‘The Mothers of Penguins’ Netflix Series Review - Stressed Parents, Special Kids

You experience a lot of stress when you watch the parents handling their differently-abled kids in The Mothers of Penguins (aka, Matki pingwinów). These mothers and fathers always look exhausted, yet they run around after their children and make sure their needs are fulfilled. Their patience is praiseworthy; it makes us root for them almost instantly. Their high-pressure routine is matched by the propulsive rhythm of this series. Every cut, from one scene to the next scene, propels the story forward with dynamic energy. The cuts can sometimes feel like a bruise on the skin because the characters in The Mothers of Penguins are constantly fighting. Their personal lives are far from paradise. Someone is dealing with their spouse's infidelity, someone is trying to prepare herself for her professional outings, someone is always arguing with his mother, while someone eventually realizes that the luxury she loves could be taken away from her due to her husband's shady dealings. On top of all this, they have special kids who need special attention, special care, special schools, special teachers, and special environments.

One such school is Wonderful Harbor, which has an incredibly patient teacher named Anna (Weronika Krystek). The parents look after one special kid. Anna manages what seems like hundreds of them at a time. Look how slowly and calmly she, during an online class, teaches kids to say, "This...is...Apple." I wanted to congratulate her on her efforts. But what's nice about The Mothers of Penguins is that it doesn't treat Anna as some sort of a saint. She, after a hiking incident, complains about a student and tells the headmaster that he has to choose between her and that particular student. It would have been nicer if the show hadn't turned Anna into a cartoonish villain (notice how she hides her face during a protest). You can understand why Anna is behaving this way, and if The Mothers of Penguins had been bold and daring, it would have provided the parents with an opportunity to express their frustrations about their children. They look stressed all right, but their actions are viewed through the lens of parental love and care. Things are never allowed to become too bitter, or too uncomfortable.

Out of all the adult characters, it's Jerzy (Tomasz Tyndyk) who exudes an overwhelming amount of pain and tension. His overreaction puts some of his confrontation scenes with his mother into the realm of unintentional humor. Ula (Barbara Wypych) is an interesting woman. She exists for her online followers and tries to create every moment of her life into an Insta post/reel. Ula has gotten so used to this way of living that her normal behavior has become theatrical. She feels as if her followers are constantly watching her. This is why she sheds tears like a soap opera actress during a school meeting. The series uses Ula to draw a line between the virtual world and the reality. She promotes a shop to get a product that could help some children go on a school trip, and this promotion merely fills the shop with two customers instead of the thousands that were promised. Even during a protest, I don't think any of Ula's online followers came to support her offline. After a shocking announcement, Ula holds the phone and cries in a way that suggests she is acting for her fans on a live stream, but she is just on a video call with Kama (Masza Wagrocka), an MMA fighter and the mother of an autistic kid.

Kama chooses to ignore her son's reality. She forces herself to see him as a "normal child." This worsens the mother-son relationship, and the show renders this point explicit through a line about parents' expectations being the most challenging thing for these kids. This seems unnecessary because you get this thought through Kama's parental activities. The intention behind Kama's leg injury and the penguin metaphor feels too obvious and eye-roll-worthy. The Mothers of Penguins has its share of moments where kids are displayed as smart individuals who know what their parents need (when Ula struggles to find a network while hiking, her daughter asks a parent if she could give her phone to her mother to satisfy her desire to always be online). However, I wish the series had also taken some time to show exactly what and how these children are learning inside the school building. Do they make notes? Do they get homework? What subjects are taught to them, and how do the teachers ensure these kids are learning something? There is a graduation ceremony later, but how is it decided that a student is ready for the next grade? No exam is held to test their capability.

Nonetheless, I liked how all the characters have their own lives to live (Kama's mother attends dance classes, so she isn't able to look after Kama's kid at one point). And while the show has a bizarre opening and ending (it desperately screams for your attention), you develop a soft spot for it because it has warmth, kindness, and very adorable, special kids.

Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times