A Teacher (miniseries)

A Teacher is an American drama television miniseries created by Hannah Fidell based on her film of the same name. The series stars Kate Mara and Nick Robinson. It is produced by FX and premiered on sister streaming service FX on Hulu on November 10, 2020.[1][2][3]

For the film the miniseries is based on, see A Teacher.

A Teacher
GenreDrama
Created byHannah Fidell
Based onA Teacher
by Hannah Fidell
Directed by
Starring
Music byKeegan DeWitt
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
CinematographyQuyen Tran
Editors
  • Phillip Harrison
  • Nat Fuller
  • Kyle Reiter
Running time21–29 minutes
Production companies
DistributorDisney Platform Distribution
Release
Original networkFX on Hulu
Original releaseNovember 10 (2020-11-10) –
December 29, 2020 (2020-12-29)
External links
Website

Premise

Set from 2013 to 2024, A Teacher focuses on Claire Wilson, a popular young high school English teacher in Austin, Texas, who has an affair with a 17-year-old student, Eric Walker. The miniseries explores the complexities of the relationship and the consequences for both of them and those around them.[2][4][5]

Cast

Main
  • Kate Mara as Claire Wilson, a new, young high school English teacher
  • Nick Robinson as Eric Walker, a high school senior
  • Ashley Zukerman as Matt Mitchell, Claire's husband
  • Shane Harper as Logan Davis, one of Eric's best friends and Cody's younger brother
  • Marielle Scott as Kathryn Sanders, a French teacher and Claire's newest friend
  • Dylan Schmid as Josh Smith, one of Eric's best friends
  • Adam David Thompson as Nate Wilson, a police officer who is Claire's older brother
  • Jana Peck as Victoria Davis, Logan and Cody's mother
  • Devon Bostick as Ryan, Eric’s roommate

Recurring
  • Rya Ingrid Kihlstedt as Sandy Walker, Eric's single mother
  • Cameron Moulène as Cody, a frat boy and Logan's older brother
  • Camila Perez as Alison Martinez, Eric's ex-girlfriend
  • Ciara Quinn Bravo as Mary Smith, Josh's younger sister
  • Charlie Zeltzer as Phil Walker, Eric's little brother
  • M. C. Gainey as Wyatt Wilson, Claire and Nate's father

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [6]
1"Episode 1"Hannah FidellHannah FidellNovember 10, 2020 (2020-11-10)
In 2013, 32-year-old Claire Wilson starts her new job as an English teacher at a local high school in Austin, Texas. Despite the new job, Claire is unsatisfied in her marriage and she and her husband Matt have been unable to conceive a child. She befriends one of her students, a popular 17-year-old high-school senior named Eric Walker, who has recently broken up with his girlfriend Allison. Claire reveals her unhappy relationship with her husband and her other personal problems to Eric, who in turn tells her about his own family’s problems which include him working an after-school job to keep up with the bills and helping his single mother look after his two younger brothers. Claire agrees to tutor Eric for the SAT. Claire feels drawn to Eric and he begins to develop mutual feelings for her.
2"Episode 2"Hannah FidellHannah FidellNovember 10, 2020 (2020-11-10)
Eric attends a party at his friend Logan's house, where he hooks up with his ex-girlfriend Allison. The party is busted by the police and after noticing that the officer collecting his information is Claire's brother Nate, Eric is able to persuade him to call Claire to pick him up. Claire convinces Nate to throw out Eric's underage drinking citation. Matt spends his and Claire's savings on music equipment, creating tension between the couple. Instead of their regular SAT study session on Saturday, Claire takes Eric to tour her alma mater, the University of Texas, where they are invited to a frat party by Logan's brother Cody. At the party, Eric and Claire almost kiss. Claire ignores a text from Eric, but accepts his Instagram follow request. At school, Eric confronts and kisses Claire.
3"Episode 3"Hannah FidellAndrew NeelNovember 10, 2020 (2020-11-10)
Claire, angry at Eric for kissing her, initially refuses to tutor him but he convinces her to continue. While he is hanging out with Logan and Cody, Eric lies to protect their scandalous affair. Eric asks Allison to go to the school's homecoming dance with him, which she accepts. Matt begins to pressure Claire to try in vitro fertilization to start their family, which creates further tension. After Eric skips the tutoring session, Claire confronts him about it at the dance. He admits he cannot control himself around her. Claire tells him to go back inside, but after sharing longing glances at each other, Eric ditches Allison at the dance an he and Claire leave together and have sex in the back of Claire's car.
4"Episode 4"Gillian RobespierreRuby Rae SpiegelNovember 17, 2020 (2020-11-17)
Eric and Claire set ground rules about their relationship. Matt notices Claire acting strange, but she allays his suspicions by initiating sex with him. Eric is confronted by Logan, Josh, and Allison as to why he left homecoming early; and all three suspect that he is lying. Claire goes out for drinks with her teacher friend Kathryn who notices a hickey on Claire's neck. Claire sends Eric a scandalous photo and, breaking their rules, asks to meet Eric for sex. Eric, who is babysitting his brothers while his mother is on a date, leaves the kids in the care of a neighborhood girl. Eric tells Claire he genuinely cares for her and wants more than just sex, and Claire reciprocates those feelings. Eric returns home to find his mother who reveals his younger brother burned himself while he was gone.
5"Episode 5"Andrew NeelRosa HandelmanNovember 24, 2020 (2020-11-24)
Eric and Claire spend a weekend at a rented ranch house to celebrate Eric's 18th birthday. Eric is upset that Claire expects the relationship to end, and laments that their relationship has to be secret. They profess their love for each other and have sex. Claire goes to a bar where Matt and his band are performing their first gig. Kathryn deduces Claire is having an affair and Claire reveals she is having her affair with Eric. Despite Claire's attempts to justify their relationship, Kathryn tells Claire she has no choice but to report her and leaves, leaving Claire panicked.
6"Episode 6"Gillian RobespierreAndrew NeelDecember 1, 2020 (2020-12-01)
The police show up at Eric's house to question him and he reveals his relationship with Clair to them. Claire reveals her affair to Matt, who seeks counsel from Claire's brother, Nate. While heartbroken and angry, Matt declares to Claire his intention to save their marriage. While eating dinner, Claire abruptly leaves to meet with Eric, who suggests they run away together; which she accepts. At a motel, Claire receives a call from Nate who says the police may look at the situation as a kidnapping. Claire and Eric have drunken sex, but after seeing missed calls and texts from his friends and his mother, Eric leaves the motel in the middle of the night. He arrives the next morning where he tearfully reunites with his mother. Awaking to find Eric gone, Claire turns herself in at the police department.
7"Episode 7"Andrew NeelBoo KillebrewDecember 8, 2020 (2020-12-08)
In 2014, Eric attends UT-Austin and rushes a frat. It is revealed that Claire and Eric's scandal had been all over the news and she had been sentenced to county jail. Eric hooks up with a female student when she tells Eric she recognizes him. While having lunch with Cody, Eric discusses Claire's situation and shows regret for convincing her to skip town with him. Back in his dorm, Eric runs a Google search on Claire and is updated by his mom that Claire will soon be released. Eric’s mom tries to convince him to seek counseling, but he refuses and leaves in frustration. He then goes to see the female student he hooked up with, only for her to apologize to him since he is a victim. Eric is frustrated by her suggestion and pushes her away, telling her that she is just a booty call. During Omega Kappa Beta's initiation, the members bring out an exotic dancer who teases Eric with teacher comments. Eric uncomfortably runs back to his dorms and passes by another student in the hallway who asks if Eric would want to try magic mushrooms. As the two engage in a conversation where they discuss their own personal issues, Eric reveals that he still has feelings for Claire and he misses her terribly.
8"Episode 8"Hannah FidellRosa HandelmanDecember 15, 2020 (2020-12-15)
Claire is released from jail and her formerly alcoholic father Wyatt addresses their estrangement but proposes to be closer with her. Revealing that Matt had filed for divorce, Nate allows Claire to stay over at his house and encourages her to look for a job. Nate's wife Lisa meets Claire at the house, but is uncomfortable around her. Clair meets with her probation officer. At a store in hopes of obtaining a job, Claire is recognized and called a "sexual predator". Claire realizes she is not welcome at Nate's home. Claire receives a text message from Eric to meet up, and she reluctantly allows him to visit her. The two confess their continued feelings but Claire warns Eric to stay away and move on with his life. A devastated Eric leaves for good, and Claire packs up her luggage to stay with her father.
9"Episode 9"Hannah FidellBoo KillebrewDecember 22, 2020 (2020-12-22)
Claire has begun working in her father's retail store and uses Tinder to hook up with her date who is aware of who she is. She finalizes her divorce with Matt, who expresses his anger at her. Claire again hooks up with her date, asking him to hit her; he does so, eventually causing her to bleed. Claire leaves after he refuses to continue hitting her. She later becomes angry at her father for trying to help her, but he encourages her to see her situation through. Eric has been put on academic probation, and is taken to dinner by his roommate Ryan. Eric encounters a bachelorette party, who attempt to get their single friend Chloe to connect with Eric. After the party leaves, Eric dances with Chloe, who breaks down in tears; explaining that she recently got out of a long-term relationship that she realized was unhealthy. Eric goes home the next morning, admitting to his mom that he needs help.
10"Episode 10"Hannah FidellHannah Fidell & Dana KitchensDecember 29, 2020 (2020-12-29)
In 2024, Claire has remarried, has two daughters, and lives in Houston. Eric leads therapeutic wilderness retreats, and makes the two-day drive back to Austin for his high school reunion. Eric encounters Claire in a grocery store, leaving them both shaken. At the reunion, Eric reunites with Logan and Josh; he also reunites with Alison, and the pair hook up in her hotel room. Claire texts Eric asking to meet for lunch. At the restaurant, the conversation is strained, and Eric reveals the bitter feelings he now has for Claire, saying he blamed himself for years before realizing that Claire took advantage of him. Claire shows contrition and apologizes multiple times for violating her role as an educator, and reveals that people still judge her for what happened with him, but Eric tells her that she is being selfish. Standing up, he says they both have to live with what happened, and then abruptly leaves the restaurant.

Production

Development

In February 2014, it was revealed that Fidell's film A Teacher would be adapted for television by HBO. Fidell would write and executive produce the series along with Danny Brocklehurst.[7] Kate Mara who is starring in the series also be serving as an executive producer, while Fidell will also direct the series, set up at FX instead of HBO.[8] Following the completion of the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in March 2019, The Walt Disney Company became the majority stakeholders of Hulu and with FX becoming one of the assets acquired through the purchase.,[9] it was announced in November 2019 that the show would premiere on Hulu instead of FX, as part of "FX on Hulu".[10][11][12] Keegan DeWitt composed the series score.[13]

Casting

In August 2018, it was announced Kate Mara and Nick Robinson were cast in lead roles for the series.[8] In September 2019, Ashley Zukerman, Marielle Scott, Shane Harper, and Adam David Thompson joined the cast as series regulars, while Rya Kihlstedt, Camila Perez, Cameron Moulène and Ciara Bravo joined in recurring roles.[14]

Filming

Principal photography began shooting in Calgary, Alberta, in August 2019.[15] and wrapped on October 13, 2019.[16]

Release

The miniseries premiered on November 10, 2020, with the first 3 episodes available and the rest debuting on a weekly basis on FX on Hulu.[3] It also premiered on BBC Two in the UK on January 3, 2021.[17]

Reception

For the miniseries, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 72% based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 6.26/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Beautiful, but slight, A Teacher's attempts to unpack its cautionary tale are admirable, even if its approach is too muted to make a meaningful impact."[18] Metacritic gave the miniseries a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

A Teacher is FX on Hulu’s most-watched series to date.[20]

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the miniseries a B and wrote "Television is a medium that allows us to live with characters; instead, A Teacher gives us a highlight reel of psychic convalescence, before ending on a note of oversimplified closure."[21]

References
  1. "FX on Hulu". FX. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  2. Petski, Denise (August 22, 2019). "FX's 'A Teacher' Limited Series Gets Green Light; Nick Robinson Joins Kate Mara As Co-Lead". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  3. Schwartz, Ryan (September 9, 2020). "Kate Mara Is A Teacher Caught in Forbidden Romance With a Student in FX on Hulu Limited Series Trailer". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 9, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  4. Malkin, Marc (November 9, 2020). "Nick Robinson Talks Overcoming COVID and His New FX Series 'A Teacher' With Kate Mara". Variety. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  5. Hale, Mike (November 9, 2020). "'A Teacher' Review: After School, Not So Special". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  6. "Shows A-Z - teacher, a on hulu". The Futon Critic. The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  7. "Hannah Fidell's A Teacher To Be Adapted at HBO". Filmmaker Magazine. February 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  8. Andreeva, Nellie (August 22, 2018). "Kate Mara To Topline 'A Teacher' Limited Series In Works At FX Based On Hannah Fidell's Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  9. Jarvey, Natalie (May 14, 2019). "Disney is taking full control of Hulu". CNN. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  10. Goldberg, Lesley (November 7, 2019). "FX to Produce Programming for Hulu". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  11. Iannucci, Rebecca (November 7, 2019). "FX to Produce Programming for Hulu". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  12. White, Peter (June 22, 2020). "Hulu Unveils Details Of Steve Martin & Martin Short Comedy As 'Y: The Last Man' & 'American Horror Stories' Become FX On Hulu Originals". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  13. "Keegan DeWitt Scoring FX on Hulu's 'A Teacher'". FilmMusicReporter. August 31, 2020. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  14. Petski, Denise (September 6, 2019). "'A Teacher': FX Limited Series Based On Hannah Fidell's Film Adds Eight To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  15. Volmers, Eric (August 13, 2019). "House of Cards' Kate Mara in Calgary shooting new FX series A Teacher". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  16. Fidell, Hannah (October 4, 2019). "Nine more days until we wrap #ATeacherFX 😭". Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  17. Cremona, Patrick (December 21, 2020). "When is A Teacher on BBC Two? Cast, trailer, plot and more". The Radio Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  18. "A Teacher: Miniseries (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  19. "A Teacher". Metacritic. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  20. White, Peter; White, Peter (January 27, 2021). "'A Teacher' Surpasses 'Mrs. America' & 'Devs' To Become Most-Watched FX On Hulu Series". Deadline. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  21. Baldwin, Kristen (October 29, 2020). "A Teacher sleeps with student; it ends badly: Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
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