TRUE LOVE IS NEVER EASY...
Television Event takes a look at the first episode of five part drama True Love...
It was intriguing from the start five tales of True Love that overlap and somehow interlink into each other. Somewhat a new and novel idea, a five part drama that's entirely improvised by the actors and a stella cast including in the first episode David Tennant, Downton Abbey start Joanna Forggatt and This is England actress Vicky McClure would all indicate a new compelling drama that would knock people off their feet with this new style of television.
Set in the seaside
town of Margate the first of five love stories starts with the happily married
couple Nick and Ruth played by David Tennant and Joanna Forggatt, the couple are celebrating Ruth's birthday, with two very well behaved
teenagers. They appear to have the perfect life, a house, children, each other,
they are content.
This quickly unravels as, Nick's first love Serena suddenly makes an appearance, after a 17 year absence. Despite knowing Nick is married and she definitely
shouldn't see him, she does the exact opposite and makes a quick visit to his
office to let him know she's in town for a few days... After that it's lots of
seducing staring, "secret" meetings, and a very public kiss on the
seafront in a small town where gossip no doubt gets around. Ultimately it leads
to a steamy romp in a hotel room and we should have always been together
speech. Before as quick as the puff of smoke that she arrived in she's gone again.
With Nick returning to his home and wife he makes a brief apology to the all
knowing Ruth who bumped into Serena earlier in the episode.
Perhaps it was the
fact it was only half an hour long, but it all seemed rather rushed and
unbelievable. They always say True Love is never
easy, however in this instant it all seemed to come a little too easy, Nick seemed to have no moral conscience of embarking on an affair
that could potentially destroy his family, with a rather long kiss on the
seafront for all of Margate to see.
Or rather maybe it
was a lack of a script, it almost seemed as though there was silent awkward
moments for half the episode rather than natural silent moments. It appeared as
though there was a lack of direction of where to go with these characters in so
little screen time. The music didn't help
either, throughout the slushy undertones seemed to be over emphasizing moments in an attempt to drive the narrative forward, rather than adding to the story. That's not to say that this is not an
interesting piece of drama perhaps it’s simply a need to watch the rest of the
episodes and see how the five love stories all linked together.
David Tennant has clearly managed to shake off any fears of being
typecast since leaving his role of the Doctor. As he excels at playing an extremely
unlikeable character, not content with the life he has with his wife and children,
whom he seems quite happy to forget about for 48 hours, for a quick romp and
is contemplating running away with. Joanna Forggatt also beautifully
plays the all knowing wife, who clearly struggles with the knowledge that her
husband is cheating. As we see her character Ruth torn throughout the episode
over whether to let this affair go or not knowing the potentially damaging
consequences for her family. Vicky McClure has a clear chemistry with Tennant
and their on screen reunion as Nick and Serena isn’t awkward in the slightest
it’s like they’ve have never been apart.
Perhaps what was lacking in this episode was the True Love part, as it all felt a bit
quick, like a drunken fumble were you wake up the next day and think shouldn't have done that...
True Love is never easy, maybe by tearing up the script, True Love is the start of a new and exciting way of making television and for now I'm just too blind to see it. However for now I'm sorry to say I think it's going to sit in the box of experimental television, that didn't quite live up to it's full potential.
True Love is never easy, maybe by tearing up the script, True Love is the start of a new and exciting way of making television and for now I'm just too blind to see it. However for now I'm sorry to say I think it's going to sit in the box of experimental television, that didn't quite live up to it's full potential.
The first episode along with the whole series is still currently available to watch on BBC iplayer,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01k692v/True_Love_Nick/
The series is
also available on Play.com and Amazon.com.
