'Back to Life': Criminal or not, Daisy Haggard’s character Miri’s approach to life after 18 years in prison is heartbreakingly human
Everyday life can come across as a cultural shock to someone who has been away from the gravy boat of social niceties and the humdrum nature of existence. For some, it can be too much, like Brooks Hatlen from ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. For others, it may just be an opportunity to embrace everything afresh.
In the BBC's ‘Back to Life’, Miri Matteson (Daisy Haggard) does the latter with a hint of quiet wonderment that is part wholesome, part refreshing and part sad. Miri who comes back home after 18 years in prison won’t let the world get to her, even when everyone is out to punish her.
She practices talking to the mirror, smiles politely to everyone, makes jokes about her time locked up and despite awkward encounters, does not let herself feel down. There are moments when one can see Miri almost crumble when everything is going wrong and nothing is what she imagined freedom to feel like.
But there is an exceptional resilience to her. One almost wishes for Miri to have an audible inner monologue like Phoebe Waller-Bridge in ‘Fleabag’. Just to be able to fathom how she keeps moving forward despite everyone conspiring to bring her down.
And that is the genius of Daisy Haggard. She has written (and performed) a character so complex, yet so simple. What Miri does and how she perceives the world after nearly two decades of incarceration is so devastatingly human, it’s a thing of beauty.
Her hopes, despair, dreams and loneliness make her relatable to anyone -- even if they haven’t committed a crime that led to a huge chunk of their lives spent behind bars. And that’s what makes Haggard’s performance so captivating.
‘Back to Life’ may seem like yet another series about a flawed person who has hurt those around them, but it is so much more. It is about pushing forward even in the face of depressing circumstances and facing adversity with a smile -- a reminder that the glass is half full.
'Back To Life' premieres in the U.S. on Showtime November 10.