The Split

[LARLARLAND]

Anybody else watching it? I really want to like it but I am really not feeling it.

Isn’t it part of the point about the attraction, that it’s more than looks - Christie’s ex w was stunning but not ‘the one’. This drama is pretty much a feel good female fantasy - down to the abjectly sorry cheating Nathan who is still waiting around.

Yes, a female fantasy. The one who got away will be waiting for us in 20 years' time and won't care that we've aged less well :)

@Gwenhwyfar Very true. Just look at Stephen Mangan's other recent project Bliss, where he plays a bigamist. One of his wives was Heather Graham, who's barely aged since her Austin Powers days. Stephen is a decent looking guy but hardly in the same league as Felicity Shagwell!

FWIW, I liked Hannah's dress too. What's more, I think Nicola Walker carries off Erdem better than Duch of C, who looks a bit swamped in all the high necks, sleeves and fabrics.

I also think the mum has had a lesbian life partner all this time - older office manager lady.

I thought that too, for what it's worth. They seemed to share a subtle intimacy that went beyond a working relationship...or maybe my brain was just joining invisible dots to try and predict a dramatic plot twist.

i'm not sure howmany times IRL an incredibly hot woman 10 years younger is turned aside on the basis of the older woman being so much more fascinating mentally hehehehe. We live in hope though!

We'll say nothing of the likelihood of a man so juvenile he's harboured a crush for 20 years managing to make that work long term when the rubber hits the road!

Gwen, you make a really good point. It's possible that my reaction to the mismatch is because I'm so used to seeing the reverse on screen - I'll be more conscious of that in future!

I think it's also partly to do with Hannah not having lots of other redeeming qualities (as far as I can see) - what exactly is it that he finds so irresistable? That hasn't been made clear for me. But it can work as pure escapism, there doesn't have to be a reason!

Well, Conference, we have our own dear Prince of Wales rejecting the radiant, youthful Diana for the more fascinating, older Camilla P-B, as was. I can't imagine Emmanuel Macron was short of admirers his own age or younger, but he went for Brigitte. Ralph Fiennes left Alex Kingston for Francesca Annis, 18 years his senior, and they were together for a decade. So maybe that particular aspect of The Split is not so very unrealistic.

Perhaps we've all internalised the narrative that the only attractive thing about us could be our perky tits, tight youthful bods and unlined faces and when those go, gawd help us, we should just shuffle off on our gnarled, crones' feet and die?

pear you've given me reason to be cheerful! Yes, how could I forget Camilla? Chuckling to myself. Ralph Fiennes is a first rate actor - he hasn't been in much recently, HP probably paid too well!

Well, the fact that I can remember those examples probably does say something about the more general trend!

Actually, one of the things The Split did seem to get right was the sports business magnate NOT going for the hot younger bird. He struck me as basically rather liking being mothered and slightly bossed, domestically, and having the reassurance of a woman his own age, and someone he already knew, seemed a much more realistic choice than the trophy mistress.

"what exactly is it that he finds so irresistable?"

The push and pull thing? They were nearly together and they she married someone else for years. So close to being a couple and then she does the ultimate 'playing hard to get'.

Finally got to watch the final episode and I thought it was wrapped up nicely. For me, I think the appeal is that Hannah is Everywoman with an incredibly unrealistic and glamorous lifestyle and the attraction is Christie, "the one who got away". He still loves her after all these years so it must be true love. Whose heart wouldn't melt if they'd been loved from afar for so many years?! Who doesn't want to be wanted?!

Unrealistic but entertaining. PP said there's going to be a second series, how do you know? Did I miss a trailer?

Yes Cecily, I think that is big part of the appeal, that fantasy that maybe you made the wrong decision a long time ago and you've always wondered, and then you meet again, the love is still there and you get to have another go (because your husband conveniently stuffs up big time).

At the end of the show the continuity presenter said that was the last episode and there was a series 2, so you won't hear it on catch up.

Ooh! Another example of a desirable man with not so hot older woman - Hugh Jackman. Although I think she was the bigger star when they first got together. Still, he hasn’t left her for a younger model yet

Well, I enjoyed it!

I liked the singing at the wedding and thought it was totally in character for the sisters and their relationship.

I enjoyed the mum's speech as well.

Loved Nina's dress, but Hannah's was a bit Karen Carpenter.

Hannah really annoyed me. She was unfaithful before Nathan was but suddenly the marriage has to end?

Hannah had a (extreme, I grant you) case of pre-wedding jitters and shagged someone with whom she clearly had unfinished business at least, and quite possibly real feelings for.

Nathan actively signed up to a website for married people to have affairs, and shagged (four times!) someone he didn't know, once he and Hannah had married and had kids, because he was on a business trip and was bored and lonely. He had his fling at a point when they both had much more to lose than when she had hers. He pulled the same 'we are a family and you'd be breaking it up' guilt-tripping tripe as that politician's husband did after he'd been caught shagging around. He was arrogant enough to try to tell her that she and Christie don't really love each other.

Jog on, pal.

I'm 100% Team Hannah. And Christie is beautiful.

I've only seen NW in Unforgotten and I thought the pause..nervous smile..say 2 words..pause... Thing was something she'd developed for that character. Didn't realise she did it in every role. Seemed very out of place for a high flying successful lawyer.

I think the whole show could have been better with someone else in that role.

I do like Nicola Walker but she does seem to have a very distinctive style of acting! I can't remember if she acted the same way in Spooks.

I wonder if the writer wanted the part of Hannah played that way or chose Nicola not realising that is the way she acts?

@sayhellotothelittlefella If the rumours are true then you are probably not his type, if you get my drift...

@QueenOfTheAndals - Nooooo! I refuse to believe it

So glad this is coming back for a second series but not sure what the mum will be doing? Loved her wedding speech. I like the actress who plays her. She's had small part in lots of things. So sad about Tony Head .

Well the actor is still alive, luckily!

In a 2nd series nathan and hannah could be getting divorced and both dating other people, while having to do some actual parenting, the mum could be struggling with loss of status and work in retirement, nina having legal and work problems due to her stealing, and rose PND!

Nathan seems the type who, if dumped, would be straight on online dating telling a sob story about his lonely marriage.

i found this unrealistic fluffy nonscence...so of course watched it all.

how did Nathan, be a high flying barrister but still basically be a sahd as well ?
The barristers i know are basically workaholics who never leave chambers until gone 9 pm most days.
he was at home every day cooking the dinner and in the mornings getting kids off to school....

@QueenOfTheAndals, yeah I've heard that HJ rumour too .....

Everyone has!