Significant Other, ITVX
The opening scene of Significant Other, a show that forms part of the powerful rebrand of ITVX, is a profoundly unique piece of screenwriting. Sam (Youssef Kerkour) is about to die of an overdose, when he is interrupted by Anna (Katherine Parkinson) who is dying of a heart attack. Comedy might be back in the building at ITV, but we don’t remember it being like this.
Youssef Kerkour and Katherine Parkinson are an undeniably charming double act. The world and setting of Significant Other is stripped back and basic, giving their dual performance the feeling of a theatre two hander for long stretches. The city of Manchester is a distinct character in its own right during the fleeting moments that Sam and Anna leave the confines of these quirky flats.
While the set up of the show is profoundly unique, as mentioned above, the rest of the series is decidedly more familiar. It presents us with well-worn romantic comedy tropes (staging a date to make an ex jealous; an unwanted pregnancy announcement). Although it’s intention is to subvert these tropes, it doesn’t quite manage to do it in the same way it masterfully subverted the meet cute in the series opener.
How dark does this comedy go? Really quite dark when you reflect on it. The two characters both express genuine interest at points of wanting to be dead. There are incisive monologues on depression that will resonate with anyone that has suffered from the malaise, especially as it relates to relationships.
The brief moments of light that emerge from the darkness are warming and illuminating. Anna’s reflection on presence of mind and the simple pleasure of “taking a bottle of cranberry juice going to Sackville Gardens, lying on the grass in the sun and having a brilliant afternoon [sic]” is a tonic for any audience member in the depths of heartbreak or general sadness.
Significant Other at its core is a facetious reflection on love and death. It arrives at the conclusion (as if we don’t all know it deep in our hearts) that we all need love. Otherwise we will die.
