EXCLUSIVE: Review and Clips of HBO's "Tell Me You Love Me"

Recently, The Pasty Quail was contacted by a marketing firm that is doing some work on HBO's new show, "Tell Me You Love Me". The firm, RocketXL, provided us (and possibly anyone else with a Blogger account) with a few clips from the show and some brief information on the characters and their relationships with one another. Once we discovered that the first 2 episodes are now available On Demand, we figured we would give it a look. To start off, here is a clip from episode 1:



Follow the jump for our full review and some clips from the first 4 episodes: -->

Despite what you may have heard, this is not a show about sex. Don't get us wrong, though. There is sex. Lots of sex. Lots of very graphic sex, including but not limited to: male masturbation, balls, a woman jerking off her husband (with cock clearly exposed), numerous oral sex scenes, and even a (presumably staged) money shot.

Even with all of this sex, HBO delivers a thoughtful, well-shot drama about the role of intimacy in the lives of four couples. First, we have David (Tim DeKay) & Katie (Ally Walker), 40-ish and married, but worried over the lack of physical intimacy in their relationship since the birth of their two kids. Second comes Jamie (Michelle Borth) & Hugo (Luke Farrell Kirby), two 20-somethings who are headed down the road towards marriage. Following them are Palek (Adam Scott) & Carolyn (Sonya Walger), a couple in their thirties who are trying depserately to conceive a child. Finally, we have May (Jane Alexander) and Arthur (David Selby), an elderly couple who seem to have a healthy, loving relationship. These couples are achetypal; you have seen these couples and issues before in many of your favorite tv shows and movies. The difference is the way these relationships are presented and how the camera treats the characters as they interact together.

The show is shot (by Alan Caso, cinematographer) in a very intimate format. The shots are often very tight, especially when the characters are sharing intimate physical or emotional moments; this format gives the viewer the sense that they are in the room with the characters. In fact, there were moments when we were fighting against making a response to a particularly biting comment or intense argument. This also augments the fact that the show strives to be authentic; as any of us would, the characters often stumble and stammer through weighty discussions about life in a monogamous relationship.

To further heighten the sense of realism, the changes between scenes are simple, clean and quick. The use of voyeuristic shots (through open windows, or sliding glass doors) further heightens this impression. The sets are unobtrusive, and for all intents and purposes could be an interchangeable series of middle-class urban and suburban dwellings; this serves to retain focus on the characters and their intimacy issues.

The central cog of the show can be found in the couple's therapy sessions with May Foster, who sees at least some of the members of the two married couples in the first two espisodes. Undoubtedly, all of the characters will at some point find themselves on May's couch before the season is out. These scenes allow for the characters to benefit from some psychological exposition; it also serves as a point of contention between these married people. It sometimes leaves you wondering what good this kind of therapy can accomplish, but judging from the tone of the first two episodes it appears that the sessions will ultimately result in some kind of breakthrough for each of the couples.

With 3 of the 4 writers being women, as well as 6 of 8 producers, it comes as no surprise that the show is more favorable towards the female characters (at least in the first two episodes). The men seem to be generally passive; never does a strong male character come in and take charge of any of these relationships. The men often come across as wimpy and dimwitted; Hugo appears to be especially prone to resorting cheesy lines to quell Jaime's interrogations. Perhaps this is an accurate portrayal of modern relationships and the modern sexual dynamic, but to the all-male audience here it seemed a bit unbalanced.

And another thing: the show is slow. The emotional intensity goes a long way to bridge the gap between plot occurences, but there are times when the show seems to drag a bit. While a heavy drama can certainly have entertainment value, especially as a fantasy or escape (see The Sporanos), the realistic elements of this show feel much closer to home. As a result, it is hard to say that one would be entertained by a single episode of this show. It's value lays more in the long-term development of these characters, and it may be a lot to ask from viewers HBO expects to tune in for an hour every week.

All told, The Pasty Quail gives "Tell Me You Love Me" a solid, if not ringing endorsement. We'll be watching next week to see what happens. We suggest you check it out, and let us know what you think. But be forewarned: This is not light viewing, and contains seriously graphic and mature sex scenes.

The second episode of Tell Me You Love Me will air Sunday, September 16 at 9pm, and will reair regularly throughout the week. Also, the first two episodes can now be seen On Demand.

From Episode 1 (Dave and Katie):


From Episode 2 (Palek and Caroline):


From Episode 3 (Palek and Caroline):


From Episode 4 (Jamie and the Therapist, May):