Abhiroop Das
Prime Video’s ‘The Girlfriend’ brings a modern take on the conflict between the mother and the girlfriend, with Laura Sanderson and Cherry Laine going toe to toe in their fight for Daniel’s love and attention. However, as their fight unfolds, the meaning changes, and a nefarious plot for control begins to come to light. While Laura’s involvement initially begins over her suspicions about Cherry’s true nature, every stage of the fight also unravels some of her facades, revealing the blurry line between the two opposing ends. Cherry is not one to back down either, and the psychological warfare eventually begins to consume everything surrounding it, creating a chess game with no victors in sight. This psychological thriller series, adapted from the book by Michelle Frances, finds its footing in settings such as Hambidge and Holmes and Stown Haven Nursing Home, which contextualize the characters’ drastic steps.
A Real Company Might Have Vaguely Inspired Hambidge and Holmes
Hambidge and Holmes is a fictional real estate company penned by the writing team of ‘The Girlfriend,’ including Gabbie Asher, Naomi Sheldon, and Polly Cavendish. Although the company exists purely to serve the narrative, its various details bring up the possibility of some real-life companies serving as a point of reference. In particular, Hambidge and Holmes bears a close resemblance to a real estate company in England called Hambridge Homes. Located at the Old Coffee House Yard, London Road in the town of Sevenoaks in Kent, the company specializes in both residential and commercial projects, which adds to its alignment with its fictional counterpart. However, as of this writing, there has been no official confirmation that the real-life estate company is a direct source of inspiration, which puts the overlaps in the realm of coincidence.
In addition to Hambridge Homes, a case can be made for many real estate companies located in and around London serving as a potential source of inspiration. Holmes Real Estate Ltd, located on 81 Corporation Street, is one such possibility, along with other fixtures such as Barrain London Estate Agents positioned at Millharbour Court, 6 Watergate Walk. While both of these locations have some vague parallels to the fictional company, there are not enough distinguishing characteristics to treat them as direct antecedents. It is more likely that the general idea of a real estate company targeted towards the wealthy was kept in mind during the creation of Hambidge and Holmes. From there, it becomes a backdrop for workplace politics, adding to Cherry Laine’s life and conflicts. The fact that it has some partial overlaps with reality gives it an air of realism, adding to the feel.
Stown Haven Nursing Home Has Some Loose Parallels With Real-Life
Much like Hambidge and Holmes, Stown Haven Nursing Home is a fictional construct. While it does not seem to have a specific inspiration, it is likely that the nursing home is a composite built with several real-life equivalents in mind. One facility, Stonehaven Care Group, stands out as a probable model. With homes situated at multiple points in England, such as Brixham, Okehampton, and Tavistock, Stonehaven Care is a family-run company that provides a specialist care service for residential and nursing care. Given the phonetic similarity, coupled with the similar nature of the companies, there is a strong possibility of a connection between the two. However, with no confirmation about the same, as of writing, the commonality can not be stated to be intended by the creators.
While there is a possibility that other real-life nursing homes might have played a part in the creation of Stown Haven, given the lack of enough details, the list can run endlessly. To that end, it is more likely that the facility was designed with the interests of the story in mind. Stown Haven occupies a unique position in the story as the place where one of the most defining secrets of the narrative is kept hidden. With only a money trail showing off the location’s true colours, its role becomes a very specific one in the story, and one likely without real-life precedence. As such, the writing team might have recreated the general feel and practices of a nursing home to ground the plot and character dynamics in reality, and seamlessly let the dramatic beats of the plot take over.
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