I've been a fan of Rachel Griffiths for years, my fandom cemented during Total Control when I loved hating the character she played. Madam will have some people clutching their proverbial pearls, but it's relevant in so many ways. I can't spoil it much b/c of only having watched one episode, but if the writing and acting stays at this caliber, I am sure I'll come back to increase my star rating. Things of note -- the realness of a longtime marriage. Raising two sons, one of whom is disabled. Trying to begin a business from a female perspective that is deemed morally wrong by a male-run bank. The odd pairing of a sex worker with the wife of a client that I'm sure will become a friendship. The quirky characters. The gorgeous scenery of New Zealand! In just the first episode Griffiths is transcendent as she segues from being a betrayed wife to an interested listener to a loving mother to someone who can clearly do the difficult things as needed and more. She glides through these transitions of character and inhabits Mack so completely she made me wish Mack was a real person I could hang out with over coffee in an outdoor cafe and critique all passersby as we sipped fancy espresso drinks and nibbled on fresh patisserie. I love this series. I need to go mainline the rest immediately.