You know that feeling when you're watching a show and you suddenly realize you've been lied to for five hours? That's the vibe of Apple TV Cate Blanchett collaborations right now. Specifically, we're talking about Disclaimer. It’s a seven-chapter psychological wrecking ball directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and honestly, it’s unlike anything else on the platform.
Most people went into this thinking it was just another "prestige drama" about a rich woman in a nice house. You've seen those, right? Big windows, expensive wine, a secret that eventually comes out over a polite dinner. But Disclaimer isn't that. It’s meaner. It’s more complicated. It’s basically a masterclass in how much we love to judge people—especially women—before we actually have the facts.
The Hook: Why Apple TV Cate Blanchett is the Ultimate Combo
Cate Blanchett plays Catherine Ravenscroft. She’s a big-shot documentary filmmaker who makes a living "revealing the truth." Then, she gets a book in the mail. A self-published novel called The Perfect Stranger. The catch? It’s not fiction. It’s a detailed account of a "scandalous" event from her past in Italy twenty years ago.
Watching her world unravel is brutal.
Cuarón, who directed Roma and Children of Men, treats this series like a seven-hour movie. He doesn't do "TV logic." There are no cheap cliffhangers just for the sake of it. Instead, he uses three different narrators. One is in the first person, one is in the second (literally a voice in Catherine's head saying "you did this"), and one is in the third. It’s confusing on purpose. It forces you to ask: who is actually telling the truth?
What Most People Get Wrong About the Plot
A lot of the initial chatter around the show focused on the "affair." The book within the show depicts a younger Catherine (played by Leila George) having a steamy, irresponsible fling with a younger man named Jonathan while on vacation. Jonathan ends up dead. The book's author, Stephen Brigstocke (played by a wonderfully creepy Kevin Kline), wants revenge because Jonathan was his son.
But here is the thing.
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If you stop watching after episode four, you’ve missed the entire point. The show traps you into judging Catherine. It uses "male gaze" cinematography—lots of soft focus and lingering shots—to make her look like a "femme fatale." Then, in the final episodes, it pulls the rug out. I won't spoil the exact twist if you're still catching up, but let’s just say the "truth" Catherine was hiding is significantly more traumatic than a simple affair.
The Powerhouse Cast (and Sacha Baron Cohen?)
It’s weird seeing Sacha Baron Cohen in this. He plays Robert, Catherine’s husband. He’s not doing a funny accent or wearing a prosthetic nose. He’s just... a guy. A kinda weak, easily manipulated guy who folds the second he thinks his wife might have a secret.
- Kevin Kline: He’s the standout for me. He plays Stephen with this "crummy old man" energy, wearing his dead wife’s cardigans and plotting a high-tech cancellation of Catherine.
- Lesley Manville: She’s only in flashbacks, but she’s the emotional heart of the tragedy.
- Kodi Smit-McPhee: He plays the couple's son, Nicholas. He’s aimless and struggling, which makes him the perfect target for Stephen’s revenge.
The acting is top-tier. Blanchett specifically does this thing where she looks like she's vibrating with anxiety. You can almost see her skin crawling as her secrets get leaked to her coworkers and family.
Why This Series Matters for Apple TV+
Apple is clearly trying to be the "HBO for people with iPhones." They don't have a massive library, but they have the money to hire people like Cuarón and Blanchett. They’re betting on "slow TV."
Some critics hated the pace. The Guardian called it a "schlocky nightmare" in parts. But that’s the risk you take when you make something this experimental. It’s not background noise. You can’t scroll through TikTok while watching this, or you’ll miss the subtle shift in who is narrating the scene.
Key Takeaways: How to Watch Disclaimer
If you’re about to start your Apple TV Cate Blanchett binge, keep these things in mind.
First off, pay attention to the voiceovers. When you hear "you," that’s the narrator trying to get into Catherine's head. When you hear "I," that’s Stephen. The perspective shifts are the key to the whole mystery.
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Second, don't trust the flashbacks. The scenes in Italy look like a perfume commercial because they are based on a book written by someone who wasn't even there. They are a fantasy. A nasty, vengeful fantasy.
Finally, stick it out until the end. The finale is divisive, sure. Some people think it’s a bit of a "gotcha" moment. But it recontextualizes every single thing you saw in the first six episodes. It turns a "sexy thriller" into a devastating look at how we weaponize stories to hurt people.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Binge
- Watch it in two chunks. Cuarón originally showed this at the Venice Film Festival in two halves. Episodes 1-4, then 5-7. It works much better that way.
- Check out the score. It’s by Finneas O'Connell (Billie Eilish’s brother). It’s subtle, but it builds the tension perfectly.
- Read the book after. Renée Knight’s novel is a faster read, but seeing how Cuarón changed the ending to be more cinematic is fascinating for any film nerd.
The bottom line is that Disclaimer isn't just a show; it's a trap. It asks you to be a juror and then shows you how biased you are. If you’re looking for a comfortable watch, go find a sitcom. But if you want to see Cate Blanchett at her most vulnerable and fierce, this is the one.
Check your Apple TV+ subscription status. Usually, these "limited series" stay exclusive for a long time, and with the awards buzz this is getting for 2025 and 2026, it's not going anywhere soon. Go watch it. Just don't say I didn't warn you about that finale.