Flack

Just finished watching season 2 of Flack and while the very very end was a bit of a tired tv trope(and with the show cancelled, an unresolved minor cliffhanger) this second season showed a much more complex and darker edge than the first. Robyn herself is going down the addition route and it's a gift for an actress of Anna Paquin's class. She does a great job of basically screwing over everything in her increasing desperation. However, the show balances this darkness and other topics like bulimia, death, terminal cancer and the deep emptiness of some people's lives with wit and gallows humour, a lot of this from the outstanding Lydia Wilson as Eve, who channels a sort of young Patsy from AbFab! Considering the low profile of this shows the talent attached is surprising. Paquin of course and the sublime Sophie Okenado who is awesome. Then we have Sam Neill, Marc Warren, Amanda Abbingdon, Jane Horrocks, Doon Mackichan, Daniel Dae Kim and Paquin's hubby Stephen Moyer as director. (Moyer and Paquin are also listed as exec producers.) I'm not sure why this show hasn't taken off. No idea why some people here are talking about political correctness or MeToo either. Women playing characters who are complicated and aren't just set decoration is thankfully not that revolutionary. Let's face it, many tv shows have challenging men at their core. Yes, the women of Flack are pretty amoral but for me, it's a well made and entertaining show that hadn't been seen by enough people and some terrific guest cast.

The best thing on TV for a very long time. Funny, intelligent and very different. And what do they do? Cancel it! I am so annoyed I could spit!

My Review - Flack

My rating 7/10

Anna Paquin stars as Robyn, an American publicist working for a cutthroat London PR company headed by a boss that makes Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) look like Polyanna. Her boss Caroline played by the wonderful Sophie Okonedo often steals the show with her vitriol and total disregard for any of her teams sensibilities. Caroline's Agency represents troubled celebrities, and its mission statement is to be adept at keeping her clients' lives appearing in perfect order so that when scandal hits the women of her Agency go into troubleshooting mode. Ever wonder what the real story is behind those celebrity gossip columns? Flack has all the dirt. Four quick-witted and relentless flackers are tasked to make the best of their celebrity clients' terrible decisions. Robyn (Anna Paquin) is the prime trouble shooter who with assistance from a great cast of women including Meghan Treadway as Belle and Rebecca Benson as Melody covers up and protects her clients from scandals. The first six episodes of Series One introduce us to these powerful witty and sarcastic women and a few dopey men that unusually these days keep the balance of the series very much on the emphasis of powerful women. The second series however I found much darker as Robyn's life unravels as she hits the skids due to her personality change as a consequence of her addiction to drugs and alcohol that threatens her career and her family life. This sudden change took me by surprise but kept my interest so I was pleased when the announcement was made that Amazon has taken up the option for a 3rd series of Flack. There now seems to be some doubt about a third series of Flack and I'll be disappointed if it doesn't eventuate . I admire the way British Comedy Drama series tell it like it is no beating around the bush in this series with no sexual innuendos it's all out there to see. Flack is full of purple language so if swearing bothers you it's not for you. It's a colourful well written and well performed series with a different client story in each episode, Its a delight to see so many talented women in this humorous and dramatic expose into the world of Celebrity shenanigans.

An intense and entertaining series, which was very well-acted, with a thrilling score, intelligent camera work and more than witty situations both funny and shady.

Every main female character was likable and psycho in her own way. Quite a few series share that quality.

It was gaining a different momentum at the end of season 2 before being cancelled with very bad judgment IMO. It deserved at least another season.

Season 1 was more professional, while season 2 delved more into characters' personal lives, a little weaker, but not terrible as some view it. A third season was needed to restore the balance. Unfortunately, that never happened.

I hope Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin team up again for another shiny show.

No clue why I didn't hear about this gem of a show until I was corona-scrolling in desperation at 3am. Did you like season 2 of fleabag? Or that show where Benedict Cumberbatch is a messy addict? Then watch this. You're in the right genre. This show deserves a much higher rating. Cheers to addiction.