The critic’s point of view
state of the nation
ABC Plus, Tuesday 8:55 p.m. and iview
★★★½
Dressed in a suit and tie, middle-aged businessman Scott (Brendan Gleeson) looks uncomfortable and out of place from the moment he arrives at the “specialty coffee” store, Mouthfeel. “It sounds like a sex club,” he remarks slyly, while barista Jay (Esco Jouley) tries to explain the meaning of the cafe’s name.
Patricia Clarkson as Ellen and Brendan Gleeson as Scott in State of the Union.Recognition:Laura Radford/See-Saw Films/Sundance TV
Scott is scheduled to meet Ellen (Patricia Clarkson), his 30-year-old wife, before her first marriage counseling session, and he’s at a loss about the whole thing: where he is; why he is there; and also from Jay, who, it turns out, prefers the pronoun “they.”
His uneasiness is the springboard for the second elegantly crafted season of the series, created by novelist and screenwriter Nick Hornby (An Education, Brooklyn) and directed by Stephen Frears (A Very English Scandal, Quiz). The couple previously worked together on the 2000 film adaptation of High Fidelity.
The premise and structure of the new season remain the same for the second time, although the characters and setting are different. In the 2019 season one (iview), set in the UK, another longtime couple met at a bar before their weekly marriage counseling sessions. Over a pint of beer and her glass of white wine, out-of-work music critic Tom (Chris O’Dowd) and the gerontologist revealed Louise (Rosamund Pike) the issues that led her to therapy. Each episode of the 10-part season played in real time 10 minutes before the scheduled session.
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It’s a simple and economical concept: largely a single setting; Episodes that are 10 short and sweet minutes. And here it features pairs of accomplished actors delivering expertly nuanced performances, clever writing, and smooth, unobtrusive direction.
The recently released second season is set in America and the couple belong to the affluent upper middle class. Though it remains essentially a two-handed device, Jay has a more prominent role than season one’s anonymous bartenders, initially as an antagonist for Scott and an ally for Ellen. As a sign of one of the strengths of the series, however, this changes over time.
Described as a “romantic dramedy in a nutshell”, State of the Union is adept at switching sympathies: there are no villains, although infidelity is a theme in both seasons. However, there is a palpable sense of sadness at the potential breakup of a long-standing relationship that has its issues but also remains loving and devoted. And in both seasons, it’s easy to believe in the couple’s story: the relationships have an authentically lived quality. The vignettes coalesce into a satisfying whole that reveals the tensions and tenderness that still exist and the reasons for the breaks.
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