Smother-in-Law is Netflix’s first multi-camera Brazilian sitcom. Starring the versatile artist Rodrigo Sant’Anna in the main role, the series plays out over 10 episodes, each around 25 minutes long. The other prominent characters are played by Rafael Zulu, Lidi Lisboa, Solange Teixeira, Barbara Sut, Pedro Ottoni, Daniela Fontan and Ney Lima respectively. The series also features fun guest appearances from Danielle Winits, JoJo Todynho and Mumuzinho.
Netflix describes the series as:
Living with her family since the pandemic struck, the meddling Isadir does her best to disrupt the lives of her bumbling son and rival daughter-in-law
– Smother-in-Law review does not contain spoilers –
The overbearing mother-in-law who is dead set on disrupting the relatively peaceful lives of her son and his wife, and is overly involved in their marriage provides the premise for the show. As Rio de Janerio goes into lockdown, Isadir decides to move in with her son Carlos and his family, much to the dismay of her daughter-in-law, Alice. From there, funnily absurd sequence of events ensues.
There are worse things than having to wear masks during the pandemic, like your mother-in-law turning up at your doorstep, along with all her luggage, at least that’s the case for Alice when Isadir rents out her apartment in Cachambi and insists on living with them in the mansion owned by her son in Barra da Tijuca. Isadir doesn’t get along with her daughter-in-law and would often sarcastically take a jab at her. Consequently, Alice is not very fond of Isadir either. So, living under the same roof might not be a sane choice but the situation guarantees enough chaos and laughs to keep the audience from tuning out.
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Smother-in-Law did a moderately decent job at delivering the humour and a mix of other emotions from time to time but overall, it can arguably be billed as lukewarm. There is nothing utterly remarkable about the series; Smother-in-Law is mediocre, at best and fails to make a groundbreaking impact in any way. The creators certainly made an apparent effort but even so, were unsuccessful in crafting a strong narrative, which in turn makes it a rather standard comedy.
The characters, however, were amusing and also, there are quite a few sketches in the series that make it fairly watchable. Another aspect to look forward to in the series is Isadir’s equation with her grandchildren, Jonas and Marcia. Although she doesn’t share an affectionate relationship with her daughter-in-law, her grandkids seem to quite enjoy her company and she, too, dotes on them. The viewers are also going to dig the friendship between Isadir and her old friend, Fatima.
Rodrigo Sant’Anna, who is known for his role in the 1999 television comedy, Zorra Total, was the best part of this sitcom. He was able to convincingly pull off the role of an older woman. His character in the show, Isadir, is a hoot. She has her fair share of escapades and a handful of ‘oops’ moments, setting a spate of funny scenarios in motion. In the series, Rodrigo shows off his praiseworthy comedic chops, effortlessly throwing one sarcastic remark after another. All the other actors also did a pretty good job at portraying the characters they were playing. I loved the chemistry between the cast, they play off each other’s reactions quite well.
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Smother-in-Law: Stream It or Skip It
Isadir’s tendency to interfere with her son’s marriage, but to do so in a slightly galling and highly dramatic way, sets the course for the show to follow and propel the story to unfold in a comical fashion. If you’re looking for a raunchy, funny and light-hearted series to watch, Netflix’s brand new sitcom, Smother-in-Law is one of the best options out there.
Smother-in-Law is now streaming on Netflix.