Tell Me You Love Me (Because I’m Angst-Ridden and Needy)

I watched the first episode of this show twice. The first time, I called my husband in (”You’ve got to see this!”), and we had to replay the hand job scene (”Was that real?”). When I watched the show again, it wasn’t because it was so interesting to me, but because I was trying to determine my response to it…

These characters are not likable — they can barely crack a smile! Where is the humor? Where are their friends? They all seem to have an enormous amount of time on their hands — and use it to wallow in their misery.

The young engaged couple have sex in a parked car, on a public street, in broad daylight. She shows a hint of relief afterwards (they’ve been fighting), but that’s it. There’s not even a glint in his eye.

The woman trying to get pregnant is frowning and tough when she gives her husband a hand job. The only laugh (albeit, a small one) in the entire episode was after they had sex in a bedroom on someone’s expensive brown comforter during a dinner party while people were talking in the next room.

The middle class, educated woman suffering from her husband’s sexual disinterest mopes and whines about it a bit. Then, when he blows her off, she whimpers and sneaks off to a therapist. There’s no taking action: no Googling “male sexual problems”; no calling her girlfriends. We’ll have to wait and see what he’s all about. For all we know, he’s gay and keeping the family going in quiet desperation. Then again, maybe he simply has low testosterone and needs a pill. Or, he could have some other deep, dark secret.

Guess we’ll see — if we care enough.

What was even more shocking to me than the sexual voyeurism was the therapeutic voyeurism. Victims of their own shame and pride, the characters continually lie to the therapist, to each other, and to themselves. While it could be funny, the result is just sad and depressing.

I would hope we’ll watch these couples bloom under Jane Alexander’s therapeutic care, but after seeing episode 2, I’m not optimistic. At the rate they’re going, these couples will grow to be like Jane and her husband. So urbane. So very wise. So very, very serious.
The very real, far-from-perfect couples interviewed after the show laughed and poked fun at each other. They had great facial expressions of disbelief, disgust, and irony. You can bet those women talk with their girlfriends.

One flat, angst-ridden couple would be fine, but all three? Come on, HBO. Where’s the life?
Is everyone who wrote, produced, and directed this program on medication?