Eric miniseries (2024) review

When 9-year-old Edgar disappears on his way to school, his father becomes convinced that the only way to get him back home is to get his creation, Eric (a seven-foot-tall puppet) on TV. Bizarre as this outline may be, Eric the mini-series, is an incredibly dense and beautiful story of the scars left due to parental neglect in 1980s New York.

After his Oscar nomination for The Power of the Dog, Benedict Cumberbatch returns to form as Vincent, a puppeteer with a hit morning TV show, ‘Good Day, Sunshine!’ with a title track that can brighten up the gloomiest day. Vincent is the creative genius behind the show that he runs with his collaborator and friend, Lennie (always delightful, Dan Fogler). Lennie explains that the show is in troubled waters with a slump in the ratings and the memo from the network is that they need to improve with fresh ideas. While Vincent isn’t happy with taking the show in a new direction, things at home aren’t great either.

Lately, there has been a growing distance between Vincent and Cassie (terrifically performed by Gaby Hoffmann). Without getting into specifics, the show exposes glimpses of a rocky relationship. Their son Edgar (Ivan Morris Howe) bears witness to their quarrels, taking it all in like a sponge. The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree with Edgar, as he is quite creative and has an idea for a puppet (Eric, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) that can be produced for Daddy dearest’s show.

While the parents are focused on their issues with each other, Edgar disappears, propelling Cassie and Vincent into every parent’s worst nightmare. Such tragedy can take down the strongest of relationships but it devours their relationship that’s already hanging by a thread. NYPD Missing Person’s detective Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III, making a mark) is on the case but everyone knows that if you don’t find the child within the first 48 hours, the chances of them being alive are slim.

We don’t know if Ledroit is good at his job and judging by his last case where another boy vanished without a trace remaining unsolved, he doesn’t make a good impression. There is a difference between the two cases. The previous kid was a teenager and black. The public’s perception of the NYPD is that it’s a racially profiling organization. And where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Ledroit is also fixated on this club called ‘The Lux’, which is run by Alex Gator (Wade Allain-Marcus) who was recently released from prison for sex trafficking.

Cassie tries to stay abreast of police proceedings and hands out flyers with Edgar’s picture around the city while Vincent succeeds in distancing himself from everyone around him. Vincent’s repellent outer shell is not unlike Phil Burbank’s from The Power of the Dog. Cumberbatch has also played a misunderstood genius in The Imitation Game. But, the daring emotional depths he reaches as Vincent are a revelation. Cumberbatch presents nuance through his vocal and physical performance that stings and leaves a big, red mark in the mind. A deeply flawed man fighting facing reality, Vincent submerges himself to bring Edgar’s Eric to life. Through Eric, Vincent gets closer to his son which may be the medicine that can heal their combined emotional wounds.

Abi Morgan, the creator and writer of Eric is an exceptional writer who wrote movies such as Shame and The Iron Lady. And what a magnificent creation this is! In conjunction with director Lucy Forbes, Morgan brought the 1980s New York city to life, filled with political and societal issues. Morgan has brilliantly resolved two mysteries and gone beyond to tell a human tale; finding beauty within its imperfections. In Eric, bursting with a monumental range, Cumberbatch gives his most powerful performance to date.

P.S. The show features two amazing actors from The Wire (arguably the smartest TV show ever) – Clarke Peters and John Doman.

Vincent – ‘This kid! This kid is a genius. The problem, though, with creating an act of magic is an artist, Edgar, cannot be quantified by audience fucking research and test screenings.’

Cassie – ‘Jesus, they’re asking you to come up with a new puppet, Vincent, not War and Peace.’

Vincent – ‘Tell your mom what you’re working on, kid. He’s got an idea for a new puppet.’

Cassie – [sighs] ‘Edgar, baby, why don’t you go wash up?’

Vincent – ‘Might be just what the show needs. C’mon! Pitch it to me, kid.’

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