Escort Boys

This is a brilliant series! It's simply genius and the actors are excellent and very beautiful! There are many twists to the story which are thought provoking. I often found myself laughing then crying, then laughing again. It's beautifully written and directed. It also makes you dream about the Camargue, as you can often see its fabulous landscape. I also love how the show conveys a sense of equality between men and women. It is very sexy and features some very saucy and hot scenes, but it's never vulgar. Watch this series... I'm sure most viewers will love it! An additional note: the British voice of Ben/Lupin is provided by an actor named Chris Anderson.

First of all the environs are fabulous. At first glance it could be Australia or the USA but is actually set in France so the whole feel of the programme is different and all the better for it. I'm 2 episodes in and have already laughed a lot out loud but it also does pathos with one of the characters having a hard time with his life. Gorgeous actors also helps and again as it's not Hollywood, the faces of the actors take you to France. It's themes are not original but it is far more complex than the seminal movie shot in Sheffield. It will to interesting to see where this goes storywise and hopefully some of the female characters will have their stories expanded.

Given people's reactions towards the Gerard Depardieu case in France, it shouldn't be surprising that in a comedy (written mostly by men), women can only be bitter, angry/entitled, angry/feminist or angelical, like the little sister.

I've only watched the first two episodes and I have enjoyed them, but the casual misoginy of the script throws me off. In the first episode you have a mom telling her daughter that by being independent and sure of herself, she scares men off, that she needs to tone it down, leave the extrems (of course by getting laid).

The second episode shows the angry, annoying wife wanting to hook up with someone other than her husband and an empowered woman who doesn't shut up, doesn't know what she wants and only finds pleasure when she's tricked into thinking she decided how the man had to take her.

Did we really need those characterizations? I don't think they add anything to the plot, but at least they let me see where the creator stands on this subject matter.

SEASON 1 (3/5)

Escort Boys delivers on the sexiness, and the show finds the perfect amount between giving hot bodies in action without being vulgar or too forced. The actors are all game, and they are some very beautiful ones here.

Escort Boys wants to be more than a sexploitation show, and brings a lot of conversation about the view of sex in our society, women's emancipation, and the objectification of men. They have some good things to say, but they failed to bring the conversation naturally, and most of the time, it mostly sounds more like lessons than honest conversation.

Despite representing itself as a pro-feminist show, most of the time, the men act like they know better than the women, helping them. They are escort boys, paid to do what the customer wants, but they are still trying to impose their view on them.

Because of that, the main character, Ben, is especially frustrating to follow. He makes a lot of egoistic decisions, even when the show tries to portray them as altruistic.

The emotional moments mostly sound fake. They usually come without previous development, so it's hard not to think about the writers just saying, "Okay, and now we've got our emotional moments". That said, the male characters are done right, they have endearing problems, and despite their flaws, they got us curious about how their situation will develop. It's especially the case for Ludo, who, I think, is the most interesting character.

There are some surprising cameos of famous women from French culture, one of the highlights is Zahia, who, knowing her story, is a perfect fit in this show, making her short participation very interesting.

SEASON 2 (2/5)

After a first episode that just wanted to go big, this second season quickly removes all the fun we should expect from a show about escort boys trying to save a honey farm, even the nudity feels less cheeky and more controlled. It quickly becomes evident that the show wants to be taken seriously... but fails.

During the first half, the show uses the female clients to talk about a wide variety of themes, like sexuality despite a handicap, the line between kink and abuse, ... the issue here is that they have a lot of clients in one episode, so all these important topics just have a few minutes to be talked about and then get all mixed up together.

The second half focuses more on the main characters, and it's frustrating what they are trying to do here. Each of their story is overly dramatic. Nobody acts like a normal human being; they just react to things because they need to bring drama. At one point, one of the main characters fights another one because he is not supportive enough with his friends, but most of them, including the one complaining, have friendly moments with the other characters... the writers just want them to fight and to be dramatic.

Also, not one of the big reveals at the previous season finale was developed; everything was so quickly forgotten, even the hero's ex-wife, who was so important last season.

The finale feels rushed and cliché. This season is a big disappointment.

Set in beautiful Camargue, France, the series develops through funny and sexy incidents; something light, entertaining but thought-provoking at the same time, which I didn't really expected before watching. Moving at times, you can enjoy, apart from the beauty of the cast, splendid landscapes and a very good soundtrack: I really liked "Una furtiva lagrima" at the end of the last episode. You could also find interesting and pleasant the participation of famous actresses such as Carole Bouquet and timeless, amazing Rossi De Palma and Amanda Lear. You should definitely give it a go! You will not regret it!