Megan Gallagher on Adapting “All Her Fault” Writing the Spiral of Invisible Maternal Expectations

On first glance, Peacock’s All Her Fault appears to be a prestige thriller TV series about searching for a missing child. Marissa Irvine (Sarah Snook) tries to collect her son Milo (Duke McCloud) from his first playdate, finds another mother answers the door. She’s never heard of Milo and Marissa buckles under the mental load of motherhood as she tries to reunite with her beloved son. Furthermore, she’s blamed for his disappearance.

Based on Andrea Mara’s bestselling novel the series explores the invisible pressures placed on women, reframing them through a suspenseful, premium drama lens. Megan Gallagher (Borderliner, Suspicion), the creative tour de force of the television series of the same name, serves as writer, creator and executive producer.

Megan shares her thoughts on the underexplored psychological stress often unwittingly placed on women.

What Is The Significance Of The Title All Her Fault?

I think it’s fair to say that the title is really making a comment on how women are blamed for everything, especially when it comes to parenting. And of course, by the end of the series, we realize the irony of the title. Because everything that’s happened in the series isn’t Marissa’s fault at all, but rather, the result of something her husband did years ago.

How Were The Rights To The Novel Obtained?

Carnival Films spotted the potential in Andrea Mara’s book and optioned the rights themselves. There are a million domestic thrillers out there, but they understood what this one could become, and I’m so grateful that they then approached me to adapt it.

Megan Gallagher

How Did You Approach The Adaptation Process?

Book adaptations are complex, but also really fun; and one of my favorite things to do. I usually start by cementing locations (within episodes) for the key plot points – twists, turns, or character reveals – that I feel will be most impactful. Those flags in the ground early on in the process really help to ground the process moving forward.

From there, it’s about fleshing everything out in the strongest way possible. Figuring out how to build to each twist, what emotional juice you want to squeeze out of every storyline, etc. Of course, everything usually changes a million times – that’s just how it is, plotting out something as complex as a thriller series – but that puzzle work is actually one of my favorite parts of the job.

What Personal Aspects Did You Add To The Story?

I touched upon a lot of personal things in this series. Many of Marissa’s experiences with parenting (especially the early, baby days) are things I went through and still remember vividly. And the character of Detective Alcaras (Michael Peña) doesn’t exist in the book. His whole storyline, especially as it pertains to his child, is an entirely personal addition from me.

I also created a disability storyline within the Irvine family, which is something I’ve wanted to get on the screen for a long while now. I’m really proud of how it turned out. And Jenny Kaminski’s (Dakota Fanning) line in the pilot about not wanting to be amazing anymore. That’s something that came out of my own mouth, when my kids were young. That feeling she has in that moment in the bathroom with Marissa… that’s all very personal to me.

Describe the Tonal And Character Mix In The Series

Think it’s fair to call it a character-driven thriller. And I think that comes from wanting to dig into these roles as much as possible – wanting to really understand who these people are, outside of the kidnapping. To me, audiences come to a series for the crime, but they only stay to the end of the series for the characters, so you’ve got to have both.

Marissa Irvine (Sarah Snook) Peter Irvine (Jake Lacy) Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/ Peacock)

Explain The Relationships Between The Female Characters

The central relationship between Marissa and Jenny really anchors the series. It’s a show full of suspicion and unease, but these two are really the warm, gooey center. I think that relationship is particularly poignant because there is every reason in the world for these two women to NOT get along.

Marissa could very well be furious at Jenny for hiring Carrie Finch (Sophia Lillis) as a nanny. And Jenny could just avoid Marissa, out of fear of a lawsuit, or just guilt. But neither one of those women stoop to that level. They both are the best versions of themselves, despite the horrid circumstances. And from there, a really lovely friendship is born.

How Do These Relationships Compare With The Male characters?

Well, there are two fathers in this series – Peter (Jake Lacy) and Richie Kaminski (Thomas Cocquerel) – who aren’t the greatest examples of parenting (or partnerships with their wives). They really get to the series’ themes of domestic labor discrepancies, and how mothers are often expected to run households, even if they work just as many hours as their husbands. But Detective Alcaras is the stark contrast to both of those men. He’s a deeply involved, caring father, despite having a demanding job and a disabled son.

Detective Alcaras (Michael Peña) Photo by Sarah Enticknap/ Peacock)

What Does Milo’s Character Represent?

I think he’s what matters most to everyone – especially Marissa. And that’s just honest and true. Once you have kids, nothing in the world matters more than them.

Which Were The Most Emotionally-Charged Scenes To Write?

The scene between Detective Alcaras and Marissa, in episode four, when Alcaras is talking about his fears raising his son, Sam (Orlando Ivanovic) that’s all very personal to me, because I’m raising a child with cognitive disabilities. It was hard to write, to be honest. But on the flip side, I relished writing the finale episode. The emotions in the scenes might have been dark, but I was so happy and so proud of how this series ended – all the twists and turns coming together, all the character arcs landing – that it was still such a joy to write.

by Staff Writer

From our in-house editorial team.