Northern Lights

I came across this by complete chance and only watched it because I thought the male actor was super handsome. You could say I came for the treat and ended up crying like a child. Very well paced and acted. I couldn't stop watching it. The female lead is amazing. It's a story about grief. It's funny in some bits and sad in others. There's nothing else that needs to be said here. I found it very human, very real. I give this 10/10 mostly because I started with no expectations and watched all 6 episodes in one sitting. Cried and laughed. I was convinced by the story and the actors. I do not want to pick at this. It's a feeling. No need for anything else. Watch it and prepare to cry.

I guess if you're between 12 and 20 (or a 75-year old person who loves soap operas) this might interest you. I normally enjoy Irish TV but this one leaves me cold. Whatever plot(s) there is/are pretty thin. The acting is neighborhood theater group level, and the dialogue is forced. Perhaps it's just me, out of touch with what is considered entertainment these days, But this plodding, uninteresting attempt at a RomCom or whatever they're trying to be just falls flat. I'm just not interested in delving into the psyche of folks having relationship issues, or trying to build new relationships. Just not my dram of whisky.

The show is heartfelt and real. It deals with real and sad life issues in a wonderfully sympathetic way. The characters are well constructed and complex. The acting is credible and engaging. It showcases the talent and abilities of Irish actors, writers and directors when given credible material to work with. The quality of the actors is what made the show such an emotional rollercoaster and such a pleasure to watch. No surprise this show was nominated for an IFTA. It was very deserving. I hope it runs for a Season 2 and we get to see these wonderful actors again in it and other future pieces of work.

So I really liked this show. It's not really a comedy though, even dark comedy isn't how I'd describe it. I might've chuckled a few times, mainly at the dad jokes. I thought the story was original and told very well. I like the way the story is filled in with flashbacks. We're never lost and the thread is easy to follow. Through their memories and conversations the story quickly takes root. It was sweet and touching and hits on very real points. These two needed the chance meeting to trauma bond but not in a tragic way. Unbeknownst to them, they were helping one another over some pretty large humps to the emotional breakthroughs they needed to try and move on. I thought it was well written with very likable characters. The bulk of the show happens over a weekend but we get years of the past with just a glimpse into the future. I don't mind filling in the blanks as to what I think their future will hold. Good show. Sweet and easy to watch.

The premise of the show is very confusing and wasn't flushed out until the third episode. While the acting between the four main characters is believable, the banter in some of the comedic scenes is wooden and feels forced. It feels like I am watching the actors recite lines rather than expressing genuine emotion. The show overuses flashbacks as a plot device to the point where entire scenes are broken up and this disrupts any natural flow.

I found that the show became really hard to watch as it progressed because the plot became very confusing at points and then boring. There are a lot of characters that appear in flashbacks and it's hard to keep track of who did what when. This is a decent show but could have used some fine detail revisions.