Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticNetflix’s new drama “Pieces of Her” kicks off with an act of violence that predicts much of what will lie ahead: It is startling for its randomness.In this series’ first episode, a mother and daughter (Toni Collette and Bella Heathcote) are caught up in a public mass shooting, the denouement of which reveals Collette’s character Laura to have a surprising, unforeseen boldness.
The attention Laura’s heroism receives threatens to upset a delicate balance, one that Heathcote’s Andy hasn’t even realized exists.Soon enough, Andy, whose adult life has been in a state of suspended animation to care for the ailing Laura, is thrust into the world, ordered by Laura to leave their town, where they have kept a purposefully low profile existence, and go into hiding.
A key tension of the series exists in the space between Andy’s desire to keep safe and her temptation to figure out from what, or from whom, she’s been protected her whole life.
Minkie Spiro, director of the entire series, keeps things brisk and intriguing at first, and the writing admirably avoids overexplaining. (Why were Laura and Andy caught up in a shooting?
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