Working mothers and 'how the world perceives you as a woman' - Netflix's Hostage understands the challenges of modern parenting

On the surface, Netflix's Hostage might seem to have the perfect blend of everything you need from a political thriller, mirroring the current climate - an NHS crisis, and themes of immigration and trust.

However, when you look a little deeper, the 5-part edge-of-your-seat drama is a women-championing, feminist ode to the burdens placed on women that men don't experience - particularly the challenges and perceptions of the working mother.

While Suranne Jones' character, British Prime Minister Abigail Dalton, is forming an uneasy alliance with French President Vivienne Toussaint (Julie Delpy) and looking for her kidnapped husband, the real focus is on how she deals with these tribulations as a woman with a child.

In conversation with Radio Times, Suranne explains the deeper themes portrayed in the thriller.

"The whole thing is about you, your family unit, how women split themselves between work and home, what the cost is, how you want to be portrayed, how the world perceives you as a woman, and what you have to battle with, before you start your day," she says.

As if that isn't exhausting enough, there is more that women have to do before they can get started with their working day and be seen in a world where they struggle to have a voice.

"All of that is going on before you put your heels on," Suranne adds, continuing, "and you might not want to put your heels on. And your power suit. But actually, you have to in order to make a mark in the room."

The feminist undertones were so important to Suranne, who acted as executive producer on the show, that she deliberately sought out women to direct the majority of the episodes.

For that reason, Isabelle Sieb, with whom Suranne previously collaborated on Vigil, and Amy Neil were brought on board to do a lot of the directing.

The star was firm in her belief that the show would be better for having a female-oriented production team, with Netflix agreeing with her assertions.

This also acted as an opportunity to champion up-and-coming female talent, who can learn from the women who came before them. "If women don't use women writers, or directors, or camera operators, no new women will come up in the industry," Suranne says.

The actress also did some very interesting preparation for the role. This didn't just include political research, but embarking on a routine of planking and listening to music before heading off to film.

Alongside planking for five minutes each morning, Suranne revealed her filming preparation routine while in makeup for Hostage, during an appearance on This Morning - and it sounds incredibly fun.

“I want music on, I want Celine Dion pumping out, proper dance vibes," she revealed.

The star did, of course, undertake serious preparation for her role, spending time immersing herself in the world of politics.

According to the BBC, she visited the House of Commons, spoke to the Speaker of the House, and waded through books, podcasts, and documentaries on the subject.

"I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to research," she explained, adding, "I was fascinated by not emulating anyone but by understanding a life I knew nothing about. And it's the cost of being in a powerful position in that way that really struck me."

Real politicians inspired the character of Abigail Dalton, although Suranne is staying tight-lipped about who they are.

She shared that all the research she undertook into the life of a politician makes you realise "the cost of being in a powerful position". Especially if you're a woman, it would appear.