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 really enjoyed it. I found Jessica and her constant nervous laughter irritating. "You have lots of emails -laugh" "Yes, lots of emails -laugh". She seemed to end every sentence with the same annoying nervous laugh. It was like a nervous tic.

They all laughed though. It’s a nervous thing to cover up inadequacy and unspoken stuff

I think their relationship ended up shown as close and supportive. Together but looking outwards.

Oh. Is that it?
Well I guess the good out of it is that the daughter didn't stay with the dick. Is that the point?
It's not exactly inspiring.
I don't know if I enjoyed it.
Lots to think about.
Maybe something to watch again..

They did, but the daughter seemed to punctuate every single sentence with the laugh. I think she overdid it.

Well...this grew on me! I'd some ironing to do so I put on Ep 2, then Ep 3 ... and now I've finished Ep4!

I have quite a lot of criticisms but I thought it had some absolutely beautiful moments & super acting - the letter scene with Jess & Ian; Emma challenging Jamie; Jess & Emma about Nicolas.

It did really reveal the lack of communication - the loss of their son was so deeply pushed down, they struggle to communicate frequently.

Lots to think about. I'm much more impressed with the acting than I was at the start.

That's 4 hours of my life I wasted.

Thanks @PuppyMonkey for explaining the car being trashed

Almost everyone , not just Ian and Emma , communicated in speech that drifted off mid sentence . Luckily, we don't have that problem in here , this thread has produced quite a lot of chat !

Even if you’d spent those 4 hours more satisfyingly wanking on a blanket, you’d not get that time back. And is that your contribution? Why bother, why bother?

People are surely allowed to contribute in any way they wish. It is a FORUM after all. Why attack people?

My personal feelings are that I wouldn’t go back to a second series of this. Too hesitant and too depressing overall.

I’ve met many Jamies in my career, and I don’t need reminding of shit times. I’ve struggled a lot against that sort of thing – trying to achieve and getting nowhere.

Each to their own though. If we all liked and loved the same things, the world would be a VERY strange place.

It was great (as I said before but got screamed at, despite posting notthing other than a subjective opinion) it was like an A level text for English Lit. I was so impressed by a pp asking if ketchup would be a theme in Ep 1. It so was.

The different attitudes to ketchup. Ending with the young man jumping up to get it for the DD. I am not intelligent to know what it means, but it was certainly to do with attitude to life.

Loved all of it.

Shower gel came up too as well as ketchup!

It did!!!

Is it how we deal with mudane trivialities?

It left me feeling strange

The entry music was brilliant! Very commanding. But Nicola swore too much, quite simply. She swore when she didn't need to. And there was no chemistry between the father and daughter. The daughter could have been warmer to the dad. She ignored him until she read the letter. Plus, I didn't find the daughter sensitive to the loss of the baby and pregnancy, or when speaking about the dad. Also why on this good earth did Nicola go to the boss's bedroom on that work trip? Rule number one for all work trips: meetings or chats in common / public rooms only. Where did the dad's phone disappear to whilst bashing up the boss's car? It was a relief to see a diverse and multicultural Britain & family. But good grief, how boring.

The only saving grace was the entry and ending music. Everything in between was utter tripe.

Ep4 was fascinating!

Inarticulacy seemed woven into the whole family. Since the loss of her son (we know nothing about her before that) Emma could only express emotion through tears or, verbally, through swearing. She just doesn’t have any other modes.

And it’s possible her husband learnt then to be careful around her - not to say anything possibly triggering. (I’m guessing this because if they’d both been so poor at conversation when they met they’d never have got together.) So he also lost the knack of free flowing speech (even while he was being wonderfully supportive when she needed it.)

Consequently, by the time they adopted Jessica, it was a pretty wordless household and that’s what she learned about family communication. That was her model. When she tried to communicate through words, as we saw, she was incredibly clumsy and wounding.

Here’s the astonishingly well-chosen theme music, btw. open.spotify.com/track/6SKsopY3khZl3BcqGlxoMB?si=9-EldizxQIaOGh3JdbGpeA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A4LHSzEQPF6Iw20BGppFk31 I’ve always found it a joy to listen to!

Mmm interesting take on it

I didn't find the theme music joyful at all , as it was just people using instructions loudly . There is probably a deep and meaningful reason for using it but it must've gone straight over my head !

I thought the theme music was woeful.
So loud, so jarring.

But loud and jarring is the point of the music as used here! It’s the cacophony we’d hear from the characters if they could express themselves in words.

Both the lyrics and the choral structure set out the never ending and cyclical complications of interacting with others close to you.

There is NO WAY I am clicking on that link for music

if I NEVER hear it again it will be too soon 😂😂😂😂

I agree @Blondeshavemorefun

Hope there isn't a s2 but if there is I shall be compelled to watch and moan about it 😂

Probably best for everyone if you don't start a thread on it though!