Marriage - BBC1

[johnworf]

Did anyone watch it last night? I thought it was really good. Sean Bean and Nicola Walker are a bit of a dream team.

Reading reviews went from sublime to absolutely boring. I went for the former but realise it's not everyones cup of tea seeing the daily routine of a marriage.

Hopefully Sean doesn't get killed in this one!

I've watched it all and found myself picking it over in my mind trying to get to the bottom of it. I thought one or two scenes were brilliant - Sean Bean when his daughter's reading his letter and then they hug - you can see that this man is absolutely desperate for love and attention. Then Nicola Walker when the daughter is asking about the baby. You understand that the grief is still so raw and just under the surface and that she's barely holding it together the whole time.

So actually in hindsight, I liked it.

As I commented on the other thread, I was riveted and binged the whole thing. How could realistic human lives be boring? Just so perfect, especially in the moments where nothing was said. This is a couple who care about each other, so have stuck it out through the bad times - what better advert for marriage could there be? I agree with the poster who said that in real life people don't make emotional, impassioned soliloquies - so true, because most people just muddle through the best they can.
Great script & fab acting - hope it will win lots of awards.

Just finished all 4 episodes in the last day. I feel like I should like it and should talk about how it captured the reality of day to day marriage but fuck me.. it was just sooo dull in every way.

I feel like the brief to the location scout, the scriptwriter, the art director and the wardrobe person was to find the most boring locations, the dullest house on the dullest street with the most dull decoration, the most dreary outfits/wardrobe (where a red jacket becomes an 'ooo lala moment'), the most boring job, the most uneventful moments, and the most dire and empty conversations and present it to people as normal life. Even their dinners looked middle of the road and boring.

Are there people up and down the country living like that - sure, possibly. But it aint much of a life is it - working with a shitty boss in a crappy office and coming home to your monosyllabic husband to talk about ants on the garbage bin.

I genuinely thought the plot twist at the end was that they were already dead... because they were! Or that they were going to be revealed to be suburban robots!

Run Nicola Walker, RUN!

To amend my previous comment, I basically just wish it hadn't been "Art Housed" which while appealing to a certain crowd that perhaps are the ones who fund this kind of drama, just serves to put many more people off.

I'm watching in real time (i.e not binge watching) Sean Beans character is really creeping me out so badly.

To me it seemed so much more realistic than most dramas on TV. I never cease to be amazed (and a little impressed) by all the screaming rows on TV in otherwise heartwarming families, who get it all out and then very quickly happily move on again having cleared the air.. to me this has never seemed very realistic, our reality is much more bite your tongue to spare feelings and then move on again! X

@LikeAnOldFriend I agree - I chat away to family and friends and my DP, we don’t mope about in silence, but I can’t say we’re having deep and meaningfuls all the time, or emotional heartfelt outpourings. Mostly it is about mundane stuff, things you’ve talked about loads. I met a friend I’ve not seen for a few weeks and we spent ages discussing whether to fix our energy bills, what a good deal the local chip shop does and the terrible decisions of the town planners over the years - and we both agreed we’d had a lovely time! Somebody coming into work in a red jacket would be a massive taking point where I work. I thought it was super realistic and I don’t believe everyone else has such exciting lives and sparkling conversations all the time - nor that the realism is depicted is inherently depressing.

I agree that the chit chat being mundane was realistic . It's what people do isn't it?

Episode 4 tonight and I had to have look for spoilers 🙄 as I can't not watch it now that I've seen 3. But I love Nicola and Sean but when I look back to 'Time' etc it just seems so poor in comparison. A bit like the Emperor's New clothes . I am waiting to see it's all been a joke. But I lov them both as actors.

Love it!

I loved it. Hope there's a second season.

Finished it. Omg, so many questions!

I did like it but gah, I need more! It's actually made me want to watch Mum again to spot the similarities.

It's a bit like mum and him and her
Same writer, some characters are very similar

Loved it - found it totally compelling and so realistic. Sean Bean in particular seemed utterly real to me. I completely identified with his lostness, his attempts to try and find connection with little conversations. The scene with his daughter and the letter was so moving - and their hug was so needed and healing. They are able to be physically close and much more comfortable afterwards. The interesting thing was that it wasn’t Ian but Emma who couldn’t open up - we’re used to women being more emotionally literate but she hid the difficult stuff behind her laughter. The daughter wanted them to be open as a family but then couldn’t deal with their honesty about the boyfriend. She brought such life into the house though - I remember how dark and quiet our house felt after our children left home at first. No easy resolutions but progress - and although it was so hard for Emma to talk about the serious stuff the physical hand holds and hugs were full of love.
the relationship with the father felt v true to life - his delight in his granddaughter was also used to hurt Emma. And his face watching Jessica and Ian together. Just brilliant.

@the80sweregreat yes some similarities with “Mum” I agree: the Man in both is very passive, almost gormless. The Woman is wrapped very tight! Though the “Mum”character happens to be rigidly nice (which annoyed me sometimes, has she never tried to get through to 111 on a Sunday afternoon? ), whereas the “Marriage” female character seems to be someone permanently hacked off! I didn’t like the first episode of Marriage though, and won’t watch the rest of it.

@Notlosinganyweight i might try Alma's Not Normal. I’m desperate for a decent drama. Maybe I should write one?! It can’t be that hard, surely, going on recent offerings? It’s finding a subject though …. hmmm…

Enjoyed it tonight, defo getting grittier thank god.. Nicolas character was brilliant with Jamie slime ball for starters.

@SharpLily

Going on and on about fucking 'per-teh-ters' in his awful and largely incomprehensible northern drawl

^ made me laugh.

Also NW’s sudden swearing episodes both awful and unconvincing.

id like to see the “James bolan” face thing, if I could fast forward it. Anyone say which episode it is was?

The best scene of episode 1 really was clearing the table and loading the dishwasher.

I’m finding it painful to watch but I’m sticking with it.
Ian just hasn’t a clue what to do with himself and follows his wife around wittering on. Her life still has purpose (busy job) and he has lost all direction. I can’t work out of he’s always been socially awkward either… He’s lonely and lost but is behaving like a creep. I’m cringing for him.

Perhaps the other theme, like the series “Mum”, is repression? Lower middle class decency - and repression. Just occurred to me.

'I might try Alma's Not Normal'

It's brilliant. VERY funny, very thoughtful and very moving in parts

I wasn’t sure at first but ended up like loving the brilliantly observed mundaneness.
I liked the way the ambiguity drove the tension rather than the action so no serial killers although it felt like it could go that way at points.
I liked the conversation between Emma and Jess. “ We should be more open…. Blimey Oh perhaps not.” 😄

I loved Almas not normal
It was brilliant

Well we watched the last one last night and can’t believe there was no ending. What a waste of 4 hours!

There was an ending? Emma stood up to her boss and dad. Ian and daughter got along. Daughter left awful boyfriend. As dramatic as normal life probably gets?