by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
Created by Cynthia Mort, this daring HBO series delves deep into the complexities of couples’ intimacy dysfunctions based on Dr. May Foster’s (Jane Alexander) sex therapy cases. The age groups represented are from twenty to seventy, as couples deal with sexual issues. The series includes nudity and simulated sex as each couple struggles to find sexual peace of mind. It features exemplary writing and acting from a stellar cast.
Indeed, tackling this sensitive subject was a bold move for creator Mort and co-executive producer Gavin Polony. Nonetheless, the series is captivating because it dares to examine a subject that most people will not talk about, even to their closest friends– problems inside the secret garden of a couples’ bedroom.
In the pilot episode, Carolyn’s (Sonya Walger) biological clock is going off like London’s Big Ben. Her husband Palek (Adam Scott) wants a child but perhaps not as desperately as Carolyn. She is putting pressure on him to have sex during her most fertile times, but now sex has become his grudging duty as a sperm donor. Carolyn sits on the bed waiting for him to service her. The spontaneity and fun has gone out of Carolyn and Palek’s lovemaking.
Therapist Dr. May Foster counsels couples on how to break the silence and get down to the real issues in their sex lives. Dr. Foster has a healthy sexual relationship with her retired husband, Arthur (David Shelby), so she can honestly relate to the couples who are having sexual difficulties. It’s a serious problem in many marriages, and if the couple doesn’t address it, they can drift apart and start seeing other partners to fulfill their needs.
The most common problem Dr. Foster encounters from her patients is the wife or husband complains that they are not having enough sex. So what is enough? That varies according to each person’s libido. In the case of David (Tim DeKay), he hasn’t touched his wife Rita (Sherry Stringfield) in months, yet she witnessed him masturbating. She is hurt that he would pleasure himself and not her. So she signs up for couples’ therapy with Dr. Foster. David refuses to go because he doesn’t feel that not having sex in months is a big deal, but obviously, there is a problem that needs addressing. Dr. Foster tells Jamie to keep her appointments without David, and eventually, he will be so curious as to what they are talking about, he will join them.
The series is shot like a documentary and is meticulously researched so that the fictional Dr. Foster is giving accurate advice according to today’s accepted psychiatric practices on the subject. However, frequency of sex or no sex is a complicated matter that depends on many factors within the relationship. Exploring these complexities in the context of this series opens up a pandora’s box of questions which can be addressed on the HBO website for the series.
Interestingly, Dr. Foster counsels all age groups and one young couple Hugo (Luke Farrell Kirby) and his fiancee Jamie (Michelle Borth) are madly in love. They have sex frequently in their car and in other dangerous places. However when Jamie overhears Hugo talking to his friends about having one partner for life, he indicates that it may not last that long, but for the foreseeable future, it’s wonderful. Jamie takes that to mean he is not as committed to the relationship as he had stated when they became engaged. They have a big fight, but instead of splitting up, they wisely go to see Dr. Foster for her advice.
Of course, this series exposes a common misconception that young couples harbor when their honeymoon is over and reality hits them like a train. They must adjust to the changing situations of their lives together, like having kids. Viewing this show is entertaining, informative, and will stimulate debate between couples as to the health of their own sex life. Sure, it’s a touchy subject, but it’s worth examining in the context of this fictional series.
Tell Me You Love Me runs Sundays at 9 pm on HBO On Demand.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
