Newly released to Netflix, Australian Productions presents us with The Let Down. A raw comedy series with powerful insight to the “Twilight Zone period of becoming a new parent”, specifically for new mom Audrey (depicted by Alison Bell). Along with Audrey losing her identity outside of being a mom, sleep deprivation. struggling to breastfeed – she also lacks support from her partner Jeremy (casted by Duncan Fellows), her mother and her parentless friends. This series doesn’t portrays motherhood as “The Holy Grail” as it’s normally seen. This is the kind of show that will bring you right back down to Earth. As a recent first time Mom myself, I absolutely loved and binged this show. The Australian Comedy Series is full of such relatable raw moments and underlying humor.
Episode one opens dark, it’s late night, in a park. With poor Mombie Audrey (yes, Mombie, a “mom zombie“) trying to sleep in her parked car after driving around her (now) sleeping two month old baby Stevie. Just as she doses off she gets a knock on her window from a drug dealer who tells her to get out of his office. Since poor Stevie doesn’t sleep well at night it’s a reoccurring thing, driving through the park, that Aud and the drug dealer cross paths so much, they develop a quirky bond throughout the episodes.
Poor Audrey just fancy’s the usual sips of coffee, alcohol, sex, a social life and some gosh darn support. Hearing some nice and complementary comments along the way can really have an impact on your mentality, especially if you’re a (new) mom, especially if you’re like Audrey. If someone asked her, “how are you really?” I think she would have been through the roof. Since she isn’t getting the back up she needs and deserves from friends, husband or mum, she seeks her own comfort and turns to a mommy group.
Skeptical and feeling uninvited at first, the mommy group, made up of a group leader, three other moms and one dad, become her backbone. Although at first the moms seem to have it all together, Audrey comes to find that everyone has their own troubles and inadequacies. The troop demonstrates different types of parenting techniques, outside family dynamics, personal struggles, tales of their horrid birth stories and experiences of personal mom shaming. As the support grows stronger, unique friendships are formed.
Parenthood, specifically motherhood, is trial and error. Even though I already knew this and am experiencing it myself… it’s still relieving to see Audrey and the other group moms/dad going through the same troubles, self doubt and lack of confidence I sometimes struggle with. I don’t want to see anyone else suffer but it’s reassuring to know it’s perfectly normal.
The Let Down also confirmed that sometimes keeping secrets from your significant other is okay. For instance Audrey goes on a weekend getaway and leaves baby Stevie with clueless Dad. He can’t get her to eat and calls over a couple of moms from the mom group, one of which breastfeeds Stevie. Instantly as the baby latches Jeremy goes “Do we tell Audrey??” And in unison they loudly say “Noooooooooooooo!” Or when Audrey ends up in the wrong group meeting and bumps into her drug dealer friend, but stays because it rejuvenates her sense of self. Or just for the fact that she never mentioned the drug dealer pal until he catches her and her husband fooling around in the car – some secrets are okay and it’s okay to keep somethings to yourself if it’s not hurting anyone. It’s the thrill of the small things I’d say.
The Let Down is funny and a mirror image to real life. The series encouraged me to feel less crazy and more sane. What Audrey came to discover and what I discovered is that most moms always seem so put together. And sometimes we are, but sometimes we aren’t. You should not be afraid to let your emotions show and to feel vulnerable. We’re all in the same boat. We’re all mothers trying to do the best for our children.
You’ll reminisce, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh, you’ll relate. The Let Down will not let you down.
The Word of Mommy Morgan✨🌿 