‘Pieces of Her’ Is an Overlong Toni Collette Showcase Burdened by Flashbacks: TV Review
Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticNetflix’s new drama “Pieces of Her” kicks off with an act of violence that predicts much of what will lie ahead: It is startling for its randomness.In this series’ first episode, a mother and daughter (Toni Collette and Bella Heathcote) are caught up in a public mass shooting, the denouement of which reveals Collette’s character Laura to have a surprising, unforeseen boldness. The attention Laura’s heroism receives threatens to upset a delicate balance, one that Heathcote’s Andy hasn’t even realized exists.Soon enough, Andy, whose adult life has been in a state of suspended animation to care for the ailing Laura, is thrust into the world, ordered by Laura to leave their town, where they have kept a purposefully low profile existence, and go into hiding.