Alias Grace asks a simple question and refuses to answer it. Based on Margaret Atwood’s 1996 novel, the six-episode series follows Grace Marks, a housemaid from Ireland, and the murder of her employer, Thomas Kinnear. The crime took place in 1843, and Grace claims she has no memory of it. That claim, as the series makes clear, is not a defense.
The series premiered on CBC Television on September 25, 2017, and appeared on Netflix on November 3, 2017. It was directed by Mary Harron, who also directed the 1996 film version of Atwood’s novel, and written by Sarah Polley. Sarah Gadon plays Grace, Edward Holcroft plays Dr. Simon Jordan, and the cast includes Rebecca Liddiard, Zachary Levi, Kerr Logan, David Cronenberg, Paul Gross and Anna Paquin. Atwood herself served as a supervising producer.
The story is told in two timelines. The first takes place a decade after the murder, when Dr. Jordan attempts to help Grace recover her lost memories. The second moves back to the events of 1843, showing the circumstances that led to the crime. The series does not resolve the memory question. It simply asks whether Grace’s loss of memory is a cover or a curse.
Trailer, via CBC.
Grace’s Confession
The central performance belongs to Sarah Gadon. She plays Grace as a woman who has learned to live within her own silence. Her confession scenes, where she tells Dr. Jordan about her past, are the engine of the series. Gadon never lets Grace become a victim in the eyes of the audience. She is a liar, a survivor, and a woman who has made a terrible bargain with her memory.
The series uses flashbacks to show Grace’s life in 1843. Her work in the house, her relationship with Mary Whitney, her employer’s family — all of it is rendered in muted tones, with a sense of dread building beneath the surface. The show’s visual style is deliberate. The color palette shifts from the bright greens of the past to the colder, more institutional blues of the present. This is not a spectacle. It is a slow, deliberate study of a crime and the woman who claims to have committed it.
The Cast Around Her
Edward Holcroft plays Dr. Jordan as a man who is both curious and deeply uncomfortable. He is a doctor who has made a name for himself by treating the insane, but he has never met a patient like Grace. His commitment to her is genuine, but it is also a professional obsession. The relationship between the two is central, and the chemistry between Gadon and Holcroft carries the series when the plot slows.
Rebecca Liddiard plays Mary Whitney, Grace’s friend and fellow housemaid. Her scenes are some of the most compelling in the series. Anna Paquin rounds out the cast as Nancy Montgomery, the housekeeper who works alongside Grace. Kerr Logan plays James McDermott, Grace’s lover, and Zachary Levi plays Jeremiah Pontelli. David Cronenberg plays Reverend Verrenger, and Paul Gross plays Thomas Kinnear. The casting is strong throughout, and the ensemble gives the series a lived-in feel.
The show is based on a novel, and it plays like one. The dialogue is precise and often poetic. The pacing is slow, which works in the first three episodes but stretches the viewer’s patience by the final stretch. The series is not interested in a quick resolution. It is interested in the space between Grace’s confession and the truth.
Atwood’s Supervising Producer
Atwood served as a supervising producer on the miniseries. Her involvement is a significant stamp of approval for the adaptation. The show stays close to the source material, and it benefits from Atwood’s careful hand guiding the production.
The series was the third adaptation of an Atwood novel broadcast on television in 2017. The other two were The Handmaid’s Tale, adapted for Hulu, and Wandering Wenda, adapted for CBC Kids’ lineup. This trifecta of adaptations shows Atwood’s deep influence on Canadian television.
The series premiered with a preview screening at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in its Primetime lineup of selected television programming. That screening gave the show an early platform, and it helped generate buzz before the full run aired.
What the Show Gets Right
The series is at its best when it focuses on Grace’s interior life. The scenes where she is alone, or with Mary Whitney, are the most affecting. The show understands that Grace’s story is not about the murder itself, but about what she has done with it. Her loss of memory is a shield, but it is also a prison.
The performances carry this weight. Gadon is the heart of the series, and the supporting cast gives her room to breathe. The show’s direction is confident, with Harron’s eye for composition and Polley’s script giving the actors clear choices.
The show is not perfect. The slow pacing can feel like a grind by the final two episodes. Some of the plot threads, particularly those involving Dr. Jordan’s investigation, feel less compelling than the character work. The series also struggles with its dual timeline structure in the later episodes, where the flashbacks begin to feel like a device rather than a narrative choice.
“Grace claims to have no memory of the murder.”
That line captures the show’s central tension. Grace cannot remember, but the show cannot let go.
A Slow but Worthwhile Watch
Alias Grace is a demanding watch. It asks the audience to sit with discomfort, confusion and the slow unfolding of a mystery that may not have a solution. The show does not give the viewer an easy way out.
The series is a remarkable adaptation of a remarkable novel. It captures the novel’s sense of dread and its willingness to leave questions unanswered. It is also a strong entry in the wave of Atwood adaptations that defined Canadian television in 2017.
The show is not a thriller. It is a slow, character-driven drama about a woman who cannot remember her past and a doctor who cannot stop trying to help her. The performances are uniformly excellent, and the direction is assured. The show’s only real failing is its own pacing. It is a show that rewards patience, but it also tests it.
The Verdict
Alias Grace is a strong adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel, and a compelling entry in the world of Canadian television. It is a show that demands attention, and it rewards it. The performances are excellent, the direction is confident, and the production values are high.
The show’s slow pace and uneven plotting in the final two episodes keep it from greatness, but it remains a compelling piece of television.
8.1 of 10.
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