Gypsy is a Netflix original series that consists of ten episodes, all of which were released on June 30, 2017. Naomi Watts stars in the leading role of psychotherapist Jean Holloway who lives a double life as "Diane Hart" in order to infiltrate the personal lives of her patients and their loved ones. Billy Crudup plays Jean's husband Michael, Poorna Jagannathan plays her best friend Larin, and Karl Glusman plays Sam, a key patient.
The title comes from the song by Fleetwood Mac, and an acoustic version re-recorded by its lead singer Stevie Nicks was used for the theme song.
Despite ending with several plot threads coming to a head, Gypsy was cancelled by Netflix.
Not to be confused with the racial slur for the Romani people, which was a source of controversy
during the series' run, nor with the musical and film based off the life of burlesque artist Gypsy Rose Lee.
Tropes featured in Gypsy:
- Addled Addict: Allison becomes this after taking drugs.
- Age-Gap Romance: Jean is about twenty years older than Sidney.
- Casting Gag: This isn't the first time Naomi Watts has played someone who gets into character as another person named Diane. Or the first time she was involved in a lesbian relationship featuring double identities and a woman named Diane.
- Commune: The daughter of one of Jean's patients lives in one of these.
- Consummate Liar: For the most part, Jean seamlessly goes from her life as a therapist, mother, and wife, to another life as a carefree fun-seeking single writer.
- Drugs Are Bad: Taking pills prevented Allison's further education. Additionally, when Jean takes stolen pills with alcohol, she acts erratically at her daughter's birthday party.
- Hollywood Mid-Life Crisis: Part of Jean's machinations are seemingly to relive the chaos and drama of youth.
- Hypocrite: Jean shows jealousy towards Michael's sexy secretary Alexis.
- Living a Double Life: Jean does this as "Diane" in order to meet her patients' friends and family without their knowledge.
- Manipulative Bitch: From Jean's perspective, her mother fits this label, although Jean manipulates the people and events in her patients' lives - usually for the better, but not always.
- My Beloved Smother: One of Jean's patients obsesses over her daughter's life constantly.
- Jean's own mother is very controlling and manipulative.
- Psycho Psychologist: Downplayed, but Jean has elements of this. No matter her motives, Jean pretends to be someone else, she meddles with her patients' lives and manipulates everyone's actions.
- Sexy Secretary: Alexis, Michael's assistant. This does not go unnoticed by Jean.
- The Mistress: Sidney more or less becomes this unknowingly.
- Therapy Backfire: Sam goes to see Jean about his relationship troubles with Sidney. Jean ends up ruining Sam's chances of getting back with Sidney.
- Title Confusion: The title Gypsy has no relevance to any of the characters or plot, and solely appears to be named after the opening theme song.
- One interpretation is that it refers to the unsentimental and carefree adventurous life that Sidney lives and Jean wants to live.
- Tomboy: Jean and Michael's daughter, Dolly.
