Review/Rant: One Day – TV Series & Film
WARNING: this does contain spoilers amongst the vitriol... proceed with caution.
This week I found myself playing ‘just one more episode’ with Netflix’s new series ‘One Day’, after I stumbled upon a post from
raving about it (accompanied by similar outpourings of binge-watching confessions in the comments below it).I had to check this out!
Despite not having read the book or seen the original film (which everyone was also banging on about) it sounded fab! I’m in!
One Day – the first eight episodes
Despite more than a whiff of awkwardness between the two main characters in every single agonising scene, I still managed to stay onboard for ‘just one more’, until I was eight (30-minute) episodes deep… and it was 1am.
That left a neat six episodes for the following night’s viewing. Happy days!
[or so I thought…]
Can I just say that, at this point, so far, so good, am loving the story line and the cast are fabulous.
The following evening, I watched the remaining six episodes and now I’m absolutely RAGING!
I was not happy with the ending!
Not happy at all.
SPOILER ALERT: if you haven’t seen it already and intend to, I would stop reading now… actually keep going… this might save you seven hours… or just go straight for the book and feedback to me about it later.
Back to the TV series
One of my main issues is with the lead character, Emma, in that she has a constant ‘Resting Sour Face’ throughout.
I could forgive her this for the first twelve episodes, given she hadn’t managed to hook the love of her life (Dexter) during those 12 years.
BUT by episode 13 she has him!
He’s confessed his undying love for her, and they’re properly together! Way hey!
But not so much as a lightness of mood from the reigning Lemon-Sucking Champion Emma!
For the love of God woman, you utter misery, crack a bloody smile why don’t you!
This is it! This is the bit you’ve been dreaming of for the last 12 years!
You’re meant to be happy now! Try and look like it!
I know the actress Ambika Mod has it within her range, see below.
Just to clarify, I have no issues with the Dexter character in the TV series, he was totally believable in every respect, I’m not surprised she fell for him. I’m sure we all did.
So, back to Emma… she is obviously someone who ‘proceeds with caution’, perhaps she won’t allow herself to enjoy good fortune? Perhaps she is constantly looking for things to go wrong in her life, and so can never truly enjoy the moment?
At no point after her and Dexter properly get together, does she actually look relaxed and happy! Not initially, not when they move in together, not after they get married… never! She still looks like she is reluctantly moving through her life with one apprehension after the next, scanning the horizon for potential problems.
Imagine my surprise!
So you can imagine my surprise, when (as an experienced London cyclist, who also wasn’t wearing headphones) she approaches a T-junction (with excellent sight lines to oncoming traffic) and then she just pulls out, WITHOUT LOOKING LEFT, gets hit by a car and dies!
I’ve watched this scene now NINE times! And guess how many times Emma looked left as she pulled out? NONE!
WTF?!
She wears Factor 30 in the shade FFS!!!!
She’s a Look-Lefter!!!!
Her middle name is ‘Due Care & Attention’!
I am LIVID!
And breathe…
I’m now wondering if those cheeky chappies at Netflix have changed the character to be such a misery? Or perhaps that perfectly open T-junction was the only one available in London on filming day, so they had no choice but to make the accident look totally implausible!
Aaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!!
I’m going to have to watch the sodding film now, aren’t I?
Just to see if Anne Hathaway is any more light-hearted… or the accident circumstances were any more believable.
Wait there, I’ll be back in a couple of hours.
Am back!
Film watched, and now I’m DOUBLE RAGING!!!!
Yes, Anne Hathaway did manage to be a bit more light-hearted… tricky not to be with her ‘daughter of the Joker’ natural smile.
However, in this version of the tale, the Dexter character was totally unbelievable, with a pantomimically posh accent, I simply couldn’t take him seriously!
He didn’t have any endearing qualities at all (until after his divorce and then he was a total mess), so however contented and jolly Hathaway’s Emma was, I simply didn’t believe that she would ever fall for him!
The accident
Now let’s take a look at that accident shall we?
Firstly, in the film Emma is not wearing a cycle helmet. Now I realise that ‘back in the day’ we were all a bit laissez-faire about cycle helmets, but this is central London in 2006, not the 80’s, so I think the ever-cautious ‘Factor 30’ Emma would not only be donning one, she would have checked that the strap was securely fastened!
However, it mattered not, as she (uncharacteristically) pulled straight out of a blind alley onto a main road, without stopping, slowing down or looking in either direction and immediately gets mowed down by a truck, and dies!
Bloody hell!
Deep breaths.
I’m going to have read the book now aren’t I?
In summary…
Perhaps we can rally around Disney+ and get them to remake it with the following changes:
Starring cheery Anne Hathaway and gorgeous Leo Woodall.
She definitely is wearing a full-face helmet, and full mountain-biking body armour for that crucial journey.
She comes to a complete stop, looks left and right, before joining the on-coming traffic safely.
She doesn’t die.
They live happily ever after, with 1-3 children and a Labrador.
If not, I think I’m going to need more tissues for the book version.
< Sniff >
Comments time…
Were you cycling in central London in 2006 with or without a helmet?
Do you agree or disagree with the above?
Have you read the book? Is it different?
If so, please, please, please give me your take on it all in the comments section below!
Toodles!
K8x
Are... are you hoping that she doesn't die in the book? I both read the book and saw the film when they came out, but I'm halfway through the series and I keep thinking "She's probably not going to die in this one..."
The book is one of my all-time favourites, but although I've seen the film (which was a bit 'meh' in comparison), I've never really gotten over *that* scene enough to think I could make it through 14 (14!) episodes of it! From what I've heard people say about it, though, I think she's probably more likeable in the book -- not that it makes it any easier when you get to the end, obviously!