Watch United States of Tara

United States of Tara is a groundbreaking TV show that premiered on Showtime in 2009 and ran for three seasons. The show is a family drama that explores the life of Tara (Toni Collette), a suburban wife and mother who has dissociative identity disorder (DID), a condition that causes her to switch between different personalities.

At the start of the series, Tara lives with her husband Max (John Corbett) and two teenage children, Kate (Brie Larson) and Marshall (Keir Gilchrist). Her life is stable, but she starts to experience gaps in her memory and disturbing visions. It soon becomes clear that Tara has alters, or separate personalities, that she created as a coping mechanism to deal with her abusive childhood.

Tara's alters are as different from each other as they are from Tara herself. There is T, a chain-smoking, beer-swilling, tough-talking biker; Alice, a perfect 1950s housewife; Buck, a hypersexual male; and Gimme, a teenage girl who loves pop music and fashion. Each of the alters is fully realized by the show's writers and supported by the outstanding performances of the entire cast. In particular, Toni Collette's portrayal of each of Tara's alters is masterful, and she won an Emmy Award for her role in the show.

The show doesn't shy away from exploring the challenges that Tara's disorder creates for her family. Max is supportive but also frustrated with the unpredictability of Tara's behavior. Marshall struggles to come to terms with his mother's condition, and Kate has her own issues with relationships and self-discovery. The show does an excellent job of balancing the drama with humor and heart, and the family's journey feels real and relatable.

One of the biggest strengths of the show is its willingness to explore the origins of Tara's disorder. Through flashbacks and therapy sessions, we learn about the trauma that Tara experienced as a child and how that led to the creation of her alters. These scenes are at times difficult to watch, but they are essential to understanding Tara's story and the impact that trauma can have on a person's life.

The show also explores larger themes of identity, gender roles, and mental health. Alice's character, in particular, challenges the traditional suburban housewife stereotype and shows how expectations of gender can be limiting. Buck's hypersexuality raises questions about the nature of desire and whether it can be separated from other aspects of identity.

Overall, United States of Tara is a show that pushes boundaries and challenges the viewer to think about the complexities of mental health and identity. It's also a show that features strong writing and exceptional performances from its entire cast. If you're looking for a show that will make you laugh, cry, and think, then United States of Tara is a must-watch.

United States of Tara is a series that ran for 3 seasons (36 episodes) between January 18, 2009 and on Showtime