Jessica Brown Findlay (beloved as Sybil in Downton Abbey ) completely reinvents herself here. Charlotte is jaded, witty, and sexually liberated but trapped in a gilded cage. Her relationship with the reckless, lovesick son of a nobleman (the excellent Douggie McMeekin) is the show’s most tragic love story because you know it cannot end well. The Verdict: Watch It Now Harlots Season 1 is not easy viewing. There are scenes of sexual assault and exploitation that are deliberately uncomfortable. The show refuses to let you fetishize the trauma. Instead, it asks a hard question: What would you do to keep your daughters alive in a world that wants them dead?

Harlots Season 1: Bodices, Blood, and the Brutal Business of Survival

Hulu (US), Disney+ (Star content), Amazon Prime (select regions).

Have you watched the rivalry between the Wells and Quigley families? Let me know your thoughts on that shocking finale in the comments below. #Harlots #PeriodDrama #Hulu #SamanthaMorton #LesleyManville #TVCritique #18thCentury #FeministTV