--- title: "The Honourable Woman: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-honourable-woman/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/the-honourable-woman" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Honourable Woman (2014): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like this a great deal, and the praise gathers in the same places. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Nessa Stein is the near-universal draw; The Times pairs her with Stephen Rea as the cast that warms an otherwise cerebral series. Hugo Blick’s intricate plotting and deliberate, old-fashioned pacing are admired, with Vulture in particular valuing its patience and its Hitchcockian touches. Several reviews credit it for taking the Israel-Palestine conflict seriously, approaching it through lies and betrayals rather than headlines. The reservations are about manner and speed. Even admirers mention vagueness, arty indulgence and a coldness the cast has to work against, and The Independent warns that the portentous dialogue and slow pace will irritate some viewers. Variety is the only mixed verdict, finding the series ambitious and well cast but plodding and short on urgency. The spread is otherwise narrow: nobody dismisses it, and the argument is over whether its stateliness is a virtue. ## The AV Club — Sonia Saraiya Rating A-. 31 July 2014. The series is ambitious and riveting despite some vagueness in its storytelling. It singles out the beautiful, dark portrait of the central woman and strong direction amid the Israel-Palestine backdrop. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-honorable-woman-is-ambitious-and-riveting-1798181021) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Tim Goodman Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 July 2014. Praises it as a brilliantly acted political thriller with intricate storytelling, complex characters, and standout performances, especially Gyllenhaal, that grapples with current events. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/honorable-woman-tv-review-721416/) ## The Times — Andrew Billen Rating *****. 22 August 2014. The critic calls this an outstanding series that is cerebral and polished yet humanised by an extraordinary cast, particularly Maggie Gyllenhaal and Stephen Rea. It takes on big themes of the Middle East conflict through lies, betrayals and the struggle to connect, redeeming earlier doubts about its coldness. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/tv-review-the-honourable-woman-vk62dmpgt5w) ## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 2014. The miniseries stands out for its detail, atmosphere, and patience with viewers in its deliberate, 20th-century style. It praises the espionage yarn elements, paranoia, and fine Hitchcockian flourishes while noting some arty indulgence. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/07/tv-review-the-honorable-woman.html) ## IndieWire Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 2014. The review positions the series as an egalitarian feminist spy thriller. It highlights its ambitious take on the genre. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/review-the-honorable-woman-is-the-egalitarian-feminist-spy-thriller-of-your-dreams-23626/) ## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 July 2014. The critic finds the first episode of Hugo Blick's new thriller elegant, subtly imaginative and assured in its complicated unfoldings. It kicks off with a brutal assassination and introduces a strong cast including Maggie Gyllenhaal as the business leader Nessa Stein navigating Middle East politics and intrigue. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/jul/05/the-honourable-woman-review-rebels-of-oz-germaine-greer-clive-james) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 July 2014. The critic notes that Maggie Gyllenhaal is excellent as Baroness Nessa Stein in this political thriller about ethics in the Middle East, making the series worth pursuing despite its mannered style. Some viewers may find the portentous dialogue and slow pacing irritating. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-honourable-woman-bbc2-tv-review-an-excellent-maggie-gyllenhaal-makes-this-stilted-spy-thriller-worth-pursuing-9582676.html) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2014. The critic finds the series ambitious and serious but criticizes its plodding pace and lack of urgency or thrills, despite strong casting and timely themes. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/tv/reviews/tv-review-the-honorable-woman-1201267025/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/the-honourable-woman.md