There She Goes: Hilarious and Heartbreaking

Typically, whenever my mum recommends me a TV series I usually smile, nod and ignore the suggestion. She loves American crime dramas, whereas I on the other hand can’t stand them. So last year when my mum suggested I watch There She Goes on BBC 2 I was fully prepared to let it go in one ear and out the other, but for some unknown reason (or the fact David Tennant and Jessica Hynes star) I gave it a go. 

 

Based on the life of Shaun Pye, There She Goes chronicles the life of Emily and Simon as they deal with the trials and tribulations of raising a child with severe mental disabilities. What shocked me about this show is how deeply funny the dialogue is. For a show that tackles the pressures of raising a disabled child, the show constantly had me laughing. Quintessentially British humour, the Yates family approach life with sarcasm to get them through the day. It’s this that makes the show so wonderful, it’s not afraid to show real life. The show tells jokes that at times make you cringe, you feel as though you shouldn’t laugh, but the show somewhat holds your hand, letting you know that it's okay, we’re all in this together. 

 

But the show isn’t always a barrel of laughs There She Goes, I feel, has some of the best dramatic scenes in British television. One scene in particular during season two depicts an argument between Tennant and Hynes that has been in the making since the first season. Both Tennant and Hynes’ acting is phenomenal in this scene, breaking your heart as they scream at each other about alcoholism and the pressures they face in life. It’s the first time a scene has made me feel almost awkward, as if I was watching something utterly private. But that’s what makes There She Goes so fantastic. The attention given to understanding Simon and Emily is impeccable to a point where they almost feel like friends. The show is structured in both the past and the present. Each episode gives a glimpse at how Emily and Simon dealt with the birth of Rosie; we see how they deal with every stage of Rosie’s early life and we get to witness to people genuinely struggling in their situation, grieving for the child they will never have, it is truly heart-breaking. 

 

Miley Locke gives an exceptional performance as Rosie. It’s a hard challenge to play a character with mental disabilities but she does so with grace and charm. Rosie is the backbone of the show, the viewer needs to relate and empathise with her so we can truly understand the dynamic of the family. She approaches the role with a maturity that I believe makes her a young actor to watch out for her next work as I believe if it's anything like her performance in There She Goes, it’s going to be fantastic!

 

If I was to have any gripe with the show it would be the treatment of Rosie’s older brother

Ben. Being the older brother to a child with disabilities Ben takes on a lot of the stress his parents are feeling about their situation. Throughout the first season and most of the second Ben sometimes feels like a bit of an afterthought to the narrative but the show redeems itself in the final episode of season 2, giving Ben time to air how he feels about his situation and to condemn his parents and the way they treat him. But whilst I, a critic, am complaining he gets lost in the narrative, the show could be mirroring what happens to a lot of older children living in the shadow of their siblings. Whilst at times he does fade to the background, when he is given his time on screen, we are shown an older brother who adores and understands his younger sister. 

 

Overall,There She Goes is some of the best TV in years. Concise, heart-warming and bingable, There She Goes will have you laughing your arse off and crying your heart out all in the same episode. A must watch!