TWO WEEKS IN AUGUST - starts sat 23/5 - bbc 1 9pm - TV PACE. NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

New 8 part drama for a Saturday night

The drama stars Jessica Raine (The Devil's Hour, Patrick Melrose), Damien Molony (Bergerac, Brassic), Antonia Thomas (The Good Doctor, Still Up), Nicholas Pinnock (For Life, The Book of Clarence), Leila Farzard (Kaos, I Hate Suzie) and Hugh Skinner (Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, Fleabag).

Written and created by Catherine Shepherd (‘Sally4Ever', ‘The Shrink Next Door'), ‘Two Weeks in August' follows the story of a woman who goes on holiday with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life.

But, here in paradise, what starts with an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare

The synopsis continues: "Zoe begins to act on her deepest desires and the holiday she hoped for becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up.

old wounds are re-opened, sending the group in a chaotic spiral that soon begins to snowball, threatening to upend each of their lives in unexpected

When they discover they are trapped on the island, and become faced with real life-or-death situations, the group soon turn on each other to find out who is to blame.

Is Zoe responsible for the drama and destruction around her or, as heaven turns to hell, are bigger forces at play?

We are in Greece after all, the land of the ancient Gods…

Leading star Jessica said "the big question of the series is how the audience is going to respond to a character like Zoe".

"The decisions she makes to get what she wants, and the consequences because of that," continued the actress.

"The idea of a woman deciding not to sacrifice everything, of choosing to put herself first, unfortunately still feels revolutionary.

I think every woman feels that, and that’s what I think will appeal.

Yes, I know what you mean (much as I like watching cop/crime dramas!)

I think it is this, yes – and that they're both single (well, Jacob turns out not to be single exactly, but he clearly didn't know his hook-up would turn up), and that bonds them among all the couples. Nat says something about their room being better than the usual 'sad single friend' one, which implies that they've been in similar scenarios a lot.

I’m now on episode 5 not going to say anything but am enjoying it. Like others Was going to stop after first two but stick with it I’m intrigued as to how it will end .

I've got one left to watch.
Don't want to give anything away but I have to say I've found Will and his two mates/hangers-on INFURIATING!

I agree! I've got one left too and I have enjoyed it on the whole, but it has really run out of steam after a very strong start. I think 6 episodes would have been plenty - 8 feels too dragged out

I'm actually finding that it's picked up after starting quite ropily. As events have ramped up I've started to care less about implausibilities like silent/absent children and the feeling that they are not really old friends at all.

Totally agree with this. What users/opportunists! Jacob should never have let Will stay when he first arrived. Moving Nat out of their shared room was nasty imho.

I feel like Nat and Zoe were best friends at uni but now their lifestyles are so different that they don't have much in common so don't see a lot of each other and Jacob has taken the place as best friend. I get the impression that Nat is not (and perhaps never has been) a big fan of flakey Dan.

Finished this yesterday and I'm glad to see the back of the lot of them to be honest!

Me too! That's how I felt.

I quite liked Nat and Jacob by the end. Always liked Zoe. Even Jess eventually demonstrated some self-awareness and a sense of humour.

E4 tonight

They’re about 40 as it was Jacob’s 42nd bday in ep 3.

Well I’ve finally finished it ! Just crazy bonkers is all I will say but enjoyed it nonetheless lol

🤣🤣

Wow last nights. Just seen as was tired so went to bed

an orgy. Literally for the gays

Zoe is going to shag a youngster tho poor daughter and even stranger step mum saying go and lose your virginity to her

au pair leaves and fair enough

so we have 3 kids in all

dark haired lady who chucked job in got with the bar man

Zoe and step mum kissed

sorry dreadful with names but sure you get the jist

what was in the punch. Def drugged

and an all night party. I def couldn’t manage that. 11pm is my knock out 😂

I thought the party episode was where it all started getting a bit too daft

Yes. Me too!

Oh, I enjoyed the party ep!
Although the thing about the host threatening John with the gun didn’t really go anywhere. I suppose that couple were just there, from a script and structure point of view, to host the party so the others could all get wasted and all the problems could kick off.

There was that bit where she saw his feet as hooves - I think he's meant as a kind of satyr, a trickster spirit who revels in debauchery and leads people astray. Another destabilising influence on the characters, revealing aspects of themselves they would normally keep hidden.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyr

Yes, I get that. I mean the gun thing specifically was a big set piece moment, and then fizzled out.

I enjoyed the party episode

True! For me, it just showed how unpredictable and mischievous he could be, just enjoying throwing a spanner in the works - throwing everyone off balance (e.g. he seems to have lulled Nat into quitting her job so dramatically). As the trickster, he sort of threw all the cards in the air to see where they would land.

Yep. He doesn’t care about what happened. Just pushes to see how far he can make someone

like the blank stone kiss game

making a boy choose (should have said the girl obv)

quitting job

lovely to see the goat again

Just caught up. I really like the series. Love your posts @Beachtastic , thank you.

If you’re not binging it, the party episode is a great relied to the discordant music and tension and “what’s going to happen” of the first three episodes. Between each of the episodes we chatted a lot about who is who, what their histories would be, and where it might go. There’s so much revealed in a few words delivered by the fantastic cast. Whereas the party episode was a lovely silliness. I’m of their age group, and relate to the feelings and personal journeys they’re touching on.

So glad French Nanny called out what terrible selfish parents they are! Yeah she’s selfish, but she doesn’t have kids!

When Zoe was walking home the morning after, I felt transported back to being a teenager walking home myself and that must be exactly how she felt.

Good to see there’s a spoiler thread, I feel @Blondeshavemorefun ’s thread are much more about the watching experience together than just a simple “no spoilers”.

So we’ve had all the exposition and tension, then the peak and relief (quite literally for Jacob) now I guess it’s the resolution.

I don’t think Zoe has matured, I think she’s just escaped and has a lot of growing upto do. The silliness with Solomon showed that I think. I don’t think getting with Solomon is moving forward, it’s staying in uni days behaviour and mindset.

Really hated Solomon being so chill about Dan and Jess snogging but then going irate because Zoe dared to set standards for herself and split up with Dan! Taking out his own anger at himself for his failed first marriage on Zoe.

The rich hostess woman is played by Dolly Wells, the New Zealand teacher from Some Girls - an absolutely fantastic series - and I couldn’t not see past that, but it probably helped the whole mischievous chaos makers vibe.

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