Dates - Episodes 8 & 9 Reviews

Fourth and final week of the dating saga and while I did usually place these reviews on a Thursday, I had to delay this one to catch up with a few other shows but I have watched the last two episodes of Dates first series and well, here are my thoughts on them ...

Episode 8: Jenny & Christian

It's been a while since we've seen the kleptomaniac Jenny (Sheridan Smith) and with other characters being seen more than once this series, it was only fair we'd get a return from her too. This time around she's on a date with the somewhat religious Christian (Andrew Scott), who's got the Perfect 10 (commandments that is) and it's a date that goes well for them. So well, they end up sleeping together and having a very adult and mature conversation in relation to their respective beliefs and then things go to crap. Yeah, it seems that Christian has a wife called Helen (Amanda Hale) who's fed up of his wandering eye and turfs him out before Jenny tells him to fuck off as well. It's a good story with some nice moments between Smith and Scott but it also seems that a lot of Jenny's lingering issues (her stealing and inability to get over being ditched by her ex) are still holding her back. Other than that, a fantastic episode though, 9/10.

Episode 9: Mia & David

Well the series did start off with Mia and David, slotted them in the middle along with Ellie and Stephen, so it makes sense that it would end with three of the characters, doesn't it? In this episode Mia manages to annoy both David and Stephen over her erratic behaviour with children but she does manage to end up with at least one of them while the other resolves to be a better parent to a kid we meet for a few minutes. It's a great final episode with some nice moments from both Chaplins and Mellor but it also kind of feels that if the show returns for a second run that Mia and David are probably two characters we might not need to see more of. Stephen on the other hand could be up for discussion though, 8/10.

After nine episodes, we've had a great series with Dates. A nice mixture of stories, interconnecting and otherwise, great performances and some interesting debates on what can bond or drive people apart from each other as well. Channel 4 - commission a second series, please. Give Heidi, Callum, Jenny and Ellie other episodes with new characters, an episode with two guys on a date without the usual cliches and another episode for Erica and Kate, told from the latter's POV. You know you want to.

You can watch the series on 4OD right now if you've missed it.

Dates - Episodes 6 & 7 Reviews

Third week of the dating saga and sandwiched between shows about asking why two people are singles, Dates has continued to be an interesting viewing experience as the stories become more and more interlinked with each other.

Episode 6: Erica & Callum

This was a strange episode to watch. The last thing I wanted to see was Erica being shoved back into the closet to appease her homophobic family and having her brother choose her a boorish date in Callum (Greg McHugh) meant this episode could only go down. Callum certainly had his moments in this episode, that's for sure. His "zero tolerance" policy mostly involved him being rude to waiting staff, questioning Erica about her sexuality and nearly losing the plot when she told him that he was arrogant. On the plus side, he did get her to come to terms with being gay and the episode managed to end on an encouraging note that she might pick up where she left off with Kate. Sadly Kate did not briefly cameo in this one though, 8/10.

Episode 7: Stephen & Heidi

Okay, this episode is actually called Stephen & Mia but given that the latter isn't in the episode at all (bar an offscreen phone call where she dumps Stephen), it seems more appropriate that it should be called Stephen & Heidi, given how prominent Sian Breckin's character is in this episode. In some ways, I kind of felt like this episode retreaded similar ground with Stephen that his previous one did and Heidi's anger when she realised that he had lied to her about his name and job was justified enough. However, it was a pretty fun episode though Heidi seems to have a similarly free spirited nature (though not as caustic) as Mia, who kind of proves that Stephen seems to be attracted to a certain type of woman, 8/10.

A good bunch episodes here and definitely some lively performances from Greg McHugh and Sian Breckin in their respective ones as well. Hope the last two installments cap off the series nicely and that we get a second run.

Reviews for the last two episodes will be on the blog next week.

Dates - Episodes 4 & 5 Reviews

It's the second week and instead of three episodes, Channel 4 have given us two of them and I have to admit that due to being sucked into Big Brother once again, I ended up watching both these episodes on Tuesday and Wednesday at 11pm, courtesy of Channel 4 + 1 but here's goes the reviews nonetheless ....

Episode 4: Erica & Kate

The one thing you can trust about Bryan Elsley and his shows is that we do get some decent LGBT content and this episode, whilst far from perfect nicely managed to maintain that tradition. Gemma Chan (Fresh Meat) played the rather closeted Erica who ends up meeting Kate (Katie McGrath, Merlin) and while she likes to be bossed about it a bit by the Irishwoman, she's less enamoured when Kate makes her opinions on closeted lesbians who sleep with men pretty known. Let's say Erica being in the closet is a source of contention throughout the entire episode as even when they sleep together, it's still an issue the next morning between the ladies. There's some good performances from both Chan and McGrath and the ending has a surprising moment that will have repercussions in the sixth episode. That being said, it's probably the weakest episode so far, but not by a huge margin though, 7/10.

Episode 5: David & Ellie

This one was pretty interesting. A growing strand in this series is that certain characters keep resurfacing and because of them, we end up meeting newer people as well. David (Will Mellor), still stung by Mia (Oona Chaplin) dicking him about decides to go on a date with the rather bubbly Ellie (Montanna Thompson) on his birthday in a burger bar with singing staff. More to the point is how long it took David to suss that Ellie was only 19 (which was bloody obvious from the moment she appeared) and the fact that he wanted to bail despite Ellie's desperate attempts of keeping him interested in her. Of course, it did manage to go wrong for Ellie when her attempts of getting Mia out of David's system only drove him back into her arms. I quite felt sorry for Ellie in this episode. Yes, she was a tad immature (who uses Tumblr to catalogue their sexual history?) but she seemed like a nice enough girl and hopefully we'll see her again in a future episode. I'd also cite Thompson as the standout performance of this week's episodes, 8/10.

These two episodes were solid, if not as strong as the first three we've had in the previous week. Still, this is an absolutely cracking series and I'm definitely intrigued to see where the series will go with the final four episodes, in spite of my reservations for episode 6.

Reviews for the sixth and seventh episodes will be on the blog next week.

Dates - Episodes 1-3 Reviews

It's Mating Season on Channel 4 and given that we haven't been able to move without trailers to remind us of that fact, at least something good has come out of it with this nine part series.

Dates is the latest show from Skins creator Bryan Elsley with each half hour episode focusing on a particular potential couple. The first three aired between June 10th and 12th and here's an overall review of them.

Episode 1: David & Mia

An interesting opening installment with widowed lorry driver David (Will Mellor) meeting up with a woman named Celeste (Oona Chaplin) in a posh restaurant. Except her name is actually Mia and she's already decided that David isn't worth the effort until his ribbing of her to a waitress motivates her to actually stick with the date. It's a terse date, mainly due to Mia's acidic behaviour towards the more earnest David (who does manage to get some revenge in sussing out her reasons for her bitchy behaviour) but as the episode progressed, we did see a slightly softer side to Mia before she decided to stick to her original convictions about David not being her type. Also, fans of EastEnders will recognise the waitress - Madeline Duggan aka, the first Lauren Branning. Overall, a great opening episode for the series, 8/10.

Episode 2: Jenny & Nick

If Mia was something of a nightmare date, then it's amazing how Nick manages to surpass her in the annoying stakes here. Nick (Neil Maskell) is an annoying, belligerent City Trader who spends most of his date with primary school teacher, Jenny (Sheridan Smith) making snide remarks, lamenting about his hangs up with the opposite sex, generally coming across as a sleazy wretch and then adding insult to injury - he actually shags someone in the bathroom on the pretext of taking a phone call. On the plus side, at least Jenny managed to get the last laugh when she took his wallet and showed him up for the annoying tit that he was. It's a brilliantly awkward date with both Smith and Maskell on fine form too, 8/10.

Episode 3: Mia & Stephen

The third date but second episode for Mia. If the first one was geared more from David's point of view, then this episode is definitely from hers. In this episode, Mia ends up going on a date with surgeon Stephen (Ben Chaplin and no, he's not related to Oona as the Ch4 announcer was keen to point out), a bloke whom she's previously slept with when she was an escort/Celeste and one that Mia wastes no time in reminding of their previous liaison (as well as his appendages). It's a fun, tense episode, almost an intellectual battle between the pair which takes an interesting turn when Mia ends up going to the hospital with Stephen and a patient's death stirs a tender moment from both characters. Easily the best installment from the first three and it's a bit appropriate that Mia is given a Dr Watson alias, considering that she did briefly play a girlfriend of his in A Scandal In Belgravia last year, 9/10.

An impressive slew of installments, nicely linked with some great performances from both Chaplins, Mellor, Smith and Maskell and the theme tune is actually quite luscious and addictive as well. I'm definitely excited to see what the remaining episodes will offer us.

Theme Tune - Hannah Peel - Chloe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcVodHiCp_c

Next week, I'll be doing another review for the fourth and fifth episodes and subsequent reviews for the remaining episodes will also follow in this format.

Dates - First Trailer

The nine part drama, Dates from Skins creator Bryan Elsley has finally released a trailer and I have to say that I'm actually rather impressed with the look of it. Not only does it seem to have a rather mature feel to it with some of the most talented actors on the block but it also seems that just like SkyLiving's recent Love Matters series and last year's BBC1 late night drama, True Love, there is at least one gay themed storyline.

The episode (which hasn't been specified to which one it is) sees former Merlin actress Katie McGrath playing a young woman named Kate who goes on a date with a character played by Fresh Meat's Gemma Chan and given the reaction it's generated on Tumblr so far, you can tell that this is going to be quite a discussion worthy episode when it does air.

Of course this won't be the only time we get to see the lovely actress over the summer as she'll also be appearing in the upcoming Dracula series airing on SkyLiving as well but right now, this is a good series to see her, if you missed her recent appearance in Labyrinth. And yes, there will be further blogs about this upcoming series.

Dates Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dDDAFLHuceg#!

Dates will air on Channel 4 in June.

Dates - Upcoming Channel 4 Series

Remember last year BBC1 aired a series called True Love that centred on various relationships and entanglements? I wouldn't blame you if the answer was no, given the crap timeslot/lack of promotion it was given but it seems that Channel 4 are doing their own variation of it.

Dates, created by Skins man Bryan Elsley will focus on two handers centering on various relationships and it seems that the casting for this show has gone underway. Sherlock star Andrew Scott will be playing a Christian called Christian as he's sat across a table from a school teacher named Jenny, played by Mrs Briggs Sheridan Smith. Not the first time these two have played a couple given that they were one in ITV's adaptation of The Scapegoat in 2012.

Other casting includes former Merlin actress, Katie McGrath as well as Game Of Thrones actress Oona Chaplin, True Love's Gemma Chan and Two Pints actor Will Mellor to name a few. I hope that unlike the BBC equivalent, more focus and care is put into this upcoming series and I do hope that given Elsley's previous record with LGBT characters in Skins that this show is able to produce something equally as satisfying.

More Information: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-02-05/sherlocks-andrew-scott-and-merlins-katie-mcgrath-to-date-in-channel-4-drama

Filming for Dates is currently underway with transmission on Channel 4 due for Summer 2013.