Save Me

[icelollycraving]

Is anyone watching this? It’s quite grim at times but really gripping.
Surrane Jones cannot do a London accent though.

Thelion - the Times gave the first episode 5/5 through the week. The thing that most seemed to impress the critic was how realistic the pub scenes were and the little cameos. I particularly liked Nelly watching some people trying to load a sofa into a car, the comatose girl being wheeled past in a shopping trolley, the dog being swung round while it held a stick etc etc

Oh yes - and I meant to say, I was impressed by how the yellow coat got dirtier as time went on!

Just finished this and whilst the acting was brilliant (LJ) and the characterisation/representation of that area was superb, I thought the storyline was poor. I’d called who the culprit for taking her was after the first episode and the ending by the 5th. Hate it when that happens.

blueskypink
All the little background observations were absolutely brilliant. Having lived in exactly this kind of area in my youth, I can say that with conviction! . The swinging ‘dogfight’ dog, the guy who’d been shopping in his pyjamas, the man with the face paint outside the pub. They were also shown as sympathetic, almost sentimental, loved that. Incidentally, I actually lived right near The Palm Tree, which is actually in Mile End, East London (series set in Lewisham, South London where my Dad grew up). I recognised it immediately but they also used the actual interior of the pub to shoot too instead of a studio recreation, added to the real feel. If the end was the end, I’ll really respect it. If it was a route to series 2, I won’t I’m afraid.

Oh the sofa! So realistic and well done. And the person in the blow up boat in episode 6! The main plot may not have been as dramatic as we can get but the mini stories within the story were well done. The girls reaction to seeing the online 'rooms' for example was realistic. Melon was well played too!

Hmm I was disappointed with this.

Suranne Jones was AWFUL and I say that as a fan of most of her other stuff. Her accent was almost Dick Van Dyke comical and I got no sense that she used to a part of the estate community. Totally miscast.

I also had trouble with the fact that Nelly - by admission - was a lazy freeloader who took the path of least resistance through life. I just couldn’t swallow the fact he suddenly became this saintly crusader for a daughter he never knew. It just didn’t add up.

His speech in the caravan at the end was also totally wrong for the character.

I felt the estate ‘characters’ put in for comedy effect were very contrived and got tiresome very quickly.

The ending was ok but neither Nelly or Claire seemed particularly emotional at the outcome. Trying not to say much for fear of spoilers but it didn’t sit quite right with me.

What I did like were some of the supporting cast - Melon, Bernie, Zita, Teen, Luke, Gav, Goz and Tam were very well played and lifted the show. Nelly and Claire were both highly irritating and I couldn’t connect with either of them.

What about the blocked loo? 😷

OMG ice lolly - yes! Few raised eyebrows from me as DH tackles ours with a Heath Robinson device involving a long-handled mop and a plastic bag. I shall suggest he rolls his sleeve up next time. I might add that it's not me who causes the blockages .....

It did make me laugh as it was this kind of detail that made the estate really realistic. In do many dramas I am looking for every clue meaning something but I just enjoyed the storytelling if that doesn’t make me sound wanky.

Im on episode 2 and really enjoying it, with exception of Suranne Jones' dreadful mockney accent.

Actually there are a lot of bad accents..

SPOILER ALERT
We watched episode 4 last night - I swear Suranne Jones’ accent has got worse . I wanted to ask - in the last two episodes, do we “see” anymore laptop stuff? I’m finding that impossible to watch.

We found this yesterday and binged on it god it was dark and grim does Steven Graham not get any happy characters it was tense and I did enjoy it but Surrane jones really wasn't convincing she was just SJ with the same pained look she has for every emotion.

Last 2 episodes are a hard watch it moves on from the laptop stuff

Much as Suranne Jones irritates me, I did wonder if her intermittent accent was a nod to realism. I haven't lived in the region where I was born for 30 years. My kids laugh at me when I'm on the phone to family as my accent becomes more pronounced. Maybe when she found herself back in Sarf London she slipped back into it? .

Though that doesn't account for the fact that her accent wasn't very good. Much as I admire Brenda Blethyn I cannot watch Vera because the accent she adopts is atrocious.

I really liked it and I really liked the ending! Agree about SJ's accent - wtf? It did get more pronounced mockney the first time she reunited with Stace (I think) so I believe she was trying to do what @blueskypink suggests, but didn't pull it off. The fact she was in It put me off wanting to watch it but I'm glad I did, although she was terribly miscast.

Carey Milligan might have been good in that role although she's a bit young. Actually Samantha Morton would have been great - don't know what she's up to these days!

or Vicky McClure.
I should be a casting agent

@blueskypink I wondered the same thing - the accent (Dot Cotton with a smattering of Danny Dire and a sprinkle of Barbra Windsor) definitely got worse over the series. Intentional or not, it was very off putting. I never understand why directors don’t pull up actors who try and fail at accents.

Someone really should have said ‘Suranne love, ease up on the mockney - you’re ruining the show’ and then shown her Mary Poppins on repeat till she twigged.

Shame, as I’ve liked her in most other things she’s done.

@NigellasGuest Vicky McClure would have been ace! Bit of a This is England reunion with Stephen Graham too!

I loved that series!

Enjoyed it but it was disturbing to watch.

I didn't like the ending.

Was Melon a pedophile or was he not? I couldn't work out whether he was and a very good liar or if he was genuinely helping Nelly?

I think melon was a paedophile however I do think he was trying to help Nelly, Zita did say he would tire of Bernie it was all so shady and grim I was recoiling at some of it

How they played that was pretty clever, very ambiguous. Grim. The pictures of her up on the wall were all of her when she was very young.

I watched the whole series! It's gripping alright.
I'm desperate for the next series already!

Euan Ferguson in the Observer today describes Save Me as possibly the finest British drama Sky have produced. He points out that, had it been on terrestrial tv and people only been able to view one episode a week instead of binging, everyone would be talking and speculating about it.

How they played that was pretty clever, very ambiguous. Grim. The pictures of her up on the wall were all of her when she was very young

Oh it didn't even click with me the pictures were Bernie as a child.