‘Mrs. Fletcher’ reviews: Kathryn Hahn is ‘indomitable’ in HBO limited series, which is like ‘The Leftovers’ with ‘a lot more porn’

Premiering on Sunday night, October 27, HBO’s “Mrs. Fletcher” is a limited series told in seven half-hour episodes about a college-bound young man (Jackson White) coming of age and his mother (Kathryn Hahn) coming of middle age. Like “The Leftovers” it’s based on a novel by Tom Perrotta, and also like “The Leftovers” it was created by the author himself. But do critics admire this adaptation as much as they did Perrotta’s last one?

As of this writing the series has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on 10 reviews counted: seven positive, three mixed. The consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is similar. They rate movies and TV shows on a pass/fail scale, and they score it 77% fresh based on 13 reviews — 10 of which are positive. So most critics are admiring of it, but even more so of the woman who plays the title character.

Hahn is “wonderful” and “wolfishly perfect,” playing her self-discovering character with “indomitable compassion.” She brings “an appealing melancholy” and “relatable bewilderment” to the role. The series as a whole “paints a poignant and wry portrait,” and it’s “sweet” in its “devotion to blemished characters,” though it has also been described as “predictable,” with great moments that “don’t add up to” a great show overall.

Perrotta isn’t the only noteworthy name behind the camera. All seven episodes of this female-centered dramedy are directed by women, and they’re a highly pedigreed group: Oscar nominee Nicole Holofcener (who wrote “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” in addition to a wide array of directing work), Emmy nominee Carrie Brownstein (“Portlandia”), Tony nominee Liesl Tommy (“Eclipsed”) and Indie Spirit Award nominee Gillian Robespierre (“Obvious Child”).

Will that help this series become a major awards contender between now and the Emmys next fall? Its first stop may be the Golden Globes, where Hahn would be a first-time nominee. She’s already an Emmy nominee, though, earning a bid in 2017 for her supporting role in “Transparent.” She has also been nominated for a Critics’ Choice TV Award for guest starring on “Parks and Recreation” and picked up two SAG Award nominations as a member of the ensemble casts of “Transparent” and the film “Captain Fantastic.”

So what do you think of “Mrs. Fletcher’s” chances? Check out some of the reviews below, and join the discussion on this and more with your fellow TV fans here in our forums.

Kristen Baldwin (Entertainment Weekly): “Much like ‘The Leftovers,’ HBO’s last collaboration with author Tom Perotta, ‘Mrs. Fletcher’ paints a poignant and wry portrait of upheaval and loss — but in this case, there’s a lot more porn … Hahn handles ‘Fletcher’s’ emotional depths … with an appealing melancholy, and she brings a relatable bewilderment to her character’s lonely attempts to explore her sexuality.”

Ben Travers (IndieWire): “So sweet in its devotion to blemished characters, so charming in developing their experimental dalliances, the new HBO limited series tells two stories of a mother and son’s parallel awakenings … Eve (played with indomitable compassion by Kathryn Hahn) and Brendan Fletcher (newcomer Jackson White, giving an impossibly endearing turn) are a fascinating pair.”

Alan Sepinwall (Rolling Stone): “Eve Fletcher (a wolfishly perfect Kathryn Hahn) has a day job working at a senior center, but the moment her son Brendan (Jackson White) heads off to college … Each episode is only 30 minutes, which feels right for Eve’s story, even if it leaves the Brendan portions of the show feeling underfed. It’s clear how the two halves of ‘Mrs. Fletcher’ reflect one another, but one shines so much brighter than the other that it’s all you want to look at.”

Margaret Lyons (New York Times): “It sounds great, honestly, and who among us would not benefit from such a phase? But man, is it ever predictable … Hahn has played Eve-like roles before and she is again wonderful here … There’s a comfy naturalism to everything, to the suburban blah and the gossipy chatter and the easy cruelty. Any one scene or moment can feel like part of a great show, but they don’t add up to that.”

Be sure to make your Golden Globe predictions so that Hollywood insiders can see how their TV shows and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions until nominations are announced. And join in the fierce debate over the 2020 Golden Globes taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our TV forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.