The new HBO series Mrs. Fletcher is adapted from Tom Perrotta's (The Leftovers) novel of the same name. Mrs. Fletcher is a divorced, newly empty-nester who drifts into the world of MILF porn shortly after her only child, Brendan (Jackson White), leaves for college. In the series, Kathryn Hahn portrays the story's modern-day Mrs. Robinson, whose sexploration has a paradoxical effect on her role as a mother. In both versions of the story, Mrs. Fletcher struggles to approach Brendan about his mistreatment of women while she finds herself addicted to the fundamentally aggressive pornography that likely contributed to her son's immaturity.
The screen adaption omits some of the character perspectives and modifies some of the minor nuances from the book. Here are five things the series changed from the book, and five things the series kept the same.
Overall Perspective
Both the book and the series are primarily focused on two main characters: Eve Fletcher and her son, Brendan. The book's titular character is centered by those around her, most importantly Brendan, whose life experiences and encounters are more significant when aligned with Eve's. The show alternates between Eve's day to day work and social life, and Brendan's day to day college life.
In the book, the author writes Brendan's story in the first-person perspective and writes Eve's story, as well as other peripheral characters' stories, from a third-person perspective. The book gives the audience a more personal glimpse into the characters closest to Eve and Brendan.
Eve's Night Class
One of the more minor distinctions between the book and the series is the night class Eve takes once Brendan leaves the nest. In the book, Eve takes a gender and society course. In the series, Eve takes a personal essay class. The series omits the book's class title, leaving the audience to believe Eve is enrolled in a writing class without any specific context.
The class Eve takes in the book helps explain a plot hole in the series when Eve's writing class appears to do little, if any, writing at all. In both versions, though, the instructor, a transgender woman named Margo Fairchild, moves the class to a local bar where they can explore their gender and society with minimized inhibitions.
Name Change
In both the book and the series, Eve throws a small party for her friends and classmates. In the series, Eve changes her name from her married name, Mrs. Fletcher, back to the name she was born with, Mrs. Mackie. The name change prompts Eve to throw a party to commemorate the event. Eve's friends help her decorate her home and celebrate that she is no longer known by her married name.
In the book, Eve and her coworker, Amanda, imagine new identities for themselves and only pretend to change their names to Juniper and Ursula. Later on in the book, Eve invites some people over on a whim just to hang out.
Brendan Vs. Julian
In both versions of the story, Eve meets a young man named Julian (Owen Teague) in her night class. In high school, Brendan bullied the less popular, depressed Julian. The extent of his bullying, however, is different in each version.
In the book, Brendan's friend, Wade, recruits him in detaining Julian inside a Porta Potty for several hours with Julian's phone just out of reach. In the series, Brendan is the main aggressor against Julian and there is no mention of the Porta Potty incident. The series adds Julian's prediction that Brendan will be exposed while in college for the horrible person he truly is. In the book, Julian tells a classmate he has PTSD from high school, indirectly insinuating that Brendan is to blame.
Parent's Weekend
Brendan's college hosts a Parents' Weekend that Brendan's father schemes to attend in Eve's place. The series makes minor changes to the book when Brendan's father, step-mother, and half-brother, Jon-Jon, visit him for the weekend's festivities.
In the book, Jon-Jon has an Autistim-related meltdown when a loud plane flies overhead. In the series, a college singing group triggers Jon-Jon's meltdown. In the book, Brendan confronts his father about his favoritism of Jon-Jon. In the series, Brendan shares this grievance, in addition to his overall weekend experiences, with Amber during a meeting for the Autism Awareness Network.
Brendan's College Struggles
In high school, Brendan is popular and has a hot girlfriend and an active social life. Once he goes to college, he experiences a great deal of loneliness in both the series and the book. His roommate, Zach, spends less and less time around Brendan after deciding he hates the way the two talk about women when they are together.
As a quintessential jerk-jock, who is not often held accountable for most of the things he says and does, Brendan is forced to mature once he leaves the nest. Feeling especially isolated and misunderstood, Brendan drops out of college. In both versions of the story, Sanjay, a resident of his dorm, drives Brendan home from school on the night of Eve's party.
Eve's Sexual Revolution
Once Brendan leaves the nest, Eve is free to explore her sexuality. One night, Eve peruses a MILF porn site, aptly called the Milfeteria. Eve cannot resist browsing all the adult MILF content she can find online. Her curiosity quickly turns to fascination, fantasy, and then real-life follow through.
Eve begins to experiment with her sexuality outside of the privacy of her home, first with her coworker, Amanda, and eventually with Amanda and Julian together, in a threesome. In both the book and the series, Eve's intimate encounters are central to the story.
Eve's Job
Eve works as an executive director of a senior center. In both versions of the story, Eve faces a difficult situation when she must ask one of the residents to leave because of his public indecency (including masturbating during a group movie, walking into the ladies' room, and watching porn in the community room).
Eve's job also sets up her connection to her coworker Amanda, with whom Eve shares some of her most intimate moments in the story. The job also plays another important role in Eve's life as it allows for her introduction to a potential romantic interest (that is not yet developed in the series).
Amber/Chloe
Amber/Chloe plays a pivotal role in Brendan's life. Brendan and Amber/Chloe initially bond over their shared Autism connection as both have siblings on the spectrum. Amber/Chloe warms up to Brendan and the two spend time together studying and attending an underwear party where they dance the night away.
Amber/Chloe is not the typical girl that Brendan dates, but he becomes attracted to her and feels comfortable hanging out with her. One evening, when they try to become intimate, Brendan becomes sexually and verbally aggressive. In both the book and the series, Amber promptly ends their relationship after the encounter (with Brendan seeing some slight redemption in the book).
Amanda
In the book and the series, Eve's coworker, Amanda, plays a crucial role in her life. Amanda lures Eve out of her comfort zone and into new sexual experiences. Amanda and Eve share an awkward kiss one night that causes Eve to briefly distance herself.
Their relationship becomes strained and awkward after the threesome between Eve, Amanda, and Julian. Amanda manages to make a quick getaway when Brendan unexpectedly comes home from college early and sees evidence of the tryst, including finding his high-school nemesis, Julian, naked in bed.