Who Is Erin Carter? review: A very stressful watch 

Who Is Erin Carter? was released on Netflix on August 24, 2023. This mini-series was a stressful watch as it was evident that its creator rushed throughout the entire process.

Directed by Jack Lothian, Who Is Erin Carter? cast includes Evin Ahmad, Sean Teale, Indica Watson, and others. The official description of the show, according to Tudum, reads,

"Five years after leaving England with her daughter, Harper, Erin is working as a substitute teacher at an exclusive Barcelona international school, where Harper is a student. After Erin gallantly takes down gun-wielding robbers at a supermarket, people start asking questions. Erin seems… skilled at fighting. Too skilled. She’s a substitute teacher, not a secret agent."

It further states,

"Not only that, but one of the gunmen Erin leaves in critical condition recognizes her. Why? Who is Erin, really? As she tries to avoid attracting attention amidst police questioning and press for her heroic actions, Erin grows intent on keeping herself hidden from the spotlight — but that proves difficult. As more dangerous people come out of the woodwork, Erin’s lethal defense skills draw out questions that she’s not prepared to answer."

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

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Who Is Erin Carter? review: What went wrong?

Netflix's new seven-part thriller Who Is Erin Carter? turned out to be a dull and monotonous production with immature writing and dialogues. Despite having an opportunity for an exciting premise, it is yet another show that will be forgotten by the end of this week.

Who is Erin Carter? showcased the exploits of a British woman named Erin (Played by Evin Ahmad), a substitute teacher in a Spanish International school. Despite living in Spain for almost half a decade, she hadn't learned much of the language. Understandably, she was having a ton of trouble interacting with locals.

It is initially showcased that Erin has fled her country for sinister reasons. Her backstory reveals that she moved to Barcelona. She married Jordi, and the couple had a daughter named Harper. However, it is gradually revealed that her intention to change her location was forced upon her.

Erin wanted to lead a quiet life because she had been involved in shady business in her country. She got kicked out of the police academy and worked in a secret organization. Later, she joined a dangerous gang, which made her life miserable. After getting into trouble, she fled to Spain, but her past quickly began catching up to her. Furthermore, Harper was not even her real daughter. The child's mother, Lena, was behind bars.

While this character looks interesting initially, it becomes evident that Erin could be better written as the show progresses. She becomes highly unlikeable despite being the protagonist.

She mostly acted on impulses and made irrational decisions while she intended to be methodical and precise. Moreover, the drama was riddled with cringeworthy and lazy dialogues such as:

“Almost isn’t good enough. I want my family safe.”

Atrocious dialogues like these occur occasionally, and viewers have to bear with it.

Netflix's failure at pushing the "strong female character" narrative appropriately time after time seems to be the reason why they cannot produce quality shows and films lately. There is no reason for the viewer to invest time and effort in a character who starts their journey as a badass and stays that way until the end. This leads to one-dimensional writing as they hardly have to struggle or run into conflicts that lead to character development. This entire phenomenon makes Who Is Erin Carter? boring and sometimes unwatchable.

In tropes like these, things get incredibly predictable, and no matter what happens, the character will be victorious when the show/film ends. The same happened in this show. Erin, who was constantly on the run from cops, somehow managed to beat all odds and save herself and her family. Erin is supposed to be sympathized because of her situation. Instead, Who Is Erin Carter? gave us an unbeatable character with superhero-like plot armor.

Who Is Erin Carter? is not unwatchable but it isn't convincing or suspenseful either. It is a simple story that takes unnecessary twists and turns without enhancing the viewing experience. Erin's main objective was to stay undercover and protect her family. Yet, she always seemed distracted by side quests, like spending too much time disposing of a body or helping her friend Emilio with his criminal activities.

The worst part is that her other tasks were irrelevant to the main story.

There seems to be more focus on Barcelona's beauty and aesthetics and less effort on the overall story. The visuals and shots of the Spanish city are stunning, but one does not need a Netflix show to experience Barcelona's glory.

Evin Ahmad has started in several projects, but she was not the right choice to play the lead in this show. Her fight sequences are cringe-worthy, and she even did a sub-par job of displaying emotions when it was needed the most.

Who Is Erin Carter? is a generic crime thriller that is stressful to watch. It is time for Netflix to up its game because many of its recent releases leave the watcher hoping things could have been done better.