Who is Erin Carter? 1×07 marks the end of one of the most entertaining series I’ve watched in a while. And I’ve come out of this exploration of what we would do for those we love with a new understanding of the lengths I would go to for loved ones. Also, I came out with an understanding that sometimes we hurt those we love. But we can make it better. We can work hard. And if we listen and own up to our mistakes, things will be okay.
The season finale of Who is Erin Carter? also felt like it confirmed absolutely everything I said in my review for 1×06. Erin wants to protect her family. That’s why she got up, patched her bullet wound up, and went for her family. But she’s not alone in this feeling. Harper wants to protect her mom. Jordi wants to protect his child. And Lena, the most surprisingly likeable character of the show, wants to protect her child as well, even if that means stepping aside and letting someone else to take on the job.
What happened between Erin and Lena in 1×06 was brought on by pain. And you could see that in 1×07 that pain was still there. But it simmered down because they had a common cause: to protect Harper. And at the end, when Lena pressed her forehead against Erin’s and basically gave up her life to give Erin her best chance at protecting their daughter…well, that’s when the waterworks started for me. Because Lena took that anger, she channeled it into something different, while making sure that Erin knew she was loved and that she had a responsibility to their kid.
And I’ve got to give it up to Evin Ahmad (Erin) and Denise Gough (Lena) for delivering such a nuanced approach to love, pain, and family. In another life, their characters would’ve run away to Barcelona and raised Harper together. But that didn’t happen. Instead, we got an exploration of found family (my favorite trope) and a blueprint of what I want to see more on TV when it comes to “strong women.” Plus, now I want to watch everything Ahmad and Gough have been in because range, people.
I’m not going to lie though, I’m sad that Who is Erin Carter? is over and this is a mini-series. But if there’s anything I’ve learned about British shows, it’s that they come back sometimes and it could be years down the line. But even if it doesn’t, 1×07 was a satisfying conclusion that is less open-ended/ambiguous (my least favorite type of ending) and left me with a feeling of “Erin is still out there trying to figure things out but I know she’ll be ok. And if I see her again, great. If I don’t, that’s alright. Because this journey was worth it.” And I’m ok with that.
Who is Erin Carter? is now available on Netflix.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, Who is Erin Carter? being covered here wouldn’t exist.
