'The Girlfriend' Trailer Explores the In-Law Relationship

There's been a spate of thriller shows recently that take an "expected" trope and attempt to turn it on its head for dramatic purposes. The Bodyguard comes to mind, a show where the hero refuses to believe a grieving woman is a terrorist just because she is brown, and is made to look foolish for the benefit of the doubt. The Ex-Wife (which returned for Season 2 sans original ex-wife) was a less successful model, where the "women catfighting over a man" trope turned out to be the husband manipulating his new wife while the first one tried to rescue her before she was killed. Now, there's The Girlfriend, which, from all appearances, looks like it belongs in the same lane as Jennifer Lopez's big-screen hit Monster-in-Law, and countless other shows and films that feature two women fighting over a dopey man-child.

However, the all-star cast and the director, Andrea Harkin, whose credits include The Confessions of Frannie Langton, Season 2 of Time, and The Trial of Christine Keeler, suggest otherwise. Based on the Michelle Frances novel of the same name, it's a psychological portrait of a woman who has been given everything she wants in life by operating by the patriarchy's rules. When her son brings home an ambitious girlfriend, she immediately drinks in the Kool-Aid of how younger women are only seen as a threat to usurp the places of older ones in male-dominated society, and reacts accordingly.

Taking the usual antifeminist trope and running it through a feminist lens is an interesting twist, and one that could make for a remarkable series. Or it could turn out to be another Ex-Wife. The trailer says the jury's still out.

Here''s the series' synopsis:

The Girlfriend follows Laura, a woman who seemingly has it all: a glittering career, a loving husband, and her precious son, Daniel. Her perfect life begins to unravel when Daniel brings home Cherry, a girlfriend who changes everything. After a tense introduction, Laura becomes convinced Cherry is hiding something. Is she a manipulative social climber, or is Laura just paranoid? The truth is a matter of perspective.

Robin Wright (House of Cards) stars as Laura, and Olivia Cooke (House of the Dragon) plays Cherry. The two are joined by Laurie Davidson (The Other Bennet Sister) as Daniel. The rest of the supporting cast includes high-profile PBS favorites like Anna Chancellor (Hotel Portofino), Leo Suter (Sanditon), Shalom Brune-Franklin (Great Expectations), Waleed Zuaiter (Gangs of London), Tayna Moodie (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Karen Henthorn (Passenger), and Francesca Corney (The Buccaneers).

The series is adapted for television by Naomi Sheldon and Gabbie Asher, with Polly Cavendish, Helen Kingston, Marek Horn, Ava Wong Davies, Isis Davis, Smita Bhide, and Matt Evans all penning episodes. Director Andrea Harkin (The Confessions of Frannie Langton) split helming duties with Wright, who has been dipping in and out of directing since House of Cards concluded, with Jonathan Cavendish and Caroline Norris producing. Frances, Asher, and Wright serve as executive producers, alongside Will Tennant, Phil Robertson, John Zois, and Dave Clarke. 

All six episodes of The Girlfriend will drop as a binge on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, on Prime Video.