Much like Sliding Doors, You & Me will have you believing that great love stories begin with seemingly inconsequential moments that change the course of your life for the better.
In this ITV three-parter, 20-something Ben (Harry Lawtey) a young Northerner in London, falls head over heels for Jess (Sophia Brown) after a chance meeting – and hand hold – while running for the bus.
What unfolds over the course of the next three years of their relationship is the stuff a generation of Hinge users could only dream of, as the episodes flit between snapshots of their life together. But be warned, this show is also a tearjerker.
Fast forward some six years later, Emma (Jessica Barden), a rising theatre star who hides tragedy behind her success, comes in and shakes up Ben’s (and her own) life.
Filled with twists, turns and tears – and one truly gasp-filled moment – You & Me has all the makings of a sure-fire hit, featuring the crème-de-la-crème of British acting talent and Russell T Davies as executive producer.
But unfortunately it just misses the mark.
While Ben and Jess’ love story is vibrant and fleshed out, things feel rushed in terms of the complexity of Emma’s character. It’s almost as if she was an afterthought and the show suffers as a result. How can you be expected to invest in a relationship if you don’t root for the people in it?
Mastering a plot over two separate timelines also brings its own set of difficulties, especially when choosing to run them both simultaneously. Flashbacks are all well and good, but bombarding the audience to this extent, it all feels rather like a fairground ride you can’t get off.
It all comes to a crescendo in the final episode, where Emma’s character arc not only feels anticlimactic but frankly bizarre. She’s finally learning to follow her heart; why, then, are we left so cold? Perhaps it’s due to the frankly baffling decisions she makes – or perhaps, despite Barden’s best efforts, the script is just too thin.
Despite this, Lawtey and Brown are magnetic on screen together while Corrie icon Julie Hesmondhalgh as Ben’s mum Linda is delightful; if only the show focused on this, it would be a delight.
Is You & Me any good, then? To a point. Though it falls short of the lofty bar set by Russell T Davies’ enthusiastic backing, it still manages to pack a punch. Grab your tissues, you’re going to need them.
