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  • Hannah Youds

REVIEW: Anatomy of a Scandal

Updated: May 12, 2022

It is no exaggeration to say Netflix has a brilliant reputation for creating original dramas worth giving up whole days to watch – and throughout the first few months of 2022, this has not changed.


One of their most recent releases, Anatomy of a Scandal, has been a massive hit for the streaming service.


Based on the best-selling novel, the storyline seems somewhat familiar, having witnessed a lot of political scandals in the news in recent months.

The show centres around James Whitehouse (Rupert Friend), a Conservative MP and best friend of the Prime Minister. In the first episode, we see the political PR advisor rushing around to talk to Whitehouse after the Daily Mail published an article exposing him for having an affair in the House of Commons. This affair is with one of his Political Researchers, Olivia Litton, who accuses him of rape following the published article.

Throughout the show, we see Whitehouse’s wife El (Sienna Miller) reluctantly standing by her husband as his political career goes down the drain and despite the often-frustrating onscreen conversations between the couple, the acting in the show is phenomenal.


Another plot happening at the same time focuses on Lucy Woodcroft (Michelle Dockery), an experienced Prosecution Lawyer who is given the very public Whitehouse case. However, as the show progresses, we learn that Whitehouse and Woodcroft have had a brief encounter before, which determines the direction of his future and comes back to haunt him.

Woodcroft, Whitehouse, and his wife all went to Oxford University and studied at the same time along with the Prime Minister, making for an interesting plot twist to an already-daunting prospect among some of the most powerful people in the country. The show explores their Oxford days well through flashbacks, and even though this is confusing at times, it is interesting to see how it all comes together.


Anatomy of a Scandal showcases the (literal) trials and tribulations of married life and how, when put under a stressful situation, the family often sticks together no matter what. This was portrayed very well in my opinion, and at times, I forgot it was a drama and not a real-life situation I was watching.


I would recommend giving this show a watch. It has everything from light-hearted moments to the darkest you could think of, and it made for a great viewing.


Edited by Jemma Snowdon

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