This miniseries sounded interesting, but it's incredibly slow and at times,
very boring. I think that they tried so hard to be realistic that they made it
too much like every-day life (no one really wants to see that).
It's
about a family that's trying to deal with the fact that their son, Max,
identifies as a girl. The father, Stephen (Sean McGinley), left because he
couldn't handle the idea and had hit Max. The mom, Vicky (Anne Friel) is more
sympathetic to the son but is still reeling from her husband leaving them and
trying to cope with everything new she's learning about transgender. The
daughter, Lily (Millie Gibson), is very supportive of Max but is affected, of
course, by the fact that her family is being torn apart. Most affected is Max,
who can't even use the bathroom of his choice at school.
I thought that
Max is about 10, but from what I've read, he just entered high school. He
definitely looked a lot younger than that. Whether you feel that a teenager
should be allowed to change their sexual identity or not, the family and what
they're all going through is the heart of the story. The actors definitely do a
great job of selling their anguish.
If you can get past the slowness of
it, it's a good drama, worth watching. It's ground-breaking for TV, and I'm sure
it will spark lots of conversation. Also, it's only three episodes, so that
should make it easier to watch. Also, you just might learn something about what
transgender children and their families experience.
MORE INFORMATION:
International Emmy Award-winning Anna Friel stars in this
heartfelt story from BAFTA award-winning writer Tony
Marchant (Holding On, The Mark of Cain).
Butterfly is about the acrimonious relationship between
separated parents, Vicky and Stephen, and their division in
opinion over how to support their gender variant child, Max.
From a young age, their now 11-year-old son has identified
as a girl and presented signs of gender dysphoria.
When Max was eight, Stephen walked out on his family,
unable to understand or cope with his son’s gender variance.
But when Max self-harms, Stephen seizes the opportunity
return to live at the family home and support his son. What
unfolds for all the family members involved is the greatest
challenge and test of love and understanding imaginable.
The drama will embrace the story of a three-generational
family, and will expose the truly extraordinary demands made
by each and every individual in it. We will see how they all
prosper or fall as the string of challenges unfolds over
time.
Original Streaming Date: January 18, 2018
S1 E3 'Episode 3'
Desperate to protect her daughter, Vicky takes drastic
measures to help Maxine become who she really is, against
Stephen’s wishes. Vicky’s visceral need to protect her child
at any cost could end up tearing her family apart.
S1 E2 'Episode 2'
Vicky and Stephen do everything they can to support Max’s
transition to becoming Maxine. But it’s clear that Stephen
is unhappy things are moving so fast. With the couple
divided, Vicky takes matters into her own hands and makes a
reckless decision.
S1 E1 'Episode 1'
Separated parents Vicky and Stephen must overcome their
differences when their son, Max, has increasingly upsetting
feelings around gender. Stephen returns to the family home
when Max’s distress escalates.
The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of The TV MegaSite or its other volunteers.
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