MARRIAGE - sun and mon bbc 1 9pm - TV PACE NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

New drama starts sun and mon for 1&2

then 3&4 following week on Sunday and Monday

the lovely Nicola Walker and Sean Bean

The acclaimed British actors play Ian and Emma, who are a couple navigating the ups and downs of their 30-year partnership.

They are parents to Jessica (Chantelle Alle) and are dealing with their fears and insecurities as the drama explores the risks and gifts of a long-term relationship.

Marriage on BBC1 sees married couple Ian (Sean Bean) and Emma (Nicola Walker) negotiate the ups and downs of their 27-year marriage. They've dealt with all the insecurities, the ambiguities, the hopes and the fears that are part of all marriages. The drama explores the risks and the gifts of a long-term intimate relationship.

When we first meet married couple Ian and Emma they’re in a Spanish airport returning from a lovely holiday — and bickering over a baked potato! By the time they’re on the plane it’s a full blown argument, setting the scene for what’s to come in this four-part series.

looks good

I feel that the music was chosen deliberately as they do side step the big conversations. To the side of them are the things that are very wrong with them as individuals, the things they won't discuss properly together , the reasons they are like they are.
Either that or the writer just liked alternative music.

Maybe. But I can't say I like it!!

You are probably right that it was done deliberately but it doesn’t work for me at all!

Me neither

It’s awful music but sooooo loud

volume gets muted

The writer has written some dark material. It's always a bit disjointed and makes you think etc
I can imagine him trawling the internet for the most annoying / different music he could find for this drama! Either that or he knew them!

I agree that Mum had so many hidden layers.

This is classic Emperor’s New Clothes I’m afraid.

I would suggest that a Mum was more accessible. That doesn’t make this ‘emperor’s new clothes’. It’s darker, more unsettling.

Having hated the first 3 episodes and loved the last episode I would say the writing must be pretty amazing.

Music I see now is intentionally jarring.

It is a bit unsettling , a bit like a horror movie where your waiting for the gotcha moment to happen at any point.

As someone said upthread, the music seems to be a commentary on all the unspoken, avoided, thoughts and feelings of the couple. It’s a deliberate counterpoint.

Yes I can see that but I still don't like it

I don’t expect you’re meant like it. It is very jarring.

The comments on Twitter are funny

I agree that Mum was more accessible on a superficial level. For me it was more nuanced, particularly all the in law characters. The relationship between Reg and Maureen for example, as a very long term marriage, but also a scene with Pauline and Kelly, who on the face of it were both characters who were one dimensional.

The Emperor’s New Clothes was referring to the critical acclaim being out of step with swathes of viewing opinion.

I like the gritty reality of the sets and wardrobe etc. for a change, but the vignettes of daily life haven’t entertained me or promoted any further emotions. So far it’s just seemed like a cynical ploy to be boring simply because hum drum and boring is different.

It isn't what I was expecting but I do like the little details in the relationships, It is interesting the way some scenes are very focused on showing the minutiae of long relationships but also fails to show important aspects of the relationship. I liked the scene where the daughters boyfriend took the salad first, and nothing was said at the time but later Emma said "He didn't even eat the salad". There is a lot going on with the different relationships. Emma's dad is so much like my FIL it is unnerving, the way he ignored her and didn't ask any questions but engaged heartily with the dad in the doctors reception area... And when Ian complained about the mirrors to the receptionist he just mentioned it was marked with fingers but later on when he told Emma it was covered in ketchup? It makes me think he changed the story to ensure he got the reaction he wanted. There's a lot that is making me think anyway. I can relate to it, which is probably unfortunate!

Oh Yes, why did say to Emma there were ketchup marks on the lift mirror ?
He seemed to have it on the brain after the incident at the airport having to pay for the sachets maybe ? He also used a fair amount on his plate at dinner time as well.
I did wonder if he is showing signs of dementia?
Or just stress around losing his mum and his job , which is understandable too of course.

I forgot about the ketchup in the airport! I wonder if ketchup will come up again? I do kind of like this, although I think I may have to watch it twice. It's the type of programme where things can get missed I think. I already missed things other posters have spotted. I really wish the music wasn't so loud though, very disconcerting to me, especially when I'm sitting pondering their relationships!

Episode 2. Her coat improved. Green parka was better than puffy white number.

The green parka jacket was ok.
She bought the red one to try and blend in at work I think. It hasn't really worked. Black might have been better ?
The jumpers don't fit her that well either

I quite liked the red jacket

bit I like red 😂

I've got to a stage where if I don't actually care/like the characters I just can't be bothered with it and unfortunately I don't care about this lot. I'm watching Trying on Apple and I like them all and care about things working out for them, such a difference.

I've watched the second episode and it's not just the main couple who are odd, everyone seems to be !

As for the loud music 😳

Quite like the messy house rather than a sanitised show home that is usually on a tv drama

The music frightened the crap out of me the first time it came on.
They were about to take off on the plane and SB was looking nervous.
I thought the voices were in his head and he was having a nervous breakdown of some sort.

The graveyard scene in Ep 1 was truly tragic.
For me, it wasn't that they said nothing to each other when they were individually weeping on the bench - sometimes, in those situations, there is nothing left to be said, it's all been said before - it was the lack of touch.
No handhold, hug, arm around the shoulder, just nothing. Very sad.