A mother's love, depending on the quality, can do many things to a child; in simplest terms in can uplift or destroy. And then, there's how that child returns that mother love.

One answer can be found in "Mildred Pierce," (Sunday, 9 p.m. HBO), a gorgeously made, mostly successful five-part mini-series starring Kate Winslet and Raleigh's own Evan Rachel Wood, that explores a venomous mother-daughter relationship.