Most critics find Mrs Wilson a compelling family mystery, with praise clustering around Ruth Wilson’s performance and the gradual disclosure of Alec’s deceptions. The reviews repeatedly credit Wilson with conveying Alison’s shift from hopeful young woman to guarded widow, giving the suspense an emotional weight beyond the next revelation. Several also value the series’ attention to grief, self-deception and the difficulty of knowing another person, even within a marriage.
The reservations concern pacing and presentation rather than the story’s appeal, and the spread runs from enthusiastic to mixed, with no outright rejection. Variety finds the mystery gripping but overlong, while praising the supporting performances alongside Wilson. The Evening Standard’s assessment of the opening episode is more guarded, calling the presentation mannered and questioning Iain Glen’s ageing make-up. Elsewhere, smaller doubts concern heavy-handed hints about Alec’s past and whether Alison’s restraint makes her shock difficult to feel.