The Book Group

Season 1 – 70% – I went into this show blindly, so when a very specific and interesting version of Coupling from a year earlier popped up, I happily rejoiced. Rory McCann also made me happy, long before he became Sandor Clegane. The whole concept works well in its crucial moments, despite the presence of Anne Dudek, who I strongly dislike, in the role of the main character Clare. But every group has an individual who seemingly doesn't fit in, and for me, that was clearly Barney. Perhaps it's due to James Lance's peculiar performance, but whenever he started charming any of the ladies present, I had the urge to stop watching immediately. It's a shame because Michelle Gomez proves that dramedies are her ideal genre, and her character Bonnie Engstrom, or Dirk, is a hottie who is herself a pleasure to look at. Season 2 – 50% – When I labeled Barney the worst character, I had no idea what was coming. His replacement, Lachlan, is the sweatiest and most pathetic slug that has ever slithered through any British sitcom, and the fact that he appears more frequently in the plot than his brother is the main reason why the second season couldn't possibly succeed. Additionally, the whole concept gives an unexpectedly tired impression in such a small number of episodes, and, for example, the storyline where Dirk and Fist deal with the first one's pregnancy brought me to sheer despair with its stupidity and overcooked absurdity. Clare's sister Jean ultimately becomes a saving addition, but she also experiences her own desperately disgusting scene, as her idea of the study of prostitution can't be called anything else. In the end, I am unfortunately quite sad because there was a lot of wasted potential in just a few episodes, and if it wasn't for the brilliant Michelle Gomez, who elegantly steals the second season for herself, it would be bad. This way, I am still relatively reconciled (thanks to a successful and luckily surprisingly decent finale). (2016.07.25)