Matthew Macfadyen, fresh from his acclaimed role as Tom Wambsgans in Succession, stars in The Miniature Wife as Les Littlejohn, a scientist who accidentally shrinks his wife Lindy (Elizabeth Banks) to six inches tall. The series, created by Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner, aims for screwball comedy but falls short, wasting its talented cast and promising premise.
The show sets up a potentially rich satire of power dynamics in marriage and patriarchy, with Lindy, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, confined to a dollhouse replica of their home while Les pursues his Nobel dreams. However, the writers quickly abandon this fertile ground for a chaotic mix of underdeveloped subplots and broad humour that rarely lands.
Supporting characters, including a steely lab overseer (Zoe Lister-Jones), a romantic colleague (O-T Fagbenle), and a truculent daughter, orbit the main story without adding depth. Sian Clifford appears as Lindy’s agent, but her role is similarly wasted. Banks is given little to do beyond screaming or drinking wine from a miniature fridge until the series’ later episodes.
The series also introduces a B-plot about a misattributed short story, hinting at themes of authorship and authority, but fails to develop them. Despite some ambitious set pieces, the comedy lacks bite and coherence. The Miniature Wife is a disappointing follow-up for Macfadyen, leaving viewers to wonder what might have been.
