hidden craft – In a USG University panel moderated by IndieWire, Sarah Snook and the creative team behind Peacock’s limited thriller “All Her Fault” mapped the show’s craft secrets—from color shifts and mirrored wardrobe motifs to the score’s emotional void at the center of
A mother pulls up to an address expecting to drop her young son off for a playdate—only to find out he isn’t there. And as Peacock’s new limited series “All Her Fault” unfolds over eight episodes, that unsettling question grows: what if he was never really there at all?
On a USG University panel moderated by IndieWire, actress Sarah Snook—who plays Marissa Irvine, both fascinated and frightened by what she can’t fully explain—encountered a different kind of mystery with the people who built the show’s world. Not the plot. The visual language that carries it.
Director and executive producer Minkie Spiro said one of the series’ most important narrative tools was color. Working with cinematographer Sergio Delgado and production designer Rob Harris. Spiro described how the Irvine family home changed as the story’s lies started to unfold—not through repainting. but through temperature.
“When the lies start to unfold, the color temperature changes,” Spiro explained. “We didn’t repaint. The paint was exactly the same, but we just used much cooler color temperatures. So it became more cold and like an alienating cage for Marissa.”
That idea—small, deliberate choices that sharpen emotional pressure—echoed throughout the adaptation process, series creator Megan Gallagher added. She said she connected deeply to the novel’s exploration of working motherhood, along with the expectations placed on women.
“You really have to care on some level,” Gallagher said. “I’ve learned you can’t fake it.”
Costumes became another layer of meaning. Spiro discussed the wardrobe design by Gypsy Taylor. explaining that Marissa’s clothes carried motifs linked to key themes and plot points. Spiro pointed to a recurring detail: “If you look at all of Marissa’s costumes. every single one of her buttons are two buttons. ” hinting at an end-of-series reveal that viewers are encouraged not to spoil—and to watch for in the panel video.
Snook said the same doubling appeared through Marissa’s jewelry. reinforcing the idea that the show’s reflections aren’t just decorative. Spiro added that mirrored imagery was echoed through strategic reflections across the series. while Delgado explained that the production routinely shot through glass and used wider lenses to put the audience inside Marissa’s rapidly fraying perspective.
Even the score carried its own absence. Composer Jeff Beal described how, while working on “All Her Fault,” he became fascinated by the lack of 5-year-old Milo Irvine (Duke McCloud) and the emotional void it left behind for his grieving mother.
“You think you know what you’re watching,” Beal said. “But it turns out that you’re not.”
For Snook, these conversations weren’t abstract craft talk—they were a reminder of why the series felt so precise. “I find humans endlessly impressive,” she said.
“All Her Fault” is produced by Universal International Studios. a division of Universal Studio Group. and it is now streaming on Peacock. USG University—presented in partnership with the Motion Picture & Television Fund and developed as part of Universal Studio Group’s celebration of the artistry behind the 2025–2026 television season across NBCUniversal’s portfolio of shows—features panels like this one spotlighting the creative team behind the show. including Snook. Spiro. Delgado. Gallagher. and Beal. along with IndieWire’s Sarah Shachat.
Sarah Snook All Her Fault Peacock USG University Minkie Spiro Sergio Delgado Rob Harris Megan Gallagher Gypsy Taylor Jeff Beal Duke McCloud Marissa Irvine Milo Irvine IndieWire limited series thriller