As Time Goes By: Series 4

Whoo boy, we've had some breaking news this series.

Quite a bit happens here from the word go, Sandy has moved in with Lionel and Jean as Lionel tries coping with so many women in the house, further progress is made in terms of the mini-series, Judy gets some romantic hurdles to jump, and the tiny small fact that Lionel proposes to Jean and they get married!! Ohhhh my God, ffuuuuu-

I lost it man. I genuinely lost it and this is not the first time I have seen this whole show but it snuck up on me something fierce. This show alone is the biggest example of saying screw your rubbish writing of other shows, where they do this tired old nonsense of having a couple get married on the last episode of the show because they don't know how to write a married couple so they take the easy way out. Bollocks! Proving once more why this is the romance show to end all romance shows! Hell Lionel proposes halfway through this series, the other half is them prepping for the wedding and the aftermath. We still have 5 more series' to go people, jump on this ship now. And I think I finally broke it down, I took a critical eye to why the writing works so well and I buy this couple more than really any other normal couple on television. Because Jean and Lionel, they are so normal but they have this acknowledgement of their behavior. They do act silly, they do make mistakes, they do go off on tangents but they recognize it and accept it as partners. They poke fun at the other's behavior, they ask the other why they get so swept up in their own mind, but the love and patience is all there. When Judy gets a brief love interest Jean gets overconcerned and starts leaping to conclusions while Lionel takes it more in stride and asks her why she makes a big fuss when it's quite okay. They balance each other out so much, it's this flip flop game where one starts worrying or making a big issue out of nothing and the other helps them get back down to earth, from huge topics like relationships and weddings to the most mundane things like taking down some curtains. It doesn't do sub par, tropey, write it in your sleep dialogue or situations. It's very real and doesn't even divulge too much into the lovey dovey stuff, though there is some and charms the hell out of me everytime. They earn that romantic scene. And not every episode ends on a laugh or very sweet moment, there are episode that end not so much on an open ended way but in a way where there isn't a clear resolution. That's life. There isn't always a happy ending or a convenient ending wrapped in a big bow with each situation. And it works because the cast make it work, Judi and Geoffrey are effortlessly perfect in these roles and I stress the show could not have made it past the opening episode without them. I know they're actors, but the love I see is genuine. They're not sex drived teens, they're not this odd couple tit for tat schtick, yeah they can be childish and bicker at times but there is a difference between good writing that incorporates such elements and sitcom writing where it is an end unto itself. They take solace in silence or even speaking very little to each other, they know their faults and yet admit them and move past it, they don't try to be perfect but the other sees such a wonderful thing about them. I don't see that in media much, why do you think I gave such insurmountable praise to Her and Lost In Translation? Not just because they are phenomenal, beautiful, perfect pieces of cinema but because they got the romance angle down even though it was different situations, Her was a lot about the long distance relationship and kinda about cheating and having to let someone you love go, Lost In Translation is a movie that has a love much more deeper than most romances that sadly have to part ways despite the amicable solace found in one another. As Time Goes By is about starting from scratch and that marriage is not the end all be all of a relationship, time is relative and it's never too late to find that beloved someone. All different facets of a relationship, but all just as powerful and important. Get off my lawn if you don't know the score yet. 10/10!! 100/100!!! Do I need to go on? Really? Five more series of praise and love, you're welcome to read it but you know the end game and so do I. See you next time everyone.