Marriage.

I loved to original van de valk but in the new one the storylines are good but the actors are so wooden I can't watch it anymore

Watching it on iplayer but it is very slow but compelling.

I agree with many opinions here -I like both Sean Bean and Nicola Walker - so I watched it hopefully - however hope faded quickly and I too, found it stilted, odd and completely boring. Will not waste any more time on it. ??

Watched the first two episodes with my 95 year old mother. She said: "Are they trying to show that marriage is really boring?"
???

I thought it was very clever and completely portrayed a long term, secure, loving relationship. Maybe if you have not encountered one then it is harder to appreciate? The long silences, the mutual understanding, the routine handholding/quick reassuring pecks on the cheek, the automatic protection of anyone who criticises your other half, the routines that require little or no comment. I could go on and on … Even the discordant (?) music has stuck. Both DH and I keep breaking into the lyrics ! It could never be described as boring. Brilliant acting by all concerned.

Sara1954

Hopefully it wasn’t typical of marriage at all.
I don’t really know why I stuck with it, because I think it became more and more cringing and embarrassing with every episode, with the final one almost unbearable.
The scene in bed where he’s telling her what he said to Jess about peeling the veg was excruciating, and what was all that itching scene about, and was it really necessary to the plot?
Oh hang on, I forgot, there was no plot.

I don’t know why I stuck with it to be honest. Maybe I thought everything would become clear in the last episode. I might, for some reason watch it again but I don’t know why. Masochism perhaps?

Here here howjado! It’s awful

Hopefully it wasn’t typical of marriage at all.
I don’t really know why I stuck with it, because I think it became more and more cringing and embarrassing with every episode, with the final one almost unbearable.
The scene in bed where he’s telling her what he said to Jess about peeling the veg was excruciating, and what was all that itching scene about, and was it really necessary to the plot?
Oh hang on, I forgot, there was no plot.

I thought she kissed him quite a lot. Especially that one when they were walking back from the station. That wasn’t typical of a 27 years of marriage kiss.

The theme 'tune' was so awful and disturbing that I had to put it on mute. Horrendous. Watched the first two episodes with my 95 year old mother. She said: "Are they trying to show that marriage is really boring?" I said, yes I think so. However, we both stuck with it and she asked some questions about who was who etc. We both hoped the daughter would ditch the unpleasant and controlling boyfriend.

It was unusual in its realism, but I certainly wanted to watch it all. The point was that some people in a long marriage don't talk to each other in any meaningful way, as their daughter pointed out. And there was a lot of pent up pain. I felt sorry for the Sean Bean character as he seemed lonely and invisible, and was getting paranoid about his wife's work trip. She could be rather cold, a quick kiss now and then like a pat on the head. There were some very moving moments amongst the excruciating unspokenness. I would happily watch a second series. It must have been hard to act the normal and mundane. I wonder if Sean Bean enjoyed taking his character's feelings out on that car!

Watched the first part and all I could do was yawn! Like watching myself and DH!! Boring!

Watched the first episode, well some of it anyway. Thought it was awful. Utterly boring!

This was awful and pretentious . Similar to going to an art show where because you are told that someone is famous you should like it - the emperors new clothes !!!
It seemed to be a copy of ‘ Roger and Val have just got home ‘ Following a very similar theme . I kept waiting for something interesting or funny to happen and it didn’t

Oh I love Mum and now I don't know what to do. The three series are back on iplayer and I have been re watching them and have noticed even more than I noticed the first time I watched them (most probably because it revisits certain behaviours and aspects) it make me cry as well as laugh

DH and I binged it. We really enjoyed it, we LdOL, we held hands and said ‘oh no, a bit like us’.

We really are not totally like them but we could definitely see ourselves in some of the scenarios, come on it was about every day married life.

We have an active life, adult DC, DGC and friends.

One criticism, some of it was badly edited, storylines were not followed through or picked up much, much later which we found frustrating.

Otherwise fantastic TV. DH and I still have a giggle about it when we are at home alone being just like them.

Marjgran

Astonished by the thread- are we so used to excitement that we can’t see subtlety? You don’t have to like it, but proclaiming it “crap” when you know others like it and rate it is an it high handed, dare I say, arrogant? Don’t watch if you don’t like slow and if you don’t want to read between the lines and see ordinary life portrayed with respect.

I think those of us that loved Mum understand subtlety and understatement which is why there’s no reason why we should be disappointed with Marriage other than the fact that the character development doesn’t go anywhere…it just leads to dead ends. I think the writer has just used a tried and tested formula but transferred it to a subject matter that he doesn’t understand. Pathos needs humour for it to work and Mum was a classic example of it. Marriage has neither.I personally think that people are trying to find hidden depths to the series that just don’t exist.

I thought my life was boring at times being on my own, but if that's what some marriages are like, I'm glad I am. As for the daughter's boyfriend, that controlling, manipulative prat is getting to me more than the creepy Sean Bean character.

I binge watched this, and while doubtful about it at the start I found it got better and better and became quite mesmerising, to the point where I quite fancy watching it all over again once time allows!

I am watching with enjoyment - have seen the first two episodes. Love the depiction of the marriage in subtle ways - eg their kitchen ( ie a public space ) is pristine but their bedroom ( private space ) is a tip. Anyway its something thought provoking and different for me at any rate.

This was such a brilliantly acted play. The fact that Sean Bean could make you feel so uncomfortable with his character shows how wonderful his acting is. I thought the relationship with Nicola Walker and her boss was beautifully played out and single mindedness about her plans was brilliant.
If you were looking for a fast moving plot, it would have been disappointing. If you were looking for great characterisation and a snapshot of a couple who had been married for so long, who supported each other even if they found it difficult to communicate, it was a fine piece of work.

Like watching paint dry... sooo boring

Astonished by the thread- are we so used to excitement that we can’t see subtlety? You don’t have to like it, but proclaiming it “crap” when you know others like it and rate it is an it high handed, dare I say, arrogant? Don’t watch if you don’t like slow and if you don’t want to read between the lines and see ordinary life portrayed with respect.

Watched the first episode will not waste my time watching anymore., it was like watching paint dry. Think Sean Bean is ugly but a good actor. Like Nicola Walker

Watched it on iplayer, wasted quite a bit of time waiting for it to improve - zilch!

Watched all four episodes thinking something will happen soon…………it didn’t

Usually love anything with Sean Bean and Nicola Walker in but this was soooo slow, and the annoying music at the beginning and end. Had to mute the TV