Flack

Just finished watching season 2 of Flack and while the very very end was a bit of a tired tv trope(and with the show cancelled, an unresolved minor cliffhanger) this second season showed a much more complex and darker edge than the first. Robyn herself is going down the addition route and it's a gift for an actress of Anna Paquin's class. She does a great job of basically screwing over everything in her increasing desperation. However, the show balances this darkness and other topics like bulimia, death, terminal cancer and the deep emptiness of some people's lives with wit and gallows humour, a lot of this from the outstanding Lydia Wilson as Eve, who channels a sort of young Patsy from AbFab! Considering the low profile of this shows the talent attached is surprising. Paquin of course and the sublime Sophie Okenado who is awesome. Then we have Sam Neill, Marc Warren, Amanda Abbingdon, Jane Horrocks, Doon Mackichan, Daniel Dae Kim and Paquin's hubby Stephen Moyer as director. (Moyer and Paquin are also listed as exec producers.) I'm not sure why this show hasn't taken off. No idea why some people here are talking about political correctness or MeToo either. Women playing characters who are complicated and aren't just set decoration is thankfully not that revolutionary. Let's face it, many tv shows have challenging men at their core. Yes, the women of Flack are pretty amoral but for me, it's a well made and entertaining show that hadn't been seen by enough people and some terrific guest cast.

No clue why I didn't hear about this gem of a show until I was corona-scrolling in desperation at 3am. Did you like season 2 of fleabag? Or that show where Benedict Cumberbatch is a messy addict? Then watch this. You're in the right genre. This show deserves a much higher rating. Cheers to addiction.

My husband gave up on this by the end of episode two. I hung on in there and actually really started to enjoy it. Yes the plots are far-fetched and silly, the characters are questionable but it's all acted well and kept me entertained. I've loved Anna Paquin since being addicted to Trueblood so it was great to see her in something new. Supporting cast were all great. Would definitely say Flack was more for the ladies though.

So I will be the first to admit that this .at not be everyone's cup of tea. That said, I think it is one of the freshest, notable comedies on TV at the moment and worth digging out from your on demand.

The cast are fantastic, headed by the very talented Anna Paquin (who I feel is in a role that has really shown her versatility), which leads to a story so intertwined you will struggle to remember exactly who fits in to what part of which thing. This isn't a negative, moreso a slight intro to the whirlwind lifestyle portrayed on screen by the cast. Sophie Okonedo, playing Caroline the boss, is perfection (needless to say). Her ability to put over on screen such a fierce, intimidating, but actually quite complex character is a must see, only rivalled here by the lesser known but definite future household name Rebecca Benson, who plays Melody, the timid, wonderfully likeable intern with great comedy timing and the rare ability to make something funny without overdoing it.

At only 6 episodes, the first series does feel rather short and by the time you have gotten to grips with the amazing ability of Eve (Lydia Wilson) to insult everyone in less than 3 seconds, you will be wanting more.

The writers daring to include the names of many real celebrities is what really adds to the credibility of the script and daring to touch on issues that are so relevant right now (#metoo) is handled well, finding humour in the parts it's ok to poke fun at, whilst reminding us through the characters that actually, it really isn't regardless of who you are.

It's definitely a series to keep an eye on, I wouldn't be surprised to see it picked up by a bigger channel, both here and in the UK, but only if season 2 is longer though.

I need to see just what happens next to the characters, I'm already invested.

I have not loved a comedy like this in quite a while. Clever Writing and Great Chemistry amonst the characters. Love it.