Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s novel, Les Liaisons dangereuses, presents a world devoid of heroes, depicting the cold and declining French court shortly before the revolution in 1782. Among the villains, Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil stands out as a skilled manipulator. She uses her former lover, Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont’s renewed interest in her, leading to their eventual downfall. As Fiona Apple once said, “It’s a sad, sad world when a girl will break a boy just because she can.”

The Seduction, HBO Max’s first French-language series and one of numerous adaptations of Laclos’s work, explores this world. (The premiere is available now, with new episodes every Friday until Dec. 19.) If you’re familiar with the book, the film starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich, or even the 1990s teen drama , the outcome of this visually rich, well-acted, and subtly meaningful miniseries won’t surprise you. Created by Jean-Baptiste Delafon and directed by Jessica Palud, the six-episode series focuses on Merteuil, providing a backstory that portrays her as a wounded woman striving for the same freedoms as men, rather than a monster.

The series begins with a fairy tale-like scene where young Isabelle (played by a captivating ) escapes a convent to marry her love, a union depicted with delicate tenderness. However, Laclos’s reality quickly takes over. Isabelle wakes up the next day, alone and betrayed. Her husband is revealed to be Valmont (Vincent Lacoste, resembling a brooding ), who fabricated a false identity and wedding to seduce her. Facing the options of returning to a stricter convent or suicide, Isabelle integrates herself into the libertine circle of Valmont’s aunt, Madame de Rosemonde (Diane Kruger in a style reminiscent of Close). Through Rosemonde, Isabelle seeks revenge, rising in society to torment the man who humiliated her. Rosemonde, rejected by her cruel lover, the Comte de Gercourt ( hunk Lucas Bravo), plans to use Isabelle as leverage.

The series then delves into a game of shifting alliances and affairs, featuring well-known characters and plots. The Seduction is filled with overt, female-perspective indulgence, making seem tame in comparison. It’s a well-executed historical drama, though occasionally losing some nuances in translation. The series explores the idea that sex, particularly for women under patriarchy, can be an expression of love or a means of gaining power. However, it highlights the complications that arise when these two are confused. Vulnerability is necessary for love, while power forbids it, making both paths to freedom appear restrictive.