Rose Byrne Stars in New Legal Thriller The Good Daughter
Rose Byrne, currently riding a successful wave of acclaimed roles, is set to return to television in the new legal thriller The Good Daughter. The series, which premieres on Sky Atlantic on Thursday, 12 November, at 9pm, arrives as a departure from the nuanced, acclaimed projects that have recently defined the actor’s career, including her work on Apple TV’s Platonic and the Oscar-nominated film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. And earlier this year she won a Golden Globe (and was nominated for an Oscar) for her wired, frayed lead performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, her Apple TV show Platonic all but depends on her combination of emotional nuance and flawless slapstick to exist. In other words, Byrne should be able to make anything she wants. Of all things, she has chosen this, so it’s bizarre that. It’s Nicole Kidman in a silly wig territory.
Written by Karin Slaughter and adapted from her own novel, the show is a high-octane psychological drama that leans into intense, frontloaded storytelling. The opening episodes are packed with extreme events; the premiere features a flashback of two young girls witnessing their mother’s murder, while the third episode depicts one of the protagonists, played by Meghann Fahy, accidentally finding herself in the middle of a school shooting where she is subsequently beaten by police.
The narrative centers on a family of lawyers, including the sisters played by Byrne and Fahy and their father, portrayed by Brendan Gleeson. The plot follows the aftermath of their mother’s murder, shifting into a mystery that implicates members of their wider community. While Fahy and Gleeson portray gritty, backwoods legal professionals, Byrne’s character is presented as a high-powered, successful New York attorney frequently seen navigating corporate life from the back of luxury vehicles.
Despite its serious themes, the production is characterized by a polished, glossy aesthetic where characters often appear impeccably styled regardless of the trauma they are navigating. This stylized approach has drawn comparisons to the work of David E. Kelley or Harlan Coben, leaning more toward a preposterous paperback thriller than a grounded political drama. While it lacks the sharp political outrage of similar British thrillers like Sherwood, it succeeds in providing a fast-paced viewing experience. It’s one of those slightly preposterous programmes about trauma where everyone somehow manages to look astonishingly beautiful all the time. Still, at least it delivers on the trauma front.
The chemistry between Byrne and Fahy serves as the show’s anchor. Their performances elevate the material, particularly in smaller, character-driven moments—such as a frantic scene involving a coffin lid—that showcase their rapport. Although the series may not be the most logical next step for an actor of Byrne’s caliber given her recent critical successes, its slick production values and broad, commercial appeal have the potential to reach a wider audience than many of her previous independent projects. But quite frankly at the top of anybody’s, here is an actor not only at the top of her game.
