamed herself because she remembered that Milo hated how much she worked, and if Ana, their nanny, was there, it meant mommy had to work.
That was a heavy burden, and Peter only made it worse for her.
Jenny also dealt with this issue, as even her husband, Richie, explained that she had hired Carrie, their nanny.
I loved that Detective Alcaraz had inquired why Richie hadn’t interviewed some of the nannies and why it was his wife’s responsibility.
Some people are skilled at lying, so Carrie Finch obviously knew how to act accordingly, which enabled her to get hired and then worm her way closer to the Irvines.
All Her Fault Highlighted the Cracks in Two Marriages
In Andrea Mara’s novel, Marissa and Peter appeared happier, and we never saw any scenes of their early marriage when they first brought Milo home as a newborn baby.
The Peacock series featured that time of their lives, and while everything seemed happy at first, there was also a darkness.
Marissa already seemed like a workaholic who tried to work when Milo slept, but those hours were few and far between. She needed rest, too, but Peter never took the night shift.
Everything seemed so clinical as they researched ways to help him sleep through the night. I’m sure they both loved Milo, and every new parent is exhausted, but they needed a better plan, as everything had fallen on Marissa.
Jenny felt the same way after Carrie disappeared with Milo. She didn’t want to hire another nanny and be duped again, but both she and Richie worked.
She tried to adapt her schedule to be there for her son, Jacob, but she also landed another new client, and Richie never seemed pleased when he had to change his plans.
She always made the sacrifices when it came to motherhood, even if her husband was proud of her success.
It didn’t feel like either Marissa or Jenny was seen as an equal in their relationships.
Gossip and Judgement Could be Cruel
There are gossiping moms everywhere. There is a school mom like Sarah Larson in every city, who is more concerned with learning the latest dirt than being helpful.
I admire parents who can stay at home, but there was no reason to hold it over Jenny or Marissa’s heads.
In many ways, she treated Jenny worse than Marissa, as Sarah acted sweetly around Marissa but constantly belittled Jenny and tried to frighten her, making her think that Marissa might blame her or even sue her, since Carrie was her nanny.
We still don’t know why Carrie chose to involve the Kaminski family, but Jenny risked everything to show up at the Irvines, despite everyone cautioning her against it.
The podcasters and reporters were even worse. They assumed that Jenny should have used her mother’s intuition and known Carrie was evil.
Her photo was splattered on every gossip rag, and people pointed and whispered about her constantly. She no longer felt safe.
Reporters thought the worst of Marissa, too, suggesting that she made the kidnapping up so she could collect money and save her company.
That was downright cruel to accuse a grieving mother, who had no idea where her son was and no idea of whom she could trust.
No One Suspected That Jenny Would Become Marissa’s Closest Friend
Before Milo’s kidnapping, Marissa and Jenny barely knew each other. They’d bumped into each other and bonded at a school social, but they weren’t really friends.
Since then, Jenny has been the one person who has shown up reliably for Marissa. I suspect that she initially felt guilty that her nanny was involved and wanted answers as well.
But over time, as Marissa felt abandoned when Peter needed space, Jenny showed up at press conferences and neighborhood searches to comfort her.
She believed that Marissa was not to blame and that they would find Milo.
Dakota Fanning and Sarah Snook (Succession) exhibited such a believable connection as Jenny and Marissa that you’d believe that they were friends in real life.
Sometimes, only another mother understands the worry and pain, and Jenny was just as determined to discover the link between their nannies and why Carrie took Milo.
They both started isolated, and this crisis brought them together as friends.
How Far Will These Women Go To Save Their Children?
A mother’s love is often considered the purest form of love. It’s like a mother bear protecting her cubs.
Marissa Irvine felt left out of the investigation and her husband’s life. She sounded desperate when she vowed that she would do anything to keep Milo safe if they were to find him.
While I don’t think she’s the type to commit murder since that would separate her from her son again, what will she do to prove she’s a good mother?
I suspect she craves answers the most about why Carrie Finch kidnapped Milo and used Jenny Kaminski and Esther to get to her – two caring women who were there for Marissa.
Marissa needs to decipher who she can trust if and when they locate Milo.
It seems like almost everyone kept something from her, making it even harder to balance a demanding career and caring for a young child.
As All Her Fault continues, we’ll learn more about why Milo was taken, the marital issues in the Irvine family, and the hurtful secrets.
For now, let us identify who you think helped Carrie pull off this kidnapping. Which character was ultimately responsible?
Let us know in the comments.
If you’re as passionate as I am about book-to-screen adaptations, you might enjoy our coverage of Nine Perfect Strangers or Will Trent.
Interested in more analytical and passionate pieces? Check out our editorials and op-eds!
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