‘A Teacher’ Review: One woman's sexual desires, a man who couldn't recognize it and a boy who wants to love her
Spoilers for ‘A Teacher’ Episodes 1, 2 and 3
A teacher and student. A mentor and protégé. How can a relationship with a person in power and another in submission survive? Not only a circle of attraction and obsession, ‘A Teacher’ — more than anything — is a glimpse into a woman's sexual desire and why men often don't recognize it. Hannah Fidell's series borders on grooming. Sketching out a predator-ship more than a relationship, the FX on Hulu show aptly begins with a strong warning: “Sexual situations, as well as depictions of grooming, may be disturbing.”
On a sunny morning, the tunes of ‘Oh Baby’ by LCD Soundsystem play as Claire Crystal (Kate Mara) steps foot into Westerbrook High School as the new English teacher. In one scene right in the beginning, she is pictured stealing lipstick from a grocery store. As forgettable as the scene may seem, it shows a larger picture: the insurmountable desire to fill her life with thrill. Trying to conceive, she is dissatisfied in bed with her husband Matt Nicholas (Ashley Zukerman) and calls them the “only couple in their 30s without children or dogs.”
Back in school, she is objectified as “too hot to be a teacher” by teenage boys. A chance meeting with a student Eric Hunter (Nick Robinson) changes her life. After sharing grilled cheese sandwiches and milkshakes, Eric basically offers himself a ride in her car when she asks, “So you walking home?” There is a smug smile on his face and awkward silence in the car. The tension can be felt on both sides. A sinful thought creeps into Claire's mind right after the first meeting. She masturbates imagining him.
In the next episode, Eric gets caught drinking at a party and guess who turns out to be his savior — his teacher Claire. “What you did tonight was really stupid... You're smarter than this,” she lectures him and then breaks into giggles within moments. Through crisp 20-something minutes, the episodes slip in graphic scenes of masturbation and an unfulfilled desire. Claire and Eric, both are looking for something more. Their infatuation moves to the next level after a trip to UT where they share childhood secrets.
The awkwardness grows. “Today was fun,” he texts her. She deletes it. After a spat with her husband, Claire accepts his follow request. Unwittingly, Eric makes the next move and plants a kiss on her lips. Seething with anger, she tells him, “If anyone finds out, my life would be ruined.” Eric promises he won't tell anyone about it and begs her to restart the classes. Trying to play hard to get, he lets her wait and doesn't show up for their tutoring session.
As the school gets ready for homecoming, Eric asks Alison (Camila Perez) out and Claire steals glances as the two get close. Jealousy gnaws at her heart until the confrontation with Eric. She just can't take it anymore and asks him, “Where were you? You basically begged me to tutor you and then you don't show up.” Eric then confesses, “I can't stop thinking about you. I have dreams about you. I am too attracted to you. I feel like I can't control myself around you.” In one line, the series could be summed up: One woman's sexual desires, a man who couldn't recognize it and a boy who wants to love her.
In the backdrop of 'Climax' by Usher, the two follow each other into the dark and have sex in the backseat of a car. “We don't have to do this if you don't want to,” she tells him. He replies, “I want to...” In the heat of the moment, the innocence is lost. Adulterous and provocative, the series makes you wonder: Was Eric really groomed? Didn't he make the first move and consent to their affair? Of course, it doesn't hide the fact that Claire always had evil intentions — since the time she first imagined making love to him. But didn't they both make a move towards each other?
Romance or sexy wish fulfillment, what can you label a relationship like that? Mara, even with her flat expressions and mysterious aura, manages to pull off the role of a seductive teacher with finesse. Nick owns the scenes with his boyish charm and dominating dialogue delivery. But the real winner is the captain of the ship. Fidell fiddles with raw emotions so well that it makes you understand why one can cross boundaries and what repercussions it can have on their lives.
Quick-paced and engaging, the first three episodes are like an unputdownable book that would make you turn page-by-page in intrigue. As more episodes roll out, it may shed light on the damage to their lives. And this tale like many others — from ‘Lolita’ to ‘Private Lessons’ and ‘The Reader’ — will always bring you back to square one: Are there boundaries in love that need not be crossed? Is age-gap the biggest taboo? “Out beyond the ideas of right-doing and wrongdoing, there is a field I will meet you there...” Rumi once said. Does that field really exist, or are we prisoners of our own being where we cage emotions forever?
‘A Teacher’ premieres on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, from 3 am ET on FX on Hulu with three back-to-back episodes. More episodes in the 10-episodic series will follow every week starting from Tuesday, November 17, 2020.