The Politician's Wife

Duncan Matlock (Trevor Eve; Waking The Dead) is the Families Minister for the UK Government, as well as in the spotlight as a lurid affair has just been unearthed between himself and a former escort ( Minnie Driver; Barney’s Version) whose ex-boyfriend videotaped them together.

In a sweeping move Matlock brings in all of his heavy hitters to help him save face and keep his job, but one of the key pieces to his façade lies with his wife Flora (Juliet Stevenson; The Village), who feels a bit jaded by the whole affair. Things only get worse when a man working for her husband pities her and begins to feed her new information about her husbands affair, opening up a broader look at a “one time mistake”.

The mini-series brings to mind the old saying, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”. Flora, who begins her part as the abiding wife standing by her husband through the storm, eventually starts to see that her husbands affair has opened up supporters to her that she never knew existed, even some that didn’t until her marriage took a turn for the worse.

As the series moves on we see more and more of “the other woman”, a vicious, young, and all together good looking woman who uses every media outlet she can to sling insults at Flora. Eventually Flora snaps and takes out her vengeance on her husband and the other woman in an unexpected way that leaves you somewhat astonished and cheering for Flora.

The series, which aired in 95, looks a bit older, but manages to slip by thanks to powerhouse performances from all and unbelievable scenarios that leave you simply shaking your head at the gall of some of the characters. Before the film begins you already know which direction it will go, the clincher is not knowing how and when. Not bad, even for a series that felt like it was a bit more Lifetime then I’m used to, but worth the watch.