Mia Malkova Is My Girlfriend's Step-Mom review

The setup

Camilla's boyfriend recognized her stepmother as Mia Malkova on sight, and within seconds of meeting her, Mia knows he knows. She catches him staring, introduces herself anyway, and asks how much of her work he has seen. He stammers something about admiring her. A welcome hug runs so long that Camilla has to ask for him back, and Mia calls him a natural. Then comes the house ritual: lights off at ten for a family hiding game, with Mia the first to hide. Her whispered offer, Camilla a few feet away, turns the game into a race to her closet.

Episode 2

Lights out, and the boyfriend heads straight for the closet, where Mia greets him like a bet she had already won. She makes good on the dress promise, drops a line about devils needing sinners, and meets his protest about Camilla with total calm. The game carries on outside: someone checks beneath the bed, someone suggests the bathroom, and then Camilla is in the room, calling for him and then for Mia. Mia's final order is silence.

Who's who

• Mia Malkova: Camilla's stepmom, amused, unbothered, and playing the house game by her own rules
• The boyfriend: a nervous fan who would very much like to be cool about this
• Camilla: the girlfriend, cheerful, oblivious, and always a few feet away

Verdict: 4.9 out of 10

Sixty seconds, one meet-the-parents scene, and a celebrity twin playing herself with a raised eyebrow. The writing is economical: the fan confession, the overlong hug, and the house game all land in order, and the closet offer is a clean button. Episode 2 cashes it in with a decent closet farce, Camilla finally useful as the person searching the room. The boyfriend is still jitters. For Mia's fans the paid stretch is a decent bet; for everyone else, a shrug.

Episode guide