It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that sex rules the media world. Look at the publishing world and you’ll see hundreds of authors trying to replicate Daniel Steele. Look at the music world and you’ll see midriffs and cleavage abound when you should be hearing angels sing. Look at the film industry and the only things important about the preview trailers are the rating and the reasons behind the rating.
Television is no different. In fact there are many shows that explicitly advertise their sex content to grab that ultra important hormone-crazed teenage crowd. On that front, there have been plenty of hits and misses. Looking at the success of some shows from network TV boundary-pushing NYPD Blue to Playboy-promoting The Girls Next Door to Dick Wolf’s failing Convicted, television has always tried to sell sex with its shows. HBO’s Tell Me You Love Me falls somewhere in the middle.
The premium cable channel heavily promoted the show’s graphic nudity and sex, but ultimately both feel awkward and forced. As with all sex on camera, it never seems natural. That’s where the other 95% of the show comes in, and thankfully there is an attempt to portray real and honest relationships.
Tell Me centers around four couples, each having their own different set of problems. In order of appearance, couple one includes David (Tim DeKay of Carnivale fame) and Katie (Ally Walker) who have trouble being intimate with one another. Couple two includes Jaime (Michelle Borth) and Hugo (Luke Kirby) who have trouble being monogamous. Couple three includes Carolyn (Sonya Walger) and Palek (Adam Scott) who have trouble becoming pregnant. Couple four includes Dr. May (Jane Alexander) and Arthur (David Selby) who have trouble with something that has yet to be revealed.
The most convincing couple is David and Katie. Their struggles are the most realistic, and the most truthful. David and Katie are two people who love each other, and for many reasons stopped showing each other that love. They have two children and they devote themselves to their family. The love exists, just not the spark. This situation probably occurs more often than not in the era of the modern family. There never is enough time for just the two of them to be alone. They have been married for eleven years, but will not having sex with each other for more than a year cause their relationship to sour?
Article comments
1 - Bob Andelman
You might be interested in this audio interview with Michelle Borth.
Thanks! Bob