William Farrow
Obsession (2023)
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William Farrow
Obsession (2023)

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Happy 2 Years since Obsession first aired! đ
đˇ: moonagepictures
Today is đŚđľđźđđ˛đż đđśđđľ đŽ đđżđśđ˛đťđą đđŽđ, but these chaRActers obviously haven't gotten the memo. Whether washing in the usual manner (William Farrow, Lorenzo Quart, Daniel Miller), having a romp in the rain (Mikhail Astrov), or being soaked, sprayed, doused, or dunked in some not-so-pleasant ways (Lucas North, John Porter, Heinz Kruger, Guy of Gisborne), they obviously prefer to fly solo. More's the pity. At least with the first four. I'll pass on enduring water torture, being hosed down in a prison yard, caught in a flooding submersible, or nearly drowned by my archenemy, thanks very much!
Yesterday I watched Obsession with Richard Armitage and everybody talks about the "cringe" in the pillow scene, but I actually liked it and found it somewhat sexy. Blame my dark mind and twisted sexual desires.

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As anyone whoâs been looking at my page semi-frequently will have noticed, I am a big Richard Armitage fan. Mostly in love with his portrayal of Gisborne in BBCâs Robin Hood, but I also enjoy most of his other work and consider him a very talented actor (and a very sweet person from what we can tell.)
There has been a lot of furore lately about his latest project, âObsessionâ (a series unfortunately promoted as an erotic thriller by Netflix), which is a remake of 1992 film âDamageâ (with Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche) and based on the book by Josephine Hart. He portrays William Farrow, a married, middle aged, successful surgeon, who has an affair with his sonâs fiancĂŠ, Anna (Charlie Murphy) -an affair so obsessive that it costs him everything: his career, his family, his sonâs life, even his own self (more on that later.) The series features a lot of sex scenes, very light BDSM elements, and a LOT of nudity from RA on a level most fans never thought weâd see (RA being famously private and modest.) The fandom has been divided over this, with some looking forward to it and some being sure itâs not for them at all. From what I can tell (and I might be wrong) most people were put off by either the copious amounts of sex (and the trailer leaned very heavily on that) or the unsavoury morals of the main characters. Which is fair, if itâs not your cup of tea, donât watch it.
I *did* watch it, and because opinions have been so strong, I wanted to share my thoughts. No disrespect if you prefer to pass. I hope it might be helpful for anyone on the fence and still making up their mind whether to watch or not. Happy to chat more about it if anyone likes! There WILL be spoilers.
Before watching it
I have personally felt very intrigued about this series and I was excited about watching it. Not so much because of the nudity or explicit scenes -or, rather, because of them, but not in the way you might think. Richard Armitage has played very, very few roles where he was primarily the romantic lead, and none later in his career. He tends to be cast in active roles, a lot of dark, violent characters, tense action. When there is romance itâs not the main aspect being explored. And he has NEVER (with the notable exception of Between the Sheets, which was so early in his career I doubt he necessarily had much choice to turn down work) done anything close to this level of sexual screen time. Why now? What made this different? I really wanted to know.
There was another reason I really wanted to watch Obsession. What Richard Armitage does best, in my opinion, is give characters depth (even characters that were clearly not written that way *cough* *Guy* *cough*). He is an incredibly detailed actor and uses his face and eyes to a stunning degree to convey things that go far beyond the dialogue. He has spoken about how he creates complete backstories for all his characters. This project is literally made for his type of acting. There is hardly any action, and leagues of unspoken material. RA called it âone of the most fulfilling pieces of work heâs ever doneâ. I needed to see why.
After watching it
I binged all 4 episodes in one night. And then again the next morning. And again today. I finished the first episode and thought âYes, I understand why he wanted to do this.â (He also said in an interview that there was a moment in one scene that heâd never achieved before on film. Having watched this, I believe him.) Is this the kind of series Iâd normally gravitate to? No. But Iâm glad I watched it. Every single actor was incredible. The filming was beautiful. I just⌠donât know where to start.
The story:
In my opinion âObsessionâ is not about infidelity or sexual exploration -itâs about William and Annaâs experience with obsession and addiction. Anna isnât just having an affair. She is addicted to being in control and to using sex as a means of asserting that control. (We learn that she had a brother who sexually abused her for years and committed suicide when she finally put a stop to it. And throughout the series, she reacts to strong emotions by initiating sex. Charlie Murphy described the character as a âdominant submissiveâ and thatâs spot on, not just in the way that she sets the rules and boundaries of their sexual relationship, but in the way that, having been abused, asserts her control on the situation she had to submit to as a young girl by controlling when and how she submitted). William is not just having an affair. He is obsessed and addicted to Anna to the point that it completely deconstructs him as a person. He is the counterpoint to Annaâs character, in that he has no control. He doesnât initiate, he doesnât resist, he canât or wonât control his reactions or his impulses and he completely loses control of his life as a result of his actions. In the final episode Jay, the son, discovers the affair and in shock, falls off a railing to his death. There is a scene where William faces his wife after everything is revealed and watching Richard Armitage convey all those emotions without saying a word is some of the best acting Iâve seen in my life. I donât know what part of himself RA drew from to act the guilt and grief and absolute devastation in that scene but it was⌠amazing and heartbreaking. Even then, the obsession wins. When Jay dies, we see Anna walking away while William cradles the body of his son, paying her very little attention. I completely believe that he is broken in the scenes that follow. But after a few days the addiction takes over and he still seeks out Anna, convinced they can now be together (âthereâs no version of this with just you,â sheâd told him earlier on, but he clearly thinks otherwise). And we get the following:
W: ⌠I let uncertainty in. (NB: What is uncertainty but lack of control?)
A: And look what happened. I donât think⌠we can ever separate who we are from what weâve done.
W: But⌠we canât let it all be for nothing either (NB: Williamâs voice breaks here. Heâs lost everything he ever cared about, sheâs the only thing left. Does this phrase mean he thinks there was depth in their affair? Or does it mean that he is looking for meaning and depth so that he can cope with the fact that he sacrificed everything for an obsession and an addiction?)
A: Jay died because of us.
W: Still I wouldnât change it (TNB: THIS! This phrase upset so many viewers! And of course it did, it was supposed to. The acting is, again, amazing. This isnât said to Anna, this is introspection. William is looking inside himself, realises he wouldnât change it, realises how much of himself heâs lost.)
A: You donât regret it?
W: How can I?
A: We caused so much pain
W: But itâs done now.
A: I am so sorry for what happened. But I wish weâd never met. (She walks away, leaving William sobbing. Because there. is. nothing. left.)
The sex:
I hate that this was marketed as a sexy series because it created all sorts of hype and expectations that were misplaced imo. The story was never about the sex. Morgan Lloyd Malcolm said a couple of days ago on Twitter that itâs about âsitting in the discomfort of human behavioursâ and that is spot on. Like I said above, this is a story of addiction. Anna is not addicted to the sex -she is addicted to using sex for control. Thatâs why Anna and William never kiss (she is the one controlling their physical interactions. William leans in to kiss her in many scenes, she never lets him.) Thatâs why the music is so jarring in all the sex scenes. Thatâs why thereâs no foreplay, thatâs why William never lasts long. Thatâs why they only ever have sex on the floor or in public, never in a safe, comfortable place like a bed. They are not comfortable. This is not a comfortable situation. We, as viewers, are supposed to be uncomfortable. The infamous hotel pillow scene was meant to demonstrate the turning point in Williamâs addiction, the complete loss of control, I think. It was never supposed to be funny or sexy -it was meant to disturb us because this intelligent, cultured, previously collected man becomes completely animalistic. Which is why he sobs afterwards -I think this is the point when William realises that (as Ingrid puts it later) âhe is lost to herâ. Williamâs face after their first sexual encounter is the face of a man under the influence. When she gets up to leave he makes this movement with his fingers like he is trying to hold on to her, but only grabs air. Itâs just a twitch -but itâs Richard Armitage and we know how detailed he is in his acting, and I am sure it was a gesture with meaning.
The intimate scenes in Obsession are sometimes sensual, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes genuinely hard to watch but never gratuitous.
Why a fan of Richard Armitage or anyone writing for his characters should watch it:
Again, you do you, but hear me out: This series is a veritable treasure trove of body language, voice/cadence, facial expressions that you can then apply to your favourite RA character. The longing. The conflict. The loss of control. The vulnerability. The eye contact. The fact that the loverâs name is Anna, which is also my name. Also, Iâm being completely serious when I say that this is some of the best acting Iâve seen him do *ever*. If you can only bring yourself to watch parts of it, do that. There were some scenes that genuinely made me tear up. Look after yourself, respect your boundaries, but sample what you can because itâs a veritable banquet.
PS: I am focusing on Richard Armitage for this review because I came to Obsession from that fandom. But every single actor gives an amazing performance. I especially adored Charlie Murphy as Anna, Indira Varma being astounding as Ingrid and the criminally underrated Marion Bailey as Annaâs mother, Elizabeth, who packs SO MUCH into so few scenes.
Richard Armitage as William Farrow in Obsession (2023)
The Game
Part 2
Fandom: Obsession (Coming to Netflix April 2023)
Relationship: William Farrow x Fem!Reader
Warnings: 18+
A/N: You can read the previous part here. This is what happens when my muse listens to my friends. You know who you are⌠đđ
I reach the fifth floor, and the gentle voice in the elevator announces my arrival before the doors slide open. Soft, warmâbeige carpet tiles lead the way into a long hallway where old-fashioned lanterns illuminate the walls. The dark paint on the walls makes the hall appear more narrow than it is. All doors obviously look the same, but I donât have to walk far to find the right one. I hold up the key card, and the lock immediately clicks. Room 505 is of a generous size, with a large sitting area and an even larger space for the king-size bed. The room smells faintly of Williamâs cologne and shower gel, and the wet towel in the bathroom tells me he showered recently. Another of his jackets hangs on a hook by the door, and I canât resist pressing my nose against the dark fabric. He always smells heavenly good, and having his scent around me like this awakes an even stronger longing for him. I wonder how long he will make me wait for him. The heavy curtains are open, and it allows me to see the setting sunâs breathtaking evening act. The sky is on fire in the west, and the last burning rays of light fall on the treetops like a golden crown. Very soon, it will be dark.