Typically, we go to television for entertainment. Whether we want to laugh or cry, we can almost always find anything we want these days. Every now and then though, a new series comes along that decides to tackle a difficult and uncomfortable topic. That is exactly the case with the new FX on Hulu series A Teacher.
A Teacher follows Claire Wilson (Kate Mara), a young teacher at a suburban Texas high school and her student, Eric Walker (Nick Robinson) as they navigate the complexities and consequences of a predatory relationship.
“Uncomfortable” is probably the best word to describe A Teacher. Some other fitting descriptors would be “gross,” “icky,” “unsettling,” you get the idea. The series not only tells the story of these two characters, but takes a deep dive into their lives in a way that almost feels like it is trying to justify their relationship to the audience. They’re both very likeable characters and you’ll find yourself wanting each of them to be happy – just not together.
With most romantic comedies or even dramas, audiences are often given a couple of characters and a relationship between them for which they’re supposed to root. In this case though, it’s the exact opposite. In fact, you may find yourself not knowing what to root for as the show tries very hard to get you invested in these characters while also making you want to scream at them to stop.
There are some things to like about this series, despite how uneasy you may feel while watching it. It is shedding light on an issue and bringing awareness to situations like this which have occurred. It could serve as an effective warning to those who may eventually find themselves in a position similar to the one in which these two characters have found themselves.
The cast also does a fantastic job. You may not like what you’re seeing on the screen, but a big reason for that is the believable tension that Mara and Robinson produce. There are also a fair amount of supporting characters that do a better job of being believable high schoolers than you see on most other shows. Sure, that’s a low bar, but still.
Overall, A Teacher is not something I would recommend to anyone looking for an entertaining new series. It could be used in the same vein as after school specials to warn young people of the dangers of this kind of relationship, but aside from that, there isn’t much reason to choose this over some of the other new content on Hulu. The cast does a great job here, but that just gets me excited to see these actors in future projects more than anything else. I suppose if you’re feeling a little too comfortable lately, you could watch this new series to change that, but I doubt that’s a problem anyone is dealing with right now.
The first three episodes of A Teacher are streaming now on Hulu.