Patrick Melrose

:

Season 1
  • Network: SHOWTIME
  • Series Premiere Date: May 12, 2018
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 169 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 98 out of 169
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 169
  3. Negative: 59 out of 169
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  1. JennetP
    Nov 8, 2018
    10
    Drug addiction is notoriously hard to film in a way that conveys both its terrors and its allure. In the first episode, PATRICK MELROSE fails badly, substituting OTT histrionics for the desperate, surreal rhythms of addiction. I almost stopped watching after a couple lines of cocaine turned crawling-on-the-floor Patrick into a fast-motion Oscar Wilde, but I'm very glad I didn't because theDrug addiction is notoriously hard to film in a way that conveys both its terrors and its allure. In the first episode, PATRICK MELROSE fails badly, substituting OTT histrionics for the desperate, surreal rhythms of addiction. I almost stopped watching after a couple lines of cocaine turned crawling-on-the-floor Patrick into a fast-motion Oscar Wilde, but I'm very glad I didn't because the rest of the series is flat-out brilliant, so good that I can take points off for the first episode and still award a "10" for the series.

    Most of the time, TV treats child abuse in a really simplistic way. It happens, it's terrible, but the hero cop or doctor or lawyer puts a stop to it, punishes the perpetrator, rescues the child, and we all feel better. TV doesn't usually plumb the depth of that trauma or explore how it continues to deform the lives of the victims--and the lives of the people around them. PATRICK MELROSE does, and it does so with scorching honesty, wit, and deep (but unsentimental) compassion. Moving back and forth in time, each episode reveals another dimension of this brilliant, damaged man, and it's in that revelation, not the scenery-chewing at the beginning, that Cumberbatch really shines.

    The series might sound grim and earnest, but it's not. It helps that Patrick is very funny, but the primary momentum comes from the mystery at the heart of the series: what, exactly, did the members of this family do to each other? The writing, acting, and (especially) the directing are so skilled that I really cared about the answer--and about whether Patrick would be trapped by his history or able to wrench at least part of himself free. Probably the best series I have watched this year.    … Expand
  2. BioTofu
    Nov 25, 2018
    9
    A spectacular show about growing up with abuse, drugs/addiction and legacy. Many well written dialogues, great cinematography, and a great cast of memorable interesting characters paired with outstanding performance.
  3. Bertaut1
    Apr 24, 2019
    7
    Brilliantly acted; equal parts hilarious and harrowing

    Directed by Edward Berger, and written for the screen by David Nicholls, this five-part miniseries is based on the semi-autobiographical Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St. Aubyn, published between 1992 and 2011. Each of the five episodes is based on a single novel, with each set in a different year. In the first episode, "Bad    Brilliantly acted; equal parts hilarious and harrowing

    Directed by Edward Berger, and written for the screen by David Nicholls, this five-part miniseries is based on the semi-autobiographical Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St. Aubyn, published between 1992 and 2011.

    Each of the five episodes is based on a single novel, with each set in a different year. In the first episode, "Bad News" (set in 1982, and actually the second novel in the series), Patrick (Benedict Cumberbatch), in the midst of a debilitating heroin addiction, receives word that his sybaritic father David (a terrifying Hugo Weaving) has died in New York, and he must collect the body. In "Never Mind" (the first novel in the sequence), as Patrick goes through heroin withdrawal upon returning from New York, he thinks back to 1967 and his time in the family's French villa, where David first raped him. In "Some Hope" (set in 1990), Patrick, now clean, reluctantly attends a banquet for Princess Margaret (Harriet Walter). In "Mother's Milk" (set in 2003), Patrick, now sober for several years, and working as a barrister, visits the villa with his family, where his mother Eleanor (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is extremely sick, having suffered a stroke. The stress results in Patrick drinking heavily. In "At Last" (set in 2005), his drinking has spiralled out of control following the dissolution of his marriage.

    The show wastes no time in establishing how severe Patrick's addictions are. In the opening scene of the first episode, he answers a telephone, to learn that his father has died. However, he looks and talks as if he is slightly out of sync with everything else. Struggling to keep himself upright, he sways, droops, seems about to fall asleep. Then he picks up a syringe. Upon hanging up the phone, he stares at the syringe, and his eyes come into focus for the first time. It's a stark introduction to the character, immediately establishing the hold drugs have on him.

    The show employs a number of stylistic devices to draw us into his interiority - dialogue only Patrick and the audience can hear, unnatural lighting changes corresponding to his mood, glitches in the picture in sync with his psychotic breaks, the bleeding of the past into the present (a room in the present will remind him of a room in the past, and suddenly he'll be there; he opens a door in 1982, and we cut to him standing in an open doorway in 1967).

    Aesthetically, each episode is grounded in a different genre. "Bad News" is a yuppie version of Trainspotting (1996), a dark night of the soul awash in non-diegetic purples and greens, where the formal chaos mirrors the breakdown of Patrick's mind; "Never Mind" is a lurid summer retreat, along the lines of Call Me by Your Name (2017), with a preponderance of deep yellows and reds; "Some Hope" is an Upstairs, Downstairs (1971)/Gosford Park (2001)-style comedy of manners, examining the ludicrousness of the class system; "Mother's Milk" is partly a fish-out-of-water story and partly a psychosexual intellectual drama; and "Mother's Milk" is a cold postmodern tragedy full of angst and unlooked-for self-discovery, dominated by metallics, greys, and blues.

    The show's most salient theme is the idea that when you deeply hurt a child, when you damage a child's soul, the effects will continue to be felt for many years. As is alluded to throughout the first episode, and as becomes painfully clear in the second, when Patrick was a child, David began molesting him. Rather than depicting this, the show's most chilling scene is one in which Patrick comes to David's room, and there is a shot of the perfectly-made bed on which David sits. After Patrick leaves, however, there is a shot of the bed in disarray. We never see what happens, because we don't need to. This is as well-directed a bit of cinematic shorthand as you're ever likely to see. Horrific in its simplicity.

    Another important theme is a mockery of the aristocracy. This is seen most clearly in the third episode, and especially in the odious character of Princess Margaret. The show depicts a decadent, toxic, emotionally calcified, and morally bankrupt class of people belonging to another age that have somehow lingered into modernity. Of course, this raises an obvious objection - "why should we care about Patrick?" Well, in part, we shouldn't. Essentially, this is the story of a spoiled rich kid. It's the very definition of white male privilege. And it never really manages to shake that. But there is more to it. For the themes, for the humour, for what it says about the British peerage, and, especially, for Cumberbatch's performance, this is certainly worth checking out. And despite the fact that we know Patrick is an obnoxious addict, there is enough humanity to ensure we remember the very real trauma beneath the bluster. And in that sense, it remains always compelling.    … Expand
  4. Grachechkovski
    Nov 15, 2018
    9
    This is the excellent picture that started with a vortex tempo and ended with a big hope. I can named this in one sentence - Could the man survive and don't sink to the very bottom in self-destruction after a heavy childhood and its "high" lights of society?
  5. The3AcademySins
    Sep 26, 2019
    8
    Patrick Melrose might contain the single best performance I have ever seen Benedict Cumberbatch do. This show is a haunting look at child abuse and addiction that will stick with you long after the credits roll. Each episode feels like a self contained movie, and Cumberbatch's relentless vulnerability and helplessness is just so horrifyingly enchanting to watch. I don't think I have everPatrick Melrose might contain the single best performance I have ever seen Benedict Cumberbatch do. This show is a haunting look at child abuse and addiction that will stick with you long after the credits roll. Each episode feels like a self contained movie, and Cumberbatch's relentless vulnerability and helplessness is just so horrifyingly enchanting to watch. I don't think I have ever felt so much empathy for a new TV character in recent years. The supporting cast is also amazing, and Hugo Weaving in this show is actually terrifying to watch. However, Patrick Melrose is not without its bumps in the road. Sometimes, scenes linger on too long, or don't explore enough of the mature themes. The soundtrack is also kind of hit-and-miss. That being said, if you love powerful storytelling and performances, you need to watch Patrick Melrose.… Expand
  6. lug
    May 13, 2018
    10
    Truly enjoyed this opening episode. Roller coaster of emotions is probably best description of Cumberbatch's portrayal of Melrose. Having read the books I was not upset that some aspects were not covered or were left out. Wonderful job by screenplay writer to bring to life the essence of the story. Cannot wait for the rest of the series. Cumberbatch is simply stunning in the part and givesTruly enjoyed this opening episode. Roller coaster of emotions is probably best description of Cumberbatch's portrayal of Melrose. Having read the books I was not upset that some aspects were not covered or were left out. Wonderful job by screenplay writer to bring to life the essence of the story. Cannot wait for the rest of the series. Cumberbatch is simply stunning in the part and gives 110% to it!!! Bravo!!… Expand
  7. katezoe
    Jun 3, 2018
    10
    "Patrick Melrose" is an actor’s showcase, and Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant. The show is a one of the best new series of 2018 and each episode is a story within itself. Excellent writing and superb acting by everyone in the cast.
  8. Sbotmtwigrm
    May 13, 2018
    10
    Cumberbatch in a new skin. The colourful character Patrick, played by Benedict perfectly! WOW! This is one of the best TV-series I've seen in the last 1-2 years. Wow, just wow. All done well! I look forward to the next series!
  9. suthnara
    May 22, 2018
    9
    Great performance. Hard to watch maybe because we have gotten so used to characters suddenly having special powers or some **** like that. Its just a powerful human drama.
  10. LokiWhite
    May 22, 2018
    10
    Cumberbatch does it again. What else is there to say? I will never stop watching his work because he is honestly batting a thousand
  11. acricketer
    Jun 19, 2018
    10
    Powerful performance from BC supported by a stellar cast. A deeply enriching piece of drama.
  12. amheretojudge
    Jun 10, 2018
    7
    an atrocious confession portrayed through beautiful performance..

    Patrick Melrose The rudimentary process is the only weakness in this masterpiece where craft and hard work touches over the horizon that cannot be anything but utterly mesmerizing. The writing is edgy, brutal and dark with a hint of amusement in each character that helps it ground the characters and offer them the    an atrocious confession portrayed through beautiful performance..

    Patrick Melrose

    The rudimentary process is the only weakness in this masterpiece where craft and hard work touches over the horizon that cannot be anything but utterly mesmerizing. The writing is edgy, brutal and dark with a hint of amusement in each character that helps it ground the characters and offer them the appropriate gravitas. The execution and editing is eerie yet familiar especially in such a tone that focuses primarily on character development. Addition to that, the heart of the feature lies upon the stellar performance by the protagonist who is genuinely investing all his chips in; Benedict is a revelation. He is supported too by a brilliant supporting cast like Jennifer Jason Leigh and Hugo Weaving. The series is shot beautifully with amazing cinematography, production and costume design that is utterly rich and satisfying to look upon. It is a character driven series containing some concrete material to offer and so what if they make the audience work for it; it's worth joining it and is supremely entertaining and thought-provoking. Patrick Melrose is an atrocious confession portrayed through beautiful performance where the makers being aware of its fragile premise, chooses its moment wisely and offers an amazing experience.    … Expand
  13. StavNeuse
    Jul 8, 2018
    8
    Holy **** Benedict Cumberbatch is actually genius. His acting as Patrick Melrose is just the best I've ever seen. The show was depressing but had a hopeful ending.
  14. jeremyp
    Jun 14, 2018
    8
    Another great performance from Mr. Cumberbatch. The darker and seamier side of the idle rich in Britain. It's a hard slog due to the main character's consistent inability to rise even half way out of his self loathing and self pity. I understand that the real character was even more unlikable. Victims of horrific childhoods do have options, and it is an uphill battle, but when you opt forAnother great performance from Mr. Cumberbatch. The darker and seamier side of the idle rich in Britain. It's a hard slog due to the main character's consistent inability to rise even half way out of his self loathing and self pity. I understand that the real character was even more unlikable. Victims of horrific childhoods do have options, and it is an uphill battle, but when you opt for brain altering drugs the decks are stacked.… Expand
  15. Lillabaloo
    May 22, 2018
    5
    Genius. Cumberbatch continues to dominate our screens with his unique ability to play clever, complex characters who render us paradoxically awed, yet sympathetic.
    Every aspect of this series is a triumph; the cinematography, music, screen play and supporting cast are excellent. Particular kudos to Sebastian Maltz for his performance as the child Patrick.
  16. Almighty_David
    Jul 23, 2018
    0
    It is mind-boggling how this show gets virtually every aspect of heroin addiction so completely and laughably wrong. It's like whoever wrote it was thinking to himself "Well, as a kid I ate too much candy a couple of times and then I got a sugar-high, so I guess I can already totally relate to what a heroin addict is going through and therefore I won't have to do any additional researchIt is mind-boggling how this show gets virtually every aspect of heroin addiction so completely and laughably wrong. It's like whoever wrote it was thinking to himself "Well, as a kid I ate too much candy a couple of times and then I got a sugar-high, so I guess I can already totally relate to what a heroin addict is going through and therefore I won't have to do any additional research whatsoever." And I'm not being hyperbolic, this is the worst, most unrealistic and nonsensical depiction of a junkie I have ever seen, period.… Expand
  17. umathurman
    May 13, 2018
    0
    Too much scenery chewing with Cumberbatch yet again. Couldn't get pass that performance to give it another chance. One hour felt like a lifetime. Hard pass.
  18. kawhis
    Jan 29, 2023
    7
    Точно не мій найулюбленіший серіал, інколи навіть доводилось себе змушувати додивлятись. Серії на дачі у Франції здалися найнуднішими, хоча розумію чому вони можуть подобатись.
    В цілому, історія мене майже не зацікавила, дивився виключну заради харизми БК.    Точно не мій найулюбленіший серіал, інколи навіть доводилось себе змушувати додивлятись. Серії на дачі у Франції здалися найнуднішими, хоча розумію чому вони можуть подобатись.
    В цілому, історія мене майже не зацікавила, дивився виключну заради харизми БК.

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best TV Season of 2018
57
#57 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
53
#53 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    May 14, 2018
    100
    To be honest, it’s also not the easiest viewing experience, especially if you lack awareness of the depths to which Cumberbatch and St. Aubyn push Patrick. Watching Cumberbatch race through so many character shades proves dizzying in that first hour. But in return, subsequent episodes allow the viewer to appreciate his periods of steadiness and calm. ... Nicholls makes optimal use of St. Aubyn’s silvery language throughout the script. Edward Berger’s direction and James Friend’s cinematography ensure the visual experience speaks as loudly and purposefully as the people in Patrick’s world.
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  2. We Got This Covered
    Reviewed by: Joseph Falcone
    May 14, 2018
    70
    Under the guidance of Cumberbatch, who serves as executive producer, Nicholls’ translation is a surprisingly positive endeavour, combating the inherent bleakness and social commentary of Aubyn’s stern prose with black comedy and an unceasing desire to better one’s self. ... There’s just too much to unpack in a mere handful of hours--simply put.
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  3. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    May 14, 2018
    75
    Perhaps in its final hours, Patrick Melrose can grind out a few relevant points regarding the entitled characters it loves and skewers; the class system is clearly on the mind ofDavid Nicholls, the writer who adapted Edward St. Aubyn’s novels for the screen, yet a specific statement has yet to emerge. A limited series can’t only be about one man’s performance, even if the actor does his part to earn the responsibility.
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