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 don't think we see him again : only a guess there !

Sorry, that was only a guess there
He might pop up again

Sorry that wasn't really a spoiler but I've asked for it to be removed. I thought I was on the spoiler thread.

Laughed my head off at the top of the thread with someone thinking it might be like The Split!

Nope. (Go and see Nope btw. Stupendous, genius work.)

But I couldn’t bear The Split and I’m finding this really absorbing. (Love NW in everything else. Also found Mum rather compelling.) It really rewards careful watching and listening - I wonder if those who find it slow and confusing also dislike contemporary theatre?

It’s true the holiday dress and cardigan were cruelly unrealistic. A pp said Emma dressed like a 90 year old - none of my nonagenarian relatives would be seen dead in such awful clothes. And I wondered if they’d deliberately cut out layers of her hair to make it so thin and limp. I find it impossible to believe a woman who wanted to push her career forward could be such a style-free zone.

But otherwise … Excellent! I’d be on the binge thread but iTunes won’t sell me Ep3 yet.

Good, (enthusiastic!) non-spoiler review here:

theartsdesk.com/tv/marriage-bbc-one-review-brilliantly-executed-drama-series-big-heart?amp

Nice review.
Although mumsnet and Twitter ( mostly) are less enthusiastic!

YES! This review absolutely gets why it’s so such an amazing programme.

Thanks for that eighties. A good read.

Yes the review makes it sound good

ad I said 2 was better than 1

so maybe 3&4 will wow me

It's so bad that Nicola Walker gets on my nerves now. I used to love her.
Episode 2 worse than 1 in my opinion.
The music had me thinking I was going mad and hearing voices.

I get it. I just don't like it very much! I guess I like 'contemporary theatre' too (whatever that means). Finding quite a bit of snobbery out there regarding viewers who don't warm to it.
I think it's a weird stance to take. Crack on if it floats your boat but I don't know why there's this need to cast such pejorative judgement on others?

That switch was down which is usually ON. She switched it up (off), and a tad later back on again. I’m pretty sure that was what happened. I can’t remember if she tried the hob after that.

Concerning contemporary theatre and ‘not getting it’, some people just like to feel superior on an anonymous internet forum. Sympathise.

Please please let 3 and 4 justify the time spent on 1 and 2!

Please don’t patronise me. I know shit writing and casting when I see it.

I mentioned contemporary theatre. Someone had commented that the series seemed more like a play (either here or in a review, can’t remember) and I was responding to that. It is very much like the sort of plays I enjoy - which I know some people find dull and pointless.

That was all I meant. Clearly I phrased it badly - it wasn’t my intention to annoy or offend anyone - there’s no merit in liking this or that TV or theatre show and I didn’t mean to imply that there might be.

Mea culpa!

Don’t want to give any spoilers, but all I will say is those of you who didn’t like the first couple of episodes are probably not going to change their minds after the next two.

Finished episode 4 last night. It definitely gets better and the last episode is the best in my opinion. Gives you a bit more insight.

Let’s hope so @MissyB1 and @PuppyMonkey

I did say not going to @Blondeshavemorefun

I can't get why they had to have a black actress for the daughter though? Is it just a tick box they have to adhere to, to make sure it is diverse? Why not have a mixed race couple to make it flow? It just seemed odd? I thought the bloke was their child and the woman the GF. 🤔

I don't think the casting of Jessica is about diversity is it? They could have easily introduced that through other characters? I was thinking it might introduce more dynamics about the family relationships, or it is just highlighting interracial adoption as a situation that is occurring now more than it did in the past? It's not something I know a lot about but I did read some articles about so I am a little more informed than I was. I was surprised when I saw Jessica at first as well and it made me realise just how much I make assumptions about things.

Is TV PACE really that difficult to understand? The contradictory opinions of those who have watched the whole thing are not really helpful.

I don't think there's anything wrong with people saying that the later episodes are better or that it picks up. To me a spoiler is if they tell us about what actually happens. To be told that later episodes are good, doesn't affect my enjoyment.

Me too.
I only go on the TV pace threads but I'm really not bothered if someone says a future episode is better or not too good etc. It's just the actual spoilers that shouldn't be on here you're right