'Mrs. Fletcher' Is the Sex-Positive, Queer Show TV Needs Right Now

While meditating on Tom Perrotta’s 2017 novel, Mrs. Fletcher, it’s hard to ignore an undisputed queerness found in its dramatic formula; a queerness that resides in the heartbreak and relatability of being othered, an all-too-familiar concept to any LGBTQ+ person.

It's that otherness that makes HBO's new limited series, an adaptation of Perrotta's novel starring Kathryn Han in the titular role, particularly captivating to watch.

Tackling any of Perrotta's brutally honest and beautifully challenging material is a Herculean effort and one that the cast expertly administers. While the narrative of Mrs. Fletcher is a relatively simple one when compared to HBO's other mega-hits (like Game of Thrones), Hahn masterfully dazzles as the leader of the charge with a whip-smart sensibility that gives breath to this sex-positive manifesto. But more than that, there is a nurtured curiosity toward sex and attraction in her character, Eve Fletcher, that very much ring true to that of the queer experience.

"I wanted to explore the idea of being trapped in an identity that wasn't yours, but instead was something prescribed by society or somebody else," Hahn told PRIDE during the show's red-carpet premiere last week when asked about the LGBTQ+ relatability found in Eve. "I mean, her name and the title is Mrs. Fletcher and yet she's been divorced for ten years. That being said, there's a fascination as to why this woman is holding on to this idea or identity that isn't even hers. I have a lot of empathy for anyone trapped in that kind of situation, or not knowing exactly where you belong. And then the porn is just the Gandalf of her life. Sort of a gateway that leads her to find that maybe there's more out there than what she's been told to settle for. It's a larger conversation of who she is, and it's exciting." 

But Hahn isn't the only performer from the ensemble cast with a from the multi-faceted, praise-worthy story. Jen Richards provides a refreshing depiction of dating for a transgender woman in her adult life; one that aligns itself with the typical drudgeries of dating that could be observed for anyone.

"I have been beating the drum of visibility ever since I came to Hollywood and it's so nice to see it happening, and getting to see the impact that transgender roles have on young people in the community," Richards told PRIDE. "Having a gay person or a transgender person easily accessible on your TV, and especially in a series of situations where they're just going through everyday conflicts, it helps normalize us to a larger group of people in the mainstream, and that’s the conversation worth changing."

Without giving away too many details and spoiling this gem of a limited series, Mrs. Fletcher will strike an emotional chord no matter where you find yourself in age or identity. With its entire seven-episode span directed by women and a concept that is all about the shared experience between those of us who feel lost or left behind, Mrs. Fletcher is a sweet revelation in this year’s television catalog and one that features a powerhouse performance from Kathryn Hahn and the entire company of characters!

New episodes of Mrs. Fletcher air Sundays at 10:30pm on HBO!