In the new Netflix series “Gypsy,” Naomi Watts plays Jean Holloway, a therapist at a group practice in Manhattan. She has a tidy little life – too tidy – and it’s getting on her nerves. After listening all day to her patients talk about their problems, Jean goes home to Connecticut to her lawyer husband, Michael (Billy Crudup) – when he’s at home – and young daughter, Dolly (Maren Heary).
In suburbia, Jean deals with the usual – people in everyone else’s business. School has called because Dolly has inappropriately tried to kiss a girl, saying it’s all right because she’s a boy. Word gets around. Meanwhile, Jean is disappointed that her husband has postponed a getaway she was looking forward to, and she’s concerned about his relationship with his assistant.
There are hints early on about a rocky beginning to their relationship and a wilder side to Jean.
Feeling unfulfilled, Jean begins to explore the lives of her patients, at first with the idea to better understand their problems, although she knows that it’s unethical. Still, that doesn’t deter her. One such foray takes her to a coffeehouse, literally called the Rabbit Hole (take that for what it is), where she seeks out the ex-girlfriend of a patient.
Jean takes on the persona of Diane, a journalist when she cozies up to Sydney (Sophie Cookson), a musician, who invites her to a gig. The two dance around their attraction, but it’s only the beginning of the rabbit hole Jean is going down.
“Gypsy” uses the Stevie Nicks song of the same name as its theme. “(I’m) back to the gypsy that I was,” the song goes. So we know Jean is yearning for the woman she once was before being captured by a normal life.
The series tends to be a long slow simmer, and a lot of it seems headed in obvious directions. There are occasional surprises, but most of the suspense comes from waiting for Jean – who likes to drink – to make mistakes as she steals into her alternative world.
Since it takes most of the 10-episode series for all of the parts to come together for real fireworks, the series depends a lot on Watts to keep it afloat. Jean’s an interesting character, aware when she is about to take a dark path but unable to stop herself and enjoying the risks and duality.
Watts is excellent as usual, but it’s a lot to ask for 10 episodes. “Gypsy” might have worked better at six. It feels a bit like therapy, a long slog with a couple of breakthroughs.
