I was going to start this with a rant, but I decided to sprinkle my feelings throughout the recap instead of compressing them into one intensely emotional moment that is way out of line with audience expectations, not to mention structurally nonsensical and just generally self-indulgent. (See what I did there?)
For now, I’ll just say that I sometimes wish TV and movies would come with mood warnings instead of adult content warnings. I sat down all happy and excited, looking forward to another vastly entertaining hour of a show I’ve come to love. I had jalapeño poppers and Boddingtons and everything, and I couldn’t even enjoy them! I want my Friday night back.
Lexy is moving in with Tess and Frankie. Aw, look at Tess carrying those unwieldy boxes. Hi Tess! You’re my only hope.
Lexy doesn’t have much stuff, because she doesn’t like clutter.
Lexy: It’s just when you see so many people snuff it, you realize only junk gets left behind.
Well, that’s not foreshadowy in the least.
Tess likes the idea of a “clear-out” and a “more minimalist lifestyle.” Don’t be silly, Tess. You’re the sort who always has things flying off her person as she exits a room or a taxi, and we like you that way.
You know what else I like? Cat. And Sam. Cat and Sam together at home, in a robe and a tank top, respectively, getting ready to sit down to Cat’s birthday breakfast.
Cat notices the lilies on the table and inhales their sweet and foreboding fragrance. (Lilies symbolize death. For me, they also symbolize the weirdness of the ’80s.)
But according to Sam (who seems to have a little bit of a cold, which is very cute), lilies are just part of the “full birthday breakfast experience.”
Sam: We’ve even got jam and marmalade in little pots, like you get at a hotel. To be fair, they’re eggcups, but you get the idea.
I do get the idea. I get the idea that you love her a lot. Cat gets that idea too, especially when she opens her gift. It’s some sort of designer handbag; Sam overheard her talking with Tess about it and followed through, like the most perfect girlfriend that she is.
She’s so excited and eager. Maybe Sam is a shapeshifter, like Sam on True Blood: the hot cop has just transformed into an adorable little puppy!
Sam: Do you like it?
Cat: I love it. Thank you. (tearing up)
Sam: It’s meant to make you happy, not sad.
That is what I want to say to you about this show, Harriet Braun: It was meant to make me happy, not sad.
Across town (really, I have no idea where Frankie’s flat is relative to Cat’s flat), Tess is observing as Lexy gets settled. Lexy doesn’t like “DIY,” as you can see from the rickety nature of the bookshelf she’s currently futzing with. Lexy tells Tess that she’s smart to date a spark.
Lexy: I bet she does everything like this.
Tess: Oh, yeah. She would. Only we’re not together any more.
Lexy: Oh, shit. Um, sorry.
Tess: It’s OK. We weren’t together long. It was a she-says-tomahto, I-say-tomayto situation, so… I called the whole thing off.
What? They broke up? Look, Tess: just because you’re currently in a Chekhov play doesn’t mean you have to do the important stuff offstage. But I love you for quoting a Gershwin tune.
Tess unsubtly inquires as to Lexy’s relationship status. Which I think she already did, in the last episode. But I’m not going to start cataloging inconsistencies and repetitions, because that would make me mad in an insane sense, instead of just in an angry sense.
While finding the right spot for an impressively heavy-looking medical textbook (because she’s a doctor, get it?), Lexy reveals that she spent her twenties “sleeping with the wrong women — Frankie being a prime example.” That’s why she’s single now. Tess is sort of interested but is also attempting to look up Lexy’s skirt, which is sort of pointless because Lexy is wearing tights.
I’m not sure whether I want these two to be a couple. I think I want them to hook up but not get together, but I don’t think Tess is capable of something that casual. And Lexy is a heartbreaker type, so I don’t want Tess to actually fall in love with her. But whatever happens, at least I won’t have to worry about things getting really dire or dramatic or tragic, because this show isn’t like that!
Still at home with Sam, Cat gets a text that makes her smile. She hides the smile as Sam breezes in to announce she’s off for a run. I want to yank Cat’s iPhone out of her hand and slap her silly with it.
Meanwhile, in the same idyllic spot as the last episode — is Sadie squatting there now? — Frankie is trying to make amends.
Frankie: I wanted to say I’m sorry. You’re right, I was a cock.
Sadie: You’re not getting back in my pants, if that’s what you think.
Frankie: That’s not what I want.
Sadie: Charmed, I’m sure.
Frankie: Nah, I would, I would want to … I think you know I’m into someone else.
And yes, Sadie is smart like that. She inquires as to Cat’s health and then agrees to be Frankie’s mate, with a “sod it” that makes me like her a whole lot. (I had a flatmate who said there were only four answers to all of life’s questions: “All right,” “Fuck off,” “I don’t know,” and “Sod it.” I think Sadie would agree.)
Having established their fondness for each other, they try to make small talk. It seems Sadie is “broke and jobless,” and Frankie says she might be able to help out with that. What? Isn’t Frankie broke and jobless too? I guess things are looking up for her. Don’t get used to it, Frankie!
Sam is running. She hears someone coughing nearby and stops to help, because that’s just who she is. She puts the “Sam” in “Good Samaritan.”
The cougher is Lexy. She’s trying to run too, but she’s an out-of-shape former smoker (who, an entire episode ago, was doing coke and not caring one whit about her health). She’s very embarrassed that Sam is seeing her like this.
Lexy: Sometimes I can’t wait till we’re 80 and I can just throw self-improvement to the wind. Buy a stair lift and eat doughnuts all day.
They banter about the hilarity of mortality, and then Sam offers to run with Lexy.
Lexy: Oh, no. You’re really fit. Um, I mean you’re really healthy.
It’s funny how “fit” means “attractive” in the UK, whereas in the US it just means “in shape.” Do British travelers come to the US and think a “fitness club” is a singles bar?
(I am providing my own levity because I know death is standing in the doorway, clipping his nails.)
Tess is acting. Or at least she’s trying to: her costar Nora keeps interrupting and requesting pauses or stage directions or whatever will put the spotlight back on her. Tess is trying to cooperate, but it’s not easy.
This storyline really does remind me of Smash, except this show won’t (one hopes) veer into faux Bollywood territory.
Tess’s jovial new actor friend is still cheering her on and making faces behind Nora’s back. I like him. I hope he’ll be there for Tess when everything falls apart in about 5 minutes.
Somewhere else, Cat and Sam are walking to work. Cat wants to know which restaurant they’re going to for her birthday, because that way she’ll know what to wear.
Sam: Look, just don’t wear jeans or trainers.
This is what I want to tell every tourist who decides to take in a Broadway show. (And don’t wear baseball caps or shorts either, but that’s probably implicit in the other thing.)
Cat abruptly points to a building they’re approaching. She says “That’s where I’m going in there” in an unpunctuated, frantic way that prompts Sam to ask whether she’s OK. Cat nods and Sam seems to accept that Cat is on an important architectural mission of some kind. As Autostraddler Holly said in the comments last week, Sam, you’re a cop. Can’t you read Cat’s little tics and tells? She’s not a good liar; she’s always squinting too much or putting her hands to her face.
There’s an all-too-quick kiss goodbye.
Inside the random building, Cat watches from the window until Sam is out of sight. Little do they know (and much do I wish I didn’t know) that they’ve just spent their last moments together.
Cat pauses for a moment, possibly wondering when she became such a calculating louse, then leaves the building and goes on her merry perfidious way.
At the hospital, Lexy is talking to a doctor friend of hers. She’s still embarrassed about her breathless-in-the-wrong-way encounter with Sam.
Lexy: Well, anyway, she’s got a bloody girlfriend, which is just my luck.
Hmm. Inopportune use of the word “bloody,” Lexy, but you couldn’t possibly know that.
Lexy: One day I’m going to fancy someone who isn’t unstable or taken.
You are? On this show? But that wouldn’t be very dramatic.
Why are scrubs sexy? They’re not so much different from sweatpants, and those aren’t sexy. I guess it’s more what scrubs represent. On Lexy, they represent hotness.
Lexy’s phone rings, but there’s nobody on the other end. “Third bloody call today,” she mutters. Ooh, intrigue! Who could it be? Do you have a long-lost love, Lexy, or are you just delinquent on your med school loans?
Lexy’s (male) doctor friend is moping because the cute new radiologist (also male) walked right by him without a glance. I wondered if there would be a gay man on the show anytime soon. I guess it’s a good addition? Not that gay men will start watching this show just because of that one character — unlike lesbians, who will slog through 50 brain-putrefying minutes of Grey’s Anatomy every week just to catch a glimpse of Callie and Arizona.
Lexy: Maybe he’s straight.
Friend, whose name is apparently Declan but I had to look that up: No, he’s definitely gay. He is. I have a sixth sense. I see gay people.
Hey, look over here: do you see bored people?
Lexy asks Declan to choose a patient file: “ear infection with discharge” or “unremitting vomiting”? I should remember these things when I have to select a piece of tedium to work on at my job: at least there are no bodily fluids involved.
After rehearsal, Tess is griping about Nora the diva. Tess’s actor friend (why don’t these people have names?) says Nora is “just an actress,” meaning she’s “selfish, faithless, self-absorbed.”
Tess: I’m an actress.
Actor Friend: Present company excepted.
Actor Friend goes on to talk about his wife, who is also an actress and is throwing away 20 years of marriage to have a fling with a hot-shot actor named Thomas Delaware. Tess pretends not to like Thomas Delaware and says he gave a “terrible performance” in a recent movie, but she’s not giving a very convincing performance herself. Actor Friend rants a little more. Tess offers the only thing she has:
Tess: Crisp? It’s a new flavor.
Oh, oh, what’s the new flavor? British crisp flavors are insane — “prawn cocktail” being the worst I’ve tried. But as the inventors of salt and vinegar, they’re really the gods of crisp flavors.
Cat knocks on Frankie’s door. The knock sort of sounds like “doom doom doom” if you listen hard enough.
They fall into each other’s arms. It’s sort of hot, I’ll admit, but it’s also just so upsetting. I can’t help but wince and cringe and squirm (and not in a good way).
Doorway/foyer kisses always remind me of When Night Is Falling. Maybe I’ll watch that after this, to restore a teeny bit of my innocence.
It gets quite intense. Cat is wearing a corset.
Cat: I want you to watch me.
Well then! Lucky for you, Cat, Frankie and I both very much want to watch.
Sam and her work partner are on surveillance. They talk about Sam’s plans for Cat’s birthday dinner, at a swanky restaurant called La Maison.
Ryder: They don’t even have prices on the menu, do they?
Sam: I know a pint and a burger are your idea of a hot date, but I’m way classier than you, so…
Ryder: (after a pause) Reckon you and Cat will do the civil partnership thing?
Sam: I don’t know. We’ve not talked about it. I’d marry her tomorrow, though.
Aaaaarrrrrgggghhhh. Don’t say “marry”! Or “tomorrow”! I can’t take it.
Frankie and Cat are enjoying the afterglow.
Cat: You’re such a voyeur.
Frankie: Like you’re not a total exhibitionist.
Oh, thanks for the sex vocab lesson. I think I’m in the wrong class; do you know which room “Coherent Storytelling 101” is in? No? That’s a shame.
Frankie gives Cat her birthday present: a bracelet with “F/C” engraved on the inside. Cat loves it, but of course is also concerned about it.
Cat: It might be a little difficult to wear it in public.
Frankie: That’s why the inscription’s on the inside. Anyway I was… hoping that wouldn’t be a problem for too much longer.
Cat really really really doesn’t want to talk about that today.
Cat: It’s my birthday. I just want to enjoy being with you.
All Cat wants for her birthday is to pretend she’s not a terrible person.
Frankie checks the time; Sadie’s picking her up in an hour, to drive her to “a job in the Highlands.” I suppose that means a photo shoot, but at this point it could just as well mean a murder, a little sex work, or a few hours taking orders at McDonald’s. Or is it called MacDonald’s in the Highlands? (I want to go to the one at “Halfpenny Burn, Forfar, Angus,” or the one on “Inverurie Road, Bucksburn Roundabout, Aberdeen.” That’s a pretty poetic packet of McNuggets!)
Cat wants to grumble about Sadie, but she knows she shouldn’t.
Cat: It’s fine. I’m not in any position to tell you what to do…
Frankie: Well, I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to sleep with anyone else. I love you. I’m going to wait for you.
Whoa. Really? Frankie’s done being Frankie?
Cat doesn’t say “I love you” back, though I guess she says it with her kisses.
Eventually they get dressed and get on with their days. Oh, guess who’s home early from rehearsal?
Cat tries to talk to Tess, but Tess just disappears into the shower. Frankie says she’ll deal with it and sends Cat on her way.
Frankie waits for Tess to get out of the shower. Tess really really really doesn’t want to talk about it, but Frankie insists it’s different this time.
Frankie: I love her. I want to be with her.
Tess: That’s what you said last time.
Frankie: Yeah. Well, I’m not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice. I’m not going to hurt her again.
Tess: Well, someone’s going to get hurt. What about Sam?
What about ALL OF US WATCHING AND HOPING AND WINCING AND FREAKING OUT?
Tess promises not to say anything. Then Sadie arrives to make us feel better for 10 seconds.
Sadie: I was gonna wear sensible shoes, but then I thought, “fuck that.”
Cat is on her way to work. She is distracted. She’s obviously thinking about the intractable, totally fucked-up shituation she’s in. She is desperate and lost and can’t seem to catch her breath.
She “cadges a cig” off a passerby. She gets a text message from Frankie (“Sorted. [Tess] won’t say anything. Love you xxx.”) She breathes a sigh of relief.
And then.
Still smiling at the text from Frankie, Cat steps into the street and directly into the path of a speeding car that slams into her with a sickening sound and pushes her body several feet until she thuds lifelessly onto the unforgiving concrete.
It’s violent. Sudden. Horrifying. Heart-in-your-throat-oh-god-that-didn’t-just-happen-why-no-please-no-WHY-no-no-no shocking.
Appalling. Inconceivable.
And while Cat lies there, kicked to the curb/kerb by the realities of show biz, life goes on. Sadie and Frankie get into Sadie’s knicker-strewn car (“some conquest or another,” says Sadie). As they chat, a siren wails in the background. That’s the sound of your life changing irrevocably, Frankie.
At the hospital, Cat is wheeled in. Declan and Lexy are still on duty. Declan surveys Cat’s injuries: a “major blow to the chest” after an “initial blow to the lower limbs,” resulting in a “bilateral fracture.”
Declan: What’s the situation with that chest, Lexy?
Lexy: (frozen in her tracks)
Declan: Lexy?
Lexy: I know her. She’s friends with my flatmates.
And that’s just it: Cat is friends with everyone. Cat is the center of this show. Everyone else is a spoke radiating from the hub of Cat. Cat is the core. The show is being gutted.
At the police station, somebody calls after Sam. She says “forget it” to more work, but the guy stops her and explains that he’s just had a call from Traffic.
At the hospital, Cat begins to crash.
Declan: Can you get me one milligram of adrenaline ready?
I can get you 10 milligrams of adrenaline, because I am about to jump out of my skin. My heart is pounding and I keep screaming at the TV. I can’t remember the last time I felt this kind of breathtaking shock from a TV show. Oh, wait, yes I can: it was when Tara died on Buffy. I’m still mad about that one.
The doctors try to shock Cat back to life. Sam gets to the hospital just as the heartless unrelenting beep of a flatline fills the hallway.
Sam watches helplessly from the other side of the door as Declan and Lexy try to save Cat. And then Declan calls it.
Declan: Time of death, 18:11.
I think you mean 22:15, which is how many minutes we’re into this episode. To me, that’s the death of Lip Service. I really hope I turn out to be wrong.
Sam is barely able to breathe. Same goes for the rest of us.
At Tess and Frankie’s flat, Ed and Tess are about to have dinner. And then Ed’s cell phone rings. He rushes out in a panic, urging Tess to come with him. They run to the hospital, only to see Sam siting next to Cat’s body.
Ed: Is she OK?
No, Ed, she’s not. None of the women around you are OK. Tess can see that Cat is dead, but she has to spell it out for Ed.
This is a good time to quote someone on Twitter:
Out in the muddy middle of nowhere, Frankie and Sadie have a flat tire. Frankie is no good in a crisis.
Sadie: Can’t drive. Can’t change a tyre. Turns out you’re not so cool after all.
Sadie, as the voice of truth and sanity on this show (despite your own occasional dissembling and absurdity), can you please tell me why this is happening?
They rummage around in the trunk (sorry, the boot) and Frankie realizes that Sadie’s been living in her car. Sadie deflects that particular conversation and they both end up falling backward into the mud, giggling. Frankie’s phone gets swathed in muck too and is rendered useless. Of course.
Back in the hospital, Ed and Sam and Tess are still trying to come to terms with the fact of Cat’s death. Lexy comes in and asks whether she can get them anything and whether they have any questions.
Ed: Did she say anything?
Lexy: Oh, no, no. She would’ve been unconscious as soon as it happened.
Sam: What was his blood alcohol level, the bloke that killed her?
Lexy: He hadn’t been drinking.
Sam: Is he here?
I don’t really want her to do this because I know it would only make things worse for her, but I wouldn’t blame Sam if she were to walk into the guy’s hospital room and separate his heart from his body with her bare hands. Kinda like he’s metaphorically done to her.
Tess is thinking the same thing.
Tess tries to call Frankie, but Frankie’s phone is incapacitated. Cut to Sadie’s Saab as it pulls up to a hotel I’d like to get the name of.
They settle in to their very nice room (shared, of course). Sadie finds the business card for the editor of whatever magazine this photo shoot is for. I failed to explain earlier that the journalist who was supposed to accompany them is a no-show, and that piece of news made Sadie wonder who’ll write the article. I think she was thinking she might write it. But I was a little too distracted by Cat’s horrific death to think much about Sadie’s potential next career.
Frankie emerges from the shower, asking whether there are any texts for her.
Sadie: She’ll be out with Sam. Anyway, Cat won’t want to text my phone. I’m not her favorite person, am I?
Sadie tries to put the moves on Frankie then, because she doesn’t want to “waste this shit-hot hotel room.” Yeah, waste is the overriding theme of this episode.
Frankie: I’ve told Cat I’m not gonna sleep with anyone else.
I guess Frankie really is a changed woman. She seems to suddenly understand things like responsibility and faithfulness and, well, love.
At the hospital, Sam stares at the Cat’s expressionless face and tries to touch her cold, pale body. It’s too much for anyone. She gets up, goes home, drinks some water, sees those birthday lilies and finally loses it, crumpling to the floor in a strangled sob.
Heather Peace has done an excellent job conveying the strange combination of heightened awareness and complete numbness that you feel in the days following the death of a loved one. I applaud her talent, but I didn’t need to relive that experience in this context. I do enjoy it when TV becomes powerful and profound, but this is Lip Service. It’s not Six Feet Under or Mad Men or The Sopranos or whatever. And I don’t want it to be.
But luckily, this episode is not quite on the opposite end of the spectrum, which would be The L Word. I don’t think Harriet Braun was trying to make a public service announcement about the dangers of texting while walking, the way Mama Chaiken was trying to educate us about breast cancer. But this shocking development is not so very far off from that either, in terms of being antithetical to the former tone, scope, and spirit of the show. In terms of being wrong and offensive and really fucked up.
The next morning, Ed and Tess experience that awful moment when you wake up and have a split-second of not remembering that someone has died. And then you do remember it, and you forget everything else.
Sam is trying to soothe her pain by taking action. She makes a call and asks for the name of the man “involved in the Franken Street RTA (road traffic accident) yesterday.” (Franken Street? Really?)
She strolls into the hospital and grabs the admissions notebook from behind the unattended desk. She finds her man and goes to his room, her face a squall of anguish and desperation.
Don’t do it, Sam. I mean, the guy has it comin’, and it would be a murder but not a crime — but still, don’t do it. (Actually, maybe this would be an interesting storyline: Sam in jail, perhaps tussling with a Helen Stewart-esque warden. Yes, I am going to make a Bad Girls reference in every recap.)
Luckily, Lexy intervenes. She tells Sam that the driver had a bad night because, well, he just accidentally killed someone.
Lexy: It wasn’t his fault.
Sam: He could’ve been talking on his mobile or reading a map.
Actually, Cat was the one texting on her mobile and reading a map of Cheaterstown.
Lexy: If you go in there, you are not going to feel any better. And you’ll make an already devastated man a lot worse.
Oh; this makes it sound like Sam was only going to confront the guy. I thought she was going to do something more Game of Thrones-y, like squish his head onto a spike or ratbucket him.
Sam concedes the point and cries her way home.
Ed and Tess are watching TV, because TV can be a good sedative and, if you’re watching a light, soapy show, is at least not going to feature any gut-wrenching RTAs. Surely we can count on that much.
Ed wonders how Cat, a very careful person who ironed her socks (really? I don’t believe you), could walk into the road without looking. Tess knows exactly how but doesn’t say anything.
Hey, wait a minute: does Sam wonder what Cat was doing on that particular road? I mean, I don’t know where any of these places are, really, but wouldn’t Cat probably have been on a different street if she had gone straight to work from the mysterious building? I mean, not one near Frankie’s flat? Not Franken Street? I guess that’s the least of Sam’s worries right now.
Frankie’s finally home. She stops short when she sees how destroyed Tess and Ed look. Ed tells Frankie there was an accident and Cat was hurt.
Frankie: Is she OK? Where is she?
Tess just shakes her head. Ed can’t say it.
Frankie: Just tell me where she is.
Tess: (breathless, her voice breaking) She… she died, Frankie.
Frankie falls apart. Ruta Gedmintas cries in an unmoored way that makes you want to cover your ears — again, the actors are more than rising to the challenge, but I wish they didn’t have to. It’s just too fucking sad.
The next morning, Sam stretches her hand across an empty bed. Please make it stop.
Frankie is back to her emotionless self. She plays with Cat’s necklace and reminds Tess not to tell anyone about their affair.
Tess: You don’t think she’d do anything stupid, do you?
Lexy: Oh, no. It’s only been a few days. She’d still be in shock.
I kind of like your doctorly wisdom, Lexy. You seem like a good person to have around. Tess thinks so too, even as she grieves for Cat, who was “meant to be the one we could rely on.” Yes. Because Cat was the anchor, the locus, the nucleus of this little family.
Sam arrives. Lexy tries to comfort her again, and Sam thanks her “for the other day.” They exchange some uncertain but significant looks. Hmm.
Tess gives Sam a CD that Cat loved, and some pictures of Cat and Tess at uni. Plus a card for Judy and Jerry, Cat’s parents — Sam is on her way to see them. Frankie blusters through, sparing a moment to look daggers at Sam, who returns the evil eye and visibly tenses up.
At the home of the MacKenzies, Judy (Cat’s mum) is trying to play host and freaking out about digestives. Do you recognize Judy? It’s Mrs. Hughes from Downton Abbey! Why can’t all of TV (and all of life, for that matter) be more like Downton Abbey?
While Sam deals with the parents, Frankie is at the mortuary, giving Cat one last kiss.
Frankie: I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.
I’m so wrecked.
Back at the MacKenzies, a funeral planner is talking about flowers. Judy thinks maybe hyacinths, but Sam suggests Cat’s favorite flower: lilies. This is news to Judy, who takes it very personally. The discussion of music doesn’t go much better; Ed and Sam knew Cat so much better than her parents did.
Judy: I’m sorry. I’m just trying to do my best for my daughter. But if you don’t want my help, then fine.
Oh gah. Don’t feel bad, mum. If I were to get hit by a car tomorrow, my mother would probably play Amy Grant at the funeral, when I’d rather have some Queen or Heart. Or how about “Death Is Just Around the Corner” from the Addams Family musical? Nah, I’ve got it: “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel. Perfect.
Sorry. I think I’m just trying to distract myself from the misery.
As Judy cries and Ed tries to comfort her, Cat’s dad doesn’t say a word. Let’s you and me go to a pub and just sit in sad silence, Jerry. I think Cat would be fine with that.
And then it’s morning, another day. The day of Cat’s funeral. Tess is ready to go, but Sadie has just arrived to distract and/or comfort Frankie. She asks Frankie how she’s doing.
Frankie: Great. I guess I had it coming.
Sadie: What’s that supposed to mean?
Frankie: Nothing.
Frankie doesn’t want to go to the funeral at all. How can she sit there and pretend she and Cat were just good friends? I don’t know, actually. But Sadie does.
Frankie: Would you go?
Sadie: Yeah, I would. ‘Cause I’m not a total idiot. You know what you meant to each other; sod everyone else. Frankie, if you don’t go, you’ll regret it.
Sadie helps Frankie get dressed, knowing the key is to just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
At the hospital, Lexy’s friend Declan makes some bad jokes about the receipts for Cat’s birthday presents and the fact that Sam is now back on the market for Lexy to pursue.
Lexy: You’re unbelievable.
I would have gone with “prick” or “complete asshole,” but yeah.
The funeral is about to start, but Frankie’s still not there. Tess calls her and leaves another voicemail. Hey, there’s Jay. Whatcha been up to, Jay?
Jay asks Sam whether her parents are there. But she hasn’t told them yet; they’re on holiday. I used to feel like I was on holiday when I watched this show.
Ed thinks about going on holiday himself, maybe in Australia. Jay says he can always visit him instead.
Jay: Yeah, I’ve been offered the job in London. I might take it.
Tess: What?
Jay: Yeah, it’s um… you don’t have to work somewhere every day where she used to be. It’s doing my head in.
You’re right, Jay. Sam just has to sleep in the bed every night where Cat used to be, and Ed has to be part of a family every day where Cat used to be. Shut up.
But this London thing: I guess we’re saying goodbye to two characters, then? And I guess we’ll never see Alistair or the architecture firm again? OK. Well, at least we know why Cat seemed so out of character last week: because all bets are off, anything can happen, and Harriet Braun has lost the plot. Literally.
The funeral is weird; the minister or whatever seems to know nothing about Cat. Tess complains about this but is too busy worrying about Frankie to care much. Jay assures her that Frankie’s been through shit before and will “come out the other side” OK. Well, fine, but will I? Somewhere in all that, Tess realizes that Jay knows about Frankie and Cat. Not that it matters, since we’re never going to see him again.
Ed says a few words.
Ed: Now my big sister’s died, and the person I really need to call is Cat. ‘Cause she’d tell me how to get through this.
This makes everybody cry, including me.
Frankie has slipped into a pew during Ed’s eulogy. But now it’s Sam’s turn to speak, so Frankie slips right back out again.
Sam: Cat was the best thing that ever happened to me. I thought I’d have kids with her and grow old with her. I never thought I’d be here today, saying this.
SOB. None of us did, Sam.
At a nearby pub, Frankie orders a double whiskey. Set ’em up for all of us, will you?
Cat’s friends and family bury her. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
A very wasted Frankie goes to see her mum. She’s not exactly welcome.
Alma: You can’t be here.
Alma’s husband, in the background: Alma, who is it?
Alma: No one.
Frankie: I’m your … I’m your daughter.
Alma ends up slamming the door in Frankie’s face as Frankie screams, “Fuck you!”
Maybe Frankie’s been through some shit, but this is a hard something to come out the other side of. She goes exactly where she has to go, being a Heathcliff sort of romantic: to the fresh earth of Cat’s grave.
Meanwhile, Sam is at Cat’s dressing table, touching her things, remembering her. Unfortunately, she rummages through the drawers a bit and finds the piece of wood that bears Frankie and Cat’s initials (the one Frankie took from their old schoolhouse last season).
That’s just it: this is the Frankie and Cat show. If you don’t think Cat is the center, then you must agree that Frankie and Cat, jointly, are the essence of everything. The show probably should have been called Frankie and Cat, because they are just as inseparable as Laverne and Shirley, Cagney and Lacey, or any other daring duo you can name.
Maybe even Sam is realizing that.
At Frankie’s flat, Sadie finds Frankie on the floor, the dirt from Cat’s grave still on her face.
Frankie: If she wasn’t with me, she’d still be at work. She’d … she’d be alive.
Oh, no. The rule of the last antecedent only works for pronouns and the law, not people and death. And anyway, the guy who gave her the cigarette is probably to blame, if you think about it. Cigarettes kill!
Sadie tries to calm Frankie down, but the only thing Frankie can think to do is to use sex as an anaesthetic, just like she used to. Sadie resists at first, but then Frankie says “Please” and Sadie sorta gets it, and/or sorta wants it.
It’s a hollow end to a hollow episode. I simply would have liked to see more, much more, of Cat’s one wild and precious life.
Have you read Harriet Braun’s blog post about this episode? It seems she was concerned about finding a “fitting ending to a very dramatic love triangle.” And of course she should be. But I don’t think she quite got there.
After I watched this episode, I was too devastated to do much of anything. So my beloved and I took our dog for a walk. Here’s what we came up with as alternative “fitting endings.”
- Do a crazy mass-confrontation episode in which Sam finds out the truth and Cat feels horrible end everybody deals with it, and then have Cat and Frankie move to NYC to start a new life so that Cat is only present for 10 minutes in every other episode but is still alive.
- Go ahead and do the car accident thing, but put Cat in a very dramatic coma in fine soapy TV tradition, and then have her reawaken in episode 6 of this season, disfigured and played by a different actress but still alive. (“How different you look!” says Sam, still knowing Cat is the love of her life. “You’re actually cuter!” says Frankie, always looking to trade up.)
- Have Jay give Cat some bad drugs that send her on a walkabout for a couple of seasons, after which she returns with leaves in her hair, a mysterious tattoo on her butt, and no idea who she is — and every possibility in the world in front of her because she’s still alive.
- Do the same horrible car accident thing, but at least take full advantage of Laura Fraser’s considerable talent and cuteness for the entire episode, instead of giving us a paltry 18.5 minutes of her lively face and way too much time with her corpse. End the episode with the crash and try to start fresh from there.
(Note that the first and third options assume that Laura Fraser is still at least partly available, but guess what? She totally is! And everyone should have waited to see what would happen with the Homeland pilot before throwing out our baby Cat with the bathwater like that.)
I don’t know. I get that Harriet Braun was pretty much painted into a corner, and I know this is her show, not ours. But I just don’t understand why she took this route. It doesn’t feel authentic. It feels spiteful and petulant.
We were all enjoying this fun, funny, provocative, soapy, gorgeously gay show, and whatever happens next, that show is over.
In closing, I would like to present a couple of quotes for your consideration:
“Occasionally writers talk about feeling like a script has come from somewhere outside of themselves, and they’re just transcribing what they hear. Well, it’s the first time I’ve ever experienced that for a full sixty pages.” — Harriet Braun
“Ilene Chaiken says she had no control over any of it because, you know, these things just write themselves.” — Me, recapping another show in which a central character was killed off for no good reason
Whatever. Lexy warned us at the beginning of the episode: when people snuff it, only junk gets left behind. Here’s hoping (against hope) that next week’s episode proves her and me wrong.
Comments
First!
To be honest, I thought Cat was annoying so I’m pretty happy she’s dead! (I know some will disagree)
i totally agree, cat was an anal retentive, self absorbed liar. i couldn’t stand her and didn’t understand how hot frankie and hot sam were interested in her at all. i’m glad she’s gone the same way i’m happy jenny died on the l word. good riddance.
I sat and whinged to my girlfriend about how much of an IRRITANT Cat was and how much she annoyed me and then she got hit by a car and I was like “OMFG THIS IS ALL MY FAULT FOR WISHING HER DEAD”
And then the rest was really sad and I felt sad.
Ultimately though, no more Cat will be good for Lip Service.
P.S us Brits love crisps, and prawn cocktail is not a weird flavour, it’s an awesome flavour.
i know me too, i didn’t like cat either, and now i’m torn between being glad frankie can do something more interesting and agreeing with everything scribegrrrl wrote about how the show was ultimately constructed and how the death was handled.
OMG! I cannot tell you how mortified I was by this episode. Im truely hoping that this is not the death of this show…but seriously I WAS all chirpy and happy before this episode and now I feel like there’s no meaning to life….
Her death makes no sense dramatically. Maybe they wanted to portray death the way it happens in real life- suddenly- and they achieved that. But Cat was literally the central person to all of those characters (Frankie’s bestfriend/lover, Sam’s girlfriend, Ed’s Sister, Tess’s friend, Jay’s coworker) with exception of Sadie, and now she’s gone. I don’t see how the show is going to make any sense without her around. I’ll admit that I was getting sick of the Frankie/Cat/Sam triangle but I don’t think that’s how it should have ended. Honestly, after watching that episode I kind of felt cheated. It was nothing but a cheap shock tactic.
On the plus side, that was some damn good acting from all of the cast.
Agreed, I can’t see how they will continue the plot without her! :/
Yeah Frankie collapsing on the floor broke my heart…
This episode was all too reminiscent of Dana’s final (living) episode of The L Word. And many lesbian film endings before that.
Why is it that so many lesbian dramas flare up in/end in tragedy? Lip Service. The L Word. Lost and Delirious. All Over Me. High Art. If These Walls Could Talk 2 (our dear Abby). And probably many others I’ve failed to mention.
And I completely agree, Cat was way too significant of a character to kill off. Killing her off was way too final of a move (more fitting for a SERIES finale). It made an impact, but way too great of an impact–an impact greatly to the detriment of the show. How will they keep it interesting?
If someone had to die, Sam would have been the better choice: solid impact, but an easier pill to swallow because, well, she’s a supporting character, not a main. Someone we all probably already believed was temporary (or is it just me?)….
In any event, Lip Service was supposed to be the light at the other side of my L Wordless tunnel. One day, we will have some positive entertainment with actresses just as talented as our beloved L-wordians and Lip Servants, where we [lesbians] won’t die too young, too suddenly, too harshly…or at all.
Yes! That is exactly what I thought (this being just like Dana’s death, I mean).
I didn’t like Cat dying either, but she was moving to America. And like the writer said, if they just had her move away to London, it wouldn’t make any sense. This was the most believable solution, and also the most dramatic. Even though I understand the purpose,I HATE that it’s happened this way. Sigh, poor Sam :(
I don’t buy that this was the most believable solution or only solution. Cat leaving to sort herself out would have been just as believable to me. If we say, “Oh, then Frankie and Sam would have never moved on,” I don’t see why Sam wouldn’t be able to move on if she were to see that she’s not the one Cat truly loves. If anything, that should free her of Cat and make her want to move on, instead trying get someone back who is in love with someone else. No matter how long it would take to get over Cat. Would Frankie be able to get over Cat? Well, no. But that’s because she’d know that Cat’s heart is truly with her.
I don’t see how Cat being dead helps Frankie move on any better. She was already plagued by “What if?” after leaving Cat and staying away for two years. Now she has a permanent “What if?” with regard to Cat because Cat’s dead. There’ll never again be that option to explore it. So there’s that and Cat being even more of that person that others won’t be able to top in Frankie’s heart. Frankie will move on, yeah. But will she ever love anyone as greatly as she loved Cat? I don’t believe so.
I was destroyed by this episode. I also took a walk after watching it, but it didn’t help much. I agree this was the wrong way to handle things. It’s so final. If cat had just moved away, then Laura could come back at some point, but not now.
Despite my problems with the plot, this was a really well made episode. The actors were uniformly excellent. Ed and Sam in particular slayed me. I feel terrible for all the characters but especially for Sam. I really hope Lexy helps her through this.
I guess the writers forgot about MAIN CHARACTER IMMUNITY
I didn’t even make it through the first page of the recap without bawling my eyes out.
I SOBBED INTO MY CEREAL.
Christ, I need a hug.
I don’t understand what they’re planning on doing with the rest of the season. Either everyone is going to be in mourning the whole season, which won’t be fun to watch, or they’re all going to have to get over it pretty fast, which would feel extremely dishonest. I suppose another option would be to have a huge time leap between episodes, but that would be a strange thing to do in the middle of a season.
Um. Reality check.
Laura Fraser moved to the States, got a major part in Homeland and I would imagine she only had time to cram in a few days on Lip Service before starting to film the Homeland pilot – a commitment that she would have been tied into for as long as the network wanted her (Lesson for BBC, take a tip out of Showtime’s book and contract your actors for as many series as you think you might want to make, only then might Cat still be alive and well and living in Glasgow).
I worked in tv production for years and its obvious that there was no way they were going to get Laura back.
Lets face it, (the writers clearly had to), waiting for Laura to film the Homeland pilot and then taking a chance as to whether the show or her character were picked up, would have meant the LS team couldn’t even start planning the story outline for another year – we would all have been old and grey before series 2 was even in production.
And did you really want Cat hanging around in a coma for the rest of this series like some 70s soap? I personally expect more from my tv.
Ep 2 was totally unexpected, but so strong in developing each of the characters. The writing and acting was spot on – its worth watching again just for Tess and Ed in supporting roles.
In my opinion Lip Service has totally raised its game, pushing at the boundaries of tv genre like nothing else I’ve seen. The grown up show simmering inside BBC3 lesbian romp has finally broken free. Its a turning point for lesbians on tv too – taking centre stage in a show full of raw, universal emotions.
I think maybe people don’t like being challenged by a tv show – but I reckon If you only want sexy soapy fun and frolics then take a bubble bath with a friend.
I’m more excited to see where Lip Service goes from here.
Yes, agreed. I didn’t give a damn about this show until now. This episode is seriously better than the previous seven combined.
And for the people saying it’d be just as believable to have Cat move away? Hell no. The rest of the series would have been about how Cat, in trying to keep both Frankie and Sam, would end up having neither. There were no happy endings planned for any of them, there was no intention to ever have Cat sort her shit out. And I for one appreciated the realism and randomness of her death; it’s how it could have happened in real life. Main character/fan favorite immunity is bullshit.
I’d rather watch a series about a group of friends mourning Cat (worthless little bitch that she was) than seeing her continue to string Frankie along and treat both Frankie and Sam like shit. Now both of them have the chance to move on and find someone they deserve.
I’ve already stated that I believe that her moving away would have been just as believable and I don’t see how her remaining alive would have meant that Sam couldn’t move on. Frankie will never truly move on either way. Right now, as stated before, there will always be that “What if?” factor for her with regard to Cat. I don’t see how Cat being dead means that Frankie could ever love someone as much as she loved Cat. It only makes it even more likely that she won’t now that’s Cat’s dead. And if Laura Fraser had stayed on the show, it’s not like the rest of the show would have been about Cat stringing Frankie and Sam along. The rest of this season would have likely been about that, with the affair coming out at the end of the season and and Cat not getting either one (although I can’t image what would make Cat lose Frankie if both are still living in the same area). But Season 3 could have been minus the love triangle. People are acting like Braun would have carried out the love triangle forever. I doubt that. If this show were to have gone on for more seasons, the love triangle would be over before Season 3 were to start. But if anyone believes that Frankie and Cat wouldn’t have had started a romance ever again, they are fooling themselves.
Actually, Braun herself said that neither would have ended up with Cat. Her words:
“If anyone feels cheated of a happily ever after, I’ll confess that even if [Cat had] stayed in the series, there wasn’t going to be one. My intention was always that in playing with fire, and continuing to see both of them, Cat would end up with neither of them.”
Since Cat would have continued to see both, Sam would not have been able to move on until the end when the truth came out. And even if her cheating ways didn’t get out we’ve already seen hints of Frankie getting impatient with Cat’s indecisiveness, and they’ve been fucking for a few months at most. Frankie’s patience is not unlimited, not even for Cat. Eventually she would have either forced Cat to make a choice or cut her off completely. In either situation Frankie’s the type of person who would have made sure Sam found out. And Cat would have then lost Sam too.
Moving away would not have been believable at all, because Frankie at least is the type who would go after her. They would have had to do some serious writing gymnastics to make a believable situation in which Cat left and Frankie didn’t follow (Sam would respect Cat enough to honor her decision).
Besides, if Cat did move away we’d be left with a boring storyline in which the main character did nothing except wait and pine for her lost love who may not return and may not choose her. Sam, already a somewhat dull character with no connections to any of the characters besides Cat, would become irrelevant and have no true place on the show because she’d be doing the exact same thing as Frankie and we’d just sit through the same scenes twice with both of them. Don’t know about you, but to me that sounds fucking terrible.
You also seem to have an extremely low opinion of Frankie. She is not Cat’s helpless lovesick bitch. She’s unstable and weak, but she’s young. With time she’ll heal, move on and love again. She’s even got an incredible friend in Sadie to help her along. Frankie will be fine.
I know what Braun said, and like I stated below (I’m also the Veria poster), I’m not sure that I buy that.
And you have echoed my sentiments about Sam being able to move on. Sam most assuredly would have been able to move once the truth came out. Just like every other fictional character who has moved on once they find out that the person they love is in love with someone else. So to say that Sam wouldn’t be able to move on if Cat had moved away is not founded in anything solid.
Frankie getting impatient with Cat’s indecisiveness doesn’t mean that Frankie would ever give up on wanting to be with Cat. And it’s not like Frankie is a relationship type of girl when it comes to her loves, so the best she’d do is move on by having sex with others until, or if, she found another woman she’d want to date and not just have sex with. I don’t necessarily agree that Frankie would have tried to make sure Sam found out, given what played out in episodes 1 and 2 of this season.
Moving would have been believable, because while Frankie is the type who would go after her, she would also know that there is no point in doing so until Cat is ready. It was that way when Cat was with Sam and Frankie was about to leave town again at the end of Season 1. She’d accepted that Cat was with Sam for now and there was nothing she could do about it. Frankie has shown that she can wait. So I don’t necessarily believe that Frankie would have rushed after Cat, while Sam respectfully stayed behind.
And it wouldn’t have been needed to be a boring storyline after Cat left. Frankie could still be Frankie while waiting for Cat, just like she was still Frankie while waiting for Cat in Season 1. You speak about pining about lost love, but that is exactly what Frankie is going to be doing now. Even when she’s done mourning, it’s always going to be Cat. It’s not like Frankie is ever going to be looking to enter into an official romantic relationship with anyone. But if she does enter one, I don’t see how it’ll ever measure up to the love she will always have for Cat. Cat was “it” for her, in my opinion.
Sam wouldn’t have needed to become irrelevant, anymore than Sadie or Lexy need to be irrelevant without being strongly tied to the rest of the main cast. Having her free of Cat could make her a stronger character, if played right, because she would be developing as a character outside of Cat. And I’ve already went over how she wouldn’t need to be unable to move on, not when she believes she’s not the main person in Cat’s heart. That dose of reality has spurred on many fictional characters to move on.
Finally, I don’t know how you came to the conclusion that I have an extremely low opinion of Frankie. Frankie is my favorite character from this show and I’m basing my views on what I have seen from her for two seasons thus far and how she evolved, how she evolved with Cat’s love being the driving force behind that. Just because I asserted that Cat is the love of her life and that I don’t believe that anyone will be able to top Cat in her heart doesn’t make her a “helpless lovesick bitch” or means that she is weak. That goes for anyone. It’s mean that they found the real deal and that no one else will ever come close to that. You may believe that love can be easily found again, or that a love as great as theirs comes along often, but I don’t. And according to Frankie, and those who knew about her love for Cat, it was a great love.
And I meant “lovers,” not “loves” for the “And its not like Frankie is a relationship type of girl when it comes to her loves” line.
As far we know, Frankie hasn’t had any other loves.
Alright. Point by point:
1. You don’t buy what she said because we didn’t get to see how Frankie and Cat’s relationship would have deteriorated had Cat lived. And if you don’t think their relationship would have suffered from their arrangement, then you’re deluding yourself.
2. Of course Sam wouldn’t have moved on if Cat went away with the intention of coming back after she’d sorted out what she wanted. Sam would have waited to see what her choice was before moving on to another girl. But yes, a well-adjusted person like Sam would be able to move on if Cat died or explicitly left her by choice.
3. The only reason Frankie didn’t tell Sam is because it would have hurt Cat and ruin her chances of being with her. Now that Cat’s dead I imagine she’ll let the truth slip before long, whether by accident or out of spite. And there is a limit to everything; Frankie would have put up with Cat’s bullshit only for so long. Considering Frankie’s not that mature or great a person, she probably wouldn’t have waited long.
4. You’re overestimating Frankie’s maturity. If Cat moved away Frankie wouldn’t have given a damn whether or not she was ready; Frankie would have tracked Cat down and made her ready. Her decision not to leave at the end of the first season was out of hope that she would be able to get Cat to leave Sam, not out of any sort of acceptance of the way things were. She knew damn well that there was a lot she could do to tempt Cat, and the first two episodes of season two proved her right.
5. Except Frankie would have been the Frankie of season 2 – who refused to sleep with anyone except Cat – not the Frankie of season 1 who was a mess and fucked anything that moved. If nothing else I imagine we can agree that season 1 Frankie was more fun than early season 2 Frankie. Saying Frankie won’t ever look for another romantic relationship is a big statement to make with little to no evidence; she’s not there yet, but saying she will NEVER be? Way too far.
5. We seem to agree on Sam’s capability to move on from Cat but saying she wouldn’t be irrelevant in the scenario you’ve given is wrong. She has no strong connections to any of the other characters. But yes, I also agree that Sam has much more potential now that she can grow without Cat.
6. I said you have a low opinion of Frankie because you seem to think she’s incredibly weak, precisely because you seem to think she’s incapable of recovering from Cat’s death. Will she have regrets? Obviously. Will she always love Cat? Yeah, probably. Will that incapacitate her for the rest of her life? I don’t think so. She’s strong enough to get over Cat’s death and move on, and be perfectly happy someday.
However, Frankie at heart has not changed much since the show started. At her core she’s still a self-absorbed, self-centered, shortsighted and irresponsible person. She is showing some progress with Sadie, and I am eager to see how Sadie continues to change her. But Cat never was able to get Frankie to change.
Frankie sacrificed her dignity for Cat, letting herself be treated like shit and willing to do whatever Cat wanted in order to be with her. That’s not love, at least not the kind a sane person would want. That’s being someone’s helpless lovesick bitch.
Ultimately, I think it comes down to our differing opinions on love. You seem to believe in love of the “one true” kind; I don’t. I believe Frankie can, with time, be just as happy with Sadie or some other girl as she was (or could have been) with Cat.
Okay, let’s start over in a friendlier manner. Your long reply to me now is what I meant by you not letting people have their opinions. Nothing you state is going to get me to agree with you, just as nothing I state will get you to get agree with me. But if it’s just about debating without getting each other to agree, even though we will largely be repeating ourselves, here goes:
1. What I’m not sure I buy about what Braun stated is that Cat wouldn’t have ended up with either one in the end. Forgive me for being skeptical that she wouldn’t have had Frankie/Cat end up together, when this show was clearly built around that love story. I can buy Frankie and Cat not ending up together for some time after Cat’s affair is exposed. I can even buy the show ending with them not being a romantic couple. What I don’t buy is that Braun would have had Frankie/Cat not being friends or lovers if this show had continued for a few more seasons, especially with so many fans wanting that couple together. I don’t interpret Cat ending up with neither to mean that the love triangle would have played out for a few more seasons. I don’t believe that Braun would have had it play out for that long at all. So Cat ending up with neither of them is something that would have happened much earlier than the possibility of her not ending up with Frankie at the end of the show. If you believe that Braun would have destroyed the Frankie/Cat relationship in all respects, that is where I believe you’re being delusional.
2. Yes, Sam would have moved on. To say that she wouldn’t, as if this scenario is different than various other scenarios that have played out just like that, is mind-boggling to me. Intention of coming back or not, Sam believing that Cat’s heart is truly with Frankie is enough to make Sam move on. What is she supposed to do, hold out hope that Cat will truly love her one day? Stalk Cat? Sam would have already known Cat’s choice by just hearing the details of Cat’s affair, such as the wood-initials gift that Cat kept scared, more scared than the necklace Sam gave her. How Sam would think that Cat truly loves her after all that is beyond me. Yes, a well-adjusted person like Sam would be able to move on if Cat explicitly left her by choice. It would be explicit with or without Cat saying why it is she’s leaving.
3. Yes, the only reason Frankie didn’t tell Sam is because it would have hurt Cat and MAYBE ruin her chances of being with Cat. But you know what? Even with Cat dead, Frankie is still protecting the secret. No doubt because she doesn’t want the image people have of Cat to be damaged. You speak about me having an extremely low opinion of Frankie, but then ho go and state that “Frankie’s not that mature or great a person.”
4. I’m not overestimating Frankie’s maturity. You’re underestimating Frankie’s love for Cat. If Cat moved away, Frankie would have given a damn whether or not Cat was ready because there would have been nothing Frankie would have been able to do about it. Just like there was nothing she could about it in Season 1 and was about to leave at the end of it. She can leave Cat. She’s done it before. And I reckon she could deal with Cat leaving her, so long as she believes that Cat would eventually return to her. Her decision not to leave at the end of the first season was out of hope that she would be able to get Cat to leave Sam, I agree, but it was also in addition to wanting to see the mother she never knew. But the point is that she was most certainly going to leave before Cat popped up.
5. No… If Cat had left, I could see Frankie going right back to sleeping with others to fill a void, just like she did at the end of Episode 2 with Sadie now that’s Cat’s dead. It wouldn’t be as certain of a thing that Cat will be hers with Cat off living somewhere else. And, anyway, Frankie not having sex with everything that moves is a good thing in many viewers’ eyes, including mine. It makes her more of relationship material, and was an improvement for her. She can still be Frankie without being promiscuous. So I wouldn’t say that Season 1 Frankie was more fun simply because she had more of an “I don’t care attitude” and slept around. Maybe some aspects her of her personality were more fun. But I prefer Season 2 Frankie, episodes 1 and 2 of Season 2 so far. Saying that Frankie won’t ever look for another romantic relationship is a big statement that is based on her character. You say that there is little evidence to go on with that. But there is a ton of evidence that she is not the monogamous type. It’s well-established that she isn’t. She ran away from Cat because of commitment issues, in addition to feeling unworthy of Cat, remember? I believe it’s safe to say that Cat was her first committed romantic/sexual relationship. It’s not like she ever was truly dating Sadie in Season 1. I didn’t say that Frankie wouldn’t get another girlfriend. I said that she wouldn’t be looking for one. If it happens, it’ll happen organically.
5. Again, Sam wouldn’t have to be irrelevant any more than Sadie or Lexy. Yes, Sadie has Frankie, but it’s not exactly a strong tie yet. And people should care about Sadie beyond her relationship with Frankie. The same goes for Caring about Sam beyond her relationship with Cat. And a lot of viewers do care about her beyond her relationship with Cat. Having Cat die doesn’t make her any more of relevant character. You know why? Because mourning for Cat will stop eventually, and that leaves Sam where? The same position she would have been in had Cat moved away — her own character needing to be developed beyond her connection to Cat.
6. You seem to associate never being able to love someone as deeply as the love of your life with weakness. As I stated, it’s not about me having a low of opinion of Frankie. It’s not a low opinion to think that Cat will always have that permanent place in her heart. Not “a place.” But “the place.” I said nothing of Frankie never recovering from Cat’s death. I only mentioned her never loving another as deeply she loved Cat. As I stated before, plenty of people move on but never love another as as deeply. It’s not about incapacitating her for the rest of her life or keeping her from love. It’s about being honest to the fact that most people say that you only get one love of your life. It’s called “one true love” for a reason. Not “two true loves.” The people who experience that type of love once are lucky enough. To experience it twice, you’re insanely lucky.
We can agree about wanting to see Frankie develop partly through her relationship with Sadie. Right now, if there’s anyone I’d want Frankie to love, it’s Sadie.
We’ll have to disagree on what Frankie/Cat’s love, because I believe that the show has been quite clear on how deep that love ran/runs.
As for our definition of love: I don’t believe in “one true love,” or much of romantic love in real life. But for fiction, where it is staple, I do. Could Frankie be very happy with Sadie? Yes. Just as happy as she would have been with Cat? I don’t believe so.
We’ve said almost all there is to say, so just a few things.
1. I’ve gone through all I’ve got to say on this point.
2. I think there was some sort of disconnect here. Yes Sam would move on if Cat told her she’d rather be with Frankie or if Cat died. But if Cat told her, “I love you and Frankie but I’m just not ready for any of this or either of you right now. I’m going to (insert place) alone to think about how I feel and what I want” (or something to that effect), then Sam would not have moved on until Cat returned and gave a definitive answer. You gotta remember that Sam thinks of Frankie as somewhat…beneath her, thinks she’s not even close to being good enough for Cat and has a hard time conceiving of the fact that Cat both loved and still loves her. I do not think she’d pick up anything special about them unless explicitly told.
3. Not yet, but we still got four episodes to go, don’t we?
3/4. I love Frankie, but as I’ve stated somewhere else in this thread she’s self-absorbed, self-centered, immature and irresponsible. She’s still got that teenagery outlook on life in which she’s at the center and everything else that happens is meant to be somehow for her, and everybody else is just an actor playing in her life. Everything’s always about her, and you can’t really blame her for being like this given the verbal abuse she constantly got from her uncle/father. Hell, I think at some point he actually said she was responsible for all the unhappiness in his family’s life. It’s not about me having a low opinion of Frankie, just admitting her shitty life kind of made her a bad person – but not a person incapable of becoming better. That’s why Sadie is an extremely important player right now. Sadie is actually the only one who I’ve seen Frankie act in a somewhat selfless way towards, what with hiring her to drive her to her job when she easily could’ve asked Jay or Tess (or was it Ed with the car?) and driven for free.
But if Cat were to leave saying something similar as what I put in point 2? Frankie would have followed. She wouldn’t accept the idea of being able to do nothing, because Cat loves her too and like hell there was nothing she could do. She wants Cat, and is willing to do whatever to get her even if that means going against what Cat wants.
5. Not the monogamous type =/= never ever seeking it. With time, after she’s moved on from Cat and grown up considerably, Frankie will find and settle down with someone.
6. Were Frankie to die or leave Sadie would instantly become irrelevant. Does anyone besides Tess and Cat even know her name? Everyone on the show (besides Frankie, obviously) at this point does not like her. She’d have nothing to do without Frankie. Lexy isn’t the same because she has connections with multiple characters; Tess and Frankie’s flatmate, Tess’ potential love interest, Sam’s potential love interest. Removing Sam, Tess or Frankie still leaves Lexy with two connections on the show. Sam still has only one (Lexy) and they need to get her into scenes with other characters soon if she’s to remain relevant.
7. See, for me never loving another as much as your lost love is the same as never recovering.
1. I’ve also gone through all I’ve got to say on this point.
2. I can agree that Sam may not have moved on if Cat had said, “I’m going to (insert place) alone to think about how I feel and what I want.” But Braun would not have had to write it that way, especially if she wanted Sam to move on. And either way, would Sam eventually enter into another romance while Cat is away? I believe so, and that person would have been Lexy (just like it’s looking to be now that Cat’s dead). Braun would not have had Sam stay single, or rather out of the “she may have sex with Lexy” realm, all while waiting for Laura Fraser to return. Not unless it wouldn’t be long before Laura Fraser were to return. And like I stated, the affair coming out would have been the end of the love triangle. And I don’t think Braun would have had Cat enter back into a romance with Sam, when she’s obviously very fond of the Frankie/Cat romance and they still wouldn’t have had their official shot as a couple on the show by that point yet.
3. Well, she’s a decent, semi-mature person right now. And that’s because of Cat. If’s changed by Episode 3, that’s also because of Cat (her death).
3/4. While I agree that Frankie usually feels that everything is about her, I don’t see her as always making it about her. I disagree about Sadie being the only person Frankie has acted in a somewhat selfless way towards. I saw that with Cat too. But I do like the way she treated Sadie in Episode 2. Like I stated, that maturity was a result of her love for Cat.
Still disagree that Frankie would have necessarily followed Cat. I can’t say anything more there that wouldn’t be repeating myself.
5. Not the monogamous may not equal never, ever seeking it, but I don’t see Frankie seeking it. More mature or not. I believe it will find her instead. Maybe it already has with Sadie. Only time will tell.
6. If Frankie were to die or leave, Sadie wouldn’t have to become irrelevant. That goes back to the same points I made about Cat/Sam. And having that one character that isn’t liked, or isn’t liked by enough people, is usually a good addition to a show. My point about Lexy is that she’s a character with no strong connection to the rest of the cast. Being a flatmate doesn’t make her a character with strong connections to the rest of the cast, any more than it did with Fin. Like Sam and Sadie, the show is going to have to develop her. Sam is going to have be developed beyond her relationship with Cat. And if the show is smart about it, Sadie should be developed beyond her connection to Frankie…and Lexy should be developed beyond Tess’s flatmate and a potential love interest for Tess and Sam.
7. I disagree with the notion that never loving another as much as your lost love is the same as never recovering. Why does continuing to love that person more than you’ll love anyone equate to being damaged to you? That’s an awful way to look at it. We don’t choose to fall in love with someone. Just like we don’t choose who the love of our life is. If you’ve found the love of your life and that person dies, then that’s it unless, by a miracle, you are able to love someone just as much. I don’t believe that type of love comes along often and can be easily replaced or that each lover is going to be cared for in the same way. You seem to treat love as something that can be discarded and easily found again. To me, that’s is what is sad. If you can just say, “Oh well, what I felt for that person wasn’t special. Should be no problem finding it again.” And if you are finding that exact feeling again and again, then it is saying that what you felt for that previous person wasn’t special. People say that romantic love is not easy to find, especially the “love of my life” kind of love that Frankie and Cat found. But you act as though it’s something that can be replaced each time with enough time. I don’t buy that. Just like, with platonic love, there is no one that can replace the love you have for your mother or father, or both, the same can be said of romantic love once you find that one person. I don’t believe that will ever be a person Frankie’s going to love in the same exact way, to the same exact degree, as she loved Cat. So, yes, we will have to agree to disagree…especially on this subject.
Ooh, and I just got through reading Harriet Braun’s response: I was right that Braun was only talking about Cat ending up without either one in Season 2. This is what Braun stated: When I said Sam/Frankie wouldn’t have ended up with Cat – again I should have said that was the intended ending for series 2 if Laura hadn’t left. Of course, had things been different and Cat didn’t die, who knows where her, Frankie and Sam could have ended up. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor are a testament to how a great love is rarely resolved. I don’t want to stamp out people’s imaginings.
1. Cat leaving to sort herself out was essentially the alternate storyline you and the recapper suggested. That’s how Sam would be in the storyline you proposed. All analysis on Sam in this alternate reality has no bearing on the Sam in the show because that reality never happened. That’s what I was getting at, and it seems like we agree. And yes, once she and Cat broke up in that reality there would have been no getting back together.
2. I would disagree. She has not changed much, and while you can interpret her refusing to sleep with anyone but Cat a sign of growth or maturity it’s just as if not more likely she was being selfish again. She did as Cat wanted not out of any kind of respect but because she knew it was necessary to get what she wanted. As I’ve already said, the closest to selfless she’s been is with Sadie because she personally gained nothing by giving her a job. The origin of this new found selflessness may be because of Cat, but it also might be because of Jay (whose relationship she fucked up by sleeping with him) or Tess (who’s already gotten her to own up to her failings in a small way by getting her to apologize to Lexy). More likely it’s a combination of all three influences.
3. “Only time will tell” is this point in a nutshell, really. I’ve made clear what I think will happen.
4. Difference between Lexy and Fin is that Fin only ever had one connection on the show (Tess) and Lexy has only been around for two episodes, which isn’t long enough to develop close ties. Sam, however, has had eight and really should have connected with someone else already. I agree that she must be developed beyond her relationship with Cat. I’ll admit that I just want Sadie with Frankie for now; with Cat gone their relationship is about to become the most important one on the show, and they need to be on their own for a bit. Sadie can connect with the others later. And I think it’s very difficult to see what she’d do on the show if Frankie weren’t around.
5. It’s not that I think love like that is easy to find (it sure as hell isn’t) but that you’re saying the chance that Frankie finds that kind of love again in her life is zero. She is young (not even 30!) and losing that one-of-a-kind love so early – without having another chance – is depressing.
1. No more to state on this point.
2. I didn’t state that Frankie changed much. I stated, “Well, she’s a decent, semi-mature person right now. And that’s because of Cat. If’s changed by Episode 3, that’s also because of Cat (her death).” And I stand by that. Don’t at all see how it’s selfish that she decided not to have sex with anyone but Cat. It wasn’t just about what Cat would have wanted, but what Frankie wanted. She didn’t want to have sex with anyone else. The show was clear about that. It’s not like Cat even knew that Frankie had done that, unless Frankie eventually told her when their affair continued. And you already know that I disagree with your analysis that “the closest to selfless she’s been is with Sadie.”
3. Yep, we’ve both been clear.
4. LOL. You get points for admitting that you just want Sadie with Frankie for now. Because I do too. I watched the clip for Episode 3 just released by the BBC three showing Sadie trying to entice some woman at dinner, and I kept thinking “Where’s Frankie? I know that you were only trying to help Frankie cope when you had sex with her at the end of Episode 2, but are you seriously going to have sex with some else already? Damn it, Sadie. You should be with Frankie right now.” But I’m also sure that about a week or more has passed between episodes, so that makes it a little better. And, yeah, with Cat gone, I do believe that Frankie and Sadie’s relationship is quite possibly about to become the most important one on the show. I agree. But I still say that Sadie needs to be developed beyond her relationship with Frankie. That way, when Frankie leaves for a few episodes, people won’t generally find her boring if she’s on there without Frankie. Or, although it seems unlikely, if Frankie were to ever leave the show for good.
5. I think that Frankie could find a great love again, yes. But I don’t feel that she could find a love as great as the love she had with Cat, no. This is because not only was/is her love with Cat extremely powerful, it is a love that is unique to them. It can’t be replicated. No love can. And sometimes a certain love cannot be topped. Given Frankie and Cat’s adolescent history combined with their adult history, I believe that they are that kind of love. As for losing that one-of-a-kind love so early – without having another chance – being depressing: Well, it happens. I think that what may be the heart of why you and I have disagreed on this is that you probably don’t see Cat as having been “the one” kind of love for Frankie. You probably see Sadie emerging as that. I see it as Cat. And I see Sadie as possibly being another great love for Frankie, but not at Cat’s level in Frankie’s heart.
1. “Decent, semi-mature person” would be a change from the Frankie we got at the start of the series. And she learned from Jay’s mistake; if you have sex with someone else, you’re probably going to get caught at some point regardless of how much time has passed.
2. I’ve just found the promo pics for episode 3. What the hell. I see Sadie with two different women and neither of them are Frankie. Unless this is indicative of a threesome I do not approve. But Sadie might be getting a job, which is good.
It also sounds like we’ll get some Tess/Frankie drama, which I’m looking forward to as I enjoy their friendship a lot. Hope we get more of them too.
3. Unique love? Yes, clearly. Strongest ever? No. And I think that’s as far as we’ll get here.
1. Okay, we agree that “Decent, semi-mature person” is a change from the Frankie we got at the start of the series.
2. What, Sadie with two different women? Hopefully, not in a sexual way. Must go and look at these pictures. I do not approve either, and certainly not of a threesome. LOL, if it helps Sadie get a job, I suppose that’s the bright side. It also shows that as Sadie’s true reason for doing it.
Agreed about Frankie/Tess drama, as long as they never become romantic. I saw someone on YouTube ask if anyone’s ever thought about them as a romantic couple. I did, but quickly scratched it from my mind. Just because they’re both single, attractive and lesbian does not mean they need to hook up.
3.Yep, that’s as far as we’ll agree. I view it as the strongest, while you don’t. We should be able to live with that, LOL.
By “at the start of the series,” I meant Season 1. If you meant Season 2, then we don’t agree. But it’s fine.
http://insidemediatrack.com/2012/04/29/lip-service-series-2-episode-3-picture-gallery/
Here they are, in case you had trouble finding them.
Yes, Frankie and Tess as a couple would be terrible. Their relationship has such a strong big sis/little sis vibe to me that it’d seem almost incestuous.
Also, there is a glitch in Autostraddle. I have successfully upvoted my own comment. I would take it away because I honestly didn’t think it’d work but it won’t let me.
Thanks for the pictures. It looks like Frankie is wearing something she would have worn in Season 1. Her new tank top style is absent in that link.
Don’t know what to make of that woman in the club with Sadie. I would talk about the other one, but I already did.
And no worries about voting for your own comment. I did that before at AfterEllen.com, although I think it was more so by accident. Either way, it’s embarrassing because people can see that I voted. At least I explained there what happened. And thank you for being honest about yours here.
I was more shocked that I was able to upvote it at all. I’m not able to upvote any of my others, just that one. Odd.
i REALLY liked this episode. sure, it was a MAJOR shock, but the actors got a chance to act and the characters got a chance to develop. i found cat’s character constantly annoying and whiny, and i’m pleased that the show won’t be the frankie-cat show anymore. i’m really interested to see how this lexy tess / lexy sam thing is going to play out, and i reeeeally hope we’ll see more of sadie.
I love being challenged by a TV show, when it’s a challenging show by nature. But when the “challenge” goes against everything that preceded it, It feels more like an insult.
It may very well be a great show after this, and I agree that the performances were excellent. But it will be an entirely different show, and it’s disingenuous to pretend that Cat’s death is in any way organic to the show we were watching before this episode.
That’s my reality, anyway. :)
Hmm. I agree that with Cat’s death we’ll be getting an entirely different show. But in this case, I think different is better. Last season felt like a cliched, formulaic soap; we knew before watching a single episode that Cat and Frankie would end up sleeping together, and all scenes with either one were just leading up to sex in the season finale. Cat’s death definitively broke the mold, and reading that Braun intended to break it regardless greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the show.
I mean, it got to the point during the first season where the only reason I was watching Lip Service was for the sex scenes (particularly Frankie/Sadie). Two episodes into second season we only got one or two half assed sex scenes – and I didn’t even care. Hell, I didn’t even notice. To me that shows that Lip Service has found quality at last.
Good point scribegrrl,
and on a more superficial note, maybe, I think it doesn’t bother me so much because– every time Cat was in a scene all I could think of was, you are no Helen Stewart, Cat. And then I would miss Helen Stewart. Oh those were the days.
I totally hear what you’re saying, scribegrrl – yours is the overwhelming majority’s view! But I can’t help thinking that it actually played out in the way an accident like that happens in real life. It DOES come completely out of nowhere and it definitely feels unfair and a huge shock.
I do worry for the rest of the season because now they’ve got themselves stuck – move on too quickly and the characters are callous and unrelatable and unrealistic, but dwell on it for a whole miserable season and we’ll all want to stab our eyes out. hmmm!
I couldn’t agree more. My first instinct was a guttural, “OMG. They just killed Cat, practically the main character, they can’t DO that! How could they do that!?”
After my mind settled down a bit, I still felt so… just humbled. Cat was ripped away in a very raw and real way and I understand that we weren’t ready for it… but that’s death for ya. Nobody’s ready for it. It seems almost humorous to me that people would object to the death of Cat because, that’s just it, you can’t object to death! I realize that this isn’t reality, that it IS in fact a drama in which someone is pulling the strings, but sometimes art really needs to imitate life. The question then becomes… Was it successful? I would answer a resounding, “Yes.”
After watching this episode, I hugged my girlfriend forever. I called my mom. I thanked my lucky stars that this wasn’t really happening to me, that just a fictional character on TV has caused this reaction in me. But despite being just a TV show, I feel different and moved. I feel like life’s too short.
I’m sorry, but I think that’s good writing.
For what it’s worth, I agree that the death scene and the acting and the atmosphere and the whole portrayal of grief were all very excellent.
I don’t at all mean to suggest that the writing is bad *generally* — which is partly why I said that no, we’re not at the level of The L Word. But to me, specifically in the context of Lip Service and its stories thus far, this particular plot choice feels inauthentic and incongruous. If we were talking about a short film about grief, standing on its own, I’d be cheering.
I just wanted to clarify that, because I *like(d?)* the show. But I don’t believe for a second that Cat would have died, ever, if Laura Fraser hadn’t left. It was an external force that slammed against the show and twisted it into a very weird shape.
So maybe it all comes down to which show you prefer: the one Harriet Braun gave the world, or the one the world gave Harriet Braun.
“But I don’t believe for a second that Cat would have died, ever, if Laura Fraser hadn’t left.”
I totally agree with you on that. Don’t get me wrong, I do see what you’re saying. Honestly, it wasn’t until I read the blog post Harriet Braun made about WHY Cat died that I was able to calm down… reflect a moment… and then realize, well, when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. That’s what I feel like she did. Made what she felt was the best choice out of a crappy situation.
I’m sure everyone, including her, wishes that Cat was still on the show… but I really do agree with her when she said that she just didn’t feel like Cat would up and leave. I feel like control freak Cat, who apparently even irons her socks, wouldn’t just leave for London or America or wherever for a job. If she left, we’d always be wondering when she was going to come back… it would be like a weird loose end that just doesn’t seem to fit. There’s only so many solutions to get someone off a show definitively. She made a bold choice, but at least it’s a plausible one, I mean, anyone can die.
But that is just my opinion, of course. I’m not happy Cat died or anything, I’m still shaking my fists at Laura Fraser (or maybe BBC and their lack of a contract), believe me. Despite finding herself suddenly “available”, we don’t know for sure that she actually wanted to continue Lip Service. I actually wonder if this is what isn’t being said. Just what happened in those 17 months between seasons?
Lip Service is made by Kudos Television for BBC3, so the BBC didn’t pay Laura Fraser, Kudos did, and as big a company as they are, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t give long term contracts to actors. Also, it was quite late in the day that they commissioned the second series, they were actually lucky that everyone else was free.
I can’t believe you don’t like prawn cocktail crisps.
Me either!
I liked the part where Sam was wearing a vest. That was it.
Welll….
I said all I really wanted to on Tumblr. XD
So I’mma link you guys there (www.spasmsofreethought.tumblr.com) and then comment from there. <3 Its the big LIP SERVICE COMMENTARY in bold along with Heather Peace's gorgeous face with her video.
Shameless plugging ftw.
British crisps are the best flavors ever! Prawn Cocktail … Cheese and Onion! come on now.
I love love love cheese and onion! Just not that other abomination. ;)
Oh, In that case you must be awesome. To be fair sometimes when I smell prawn cocktail crisps I do almost throw up. I think the key is to eat them but not smell them. Or maybe just not eat them at all. Jeeze this recap gave me a lot to consider. :D x
…I realize the four alternative storylines you suggested were a joke, but frankly they’re terrible. Ranging from shitty soap opera to cliche drama. I am glad that they’re avoiding a number of the major tropes – particularly a cliffhanger that would leave Cat’s death ambiguous and is the mark of lesser dramas.
Also, you seriously need to stop comparing this to IFC and Dana’s death. The only similarity is that both times a popular character was killed. That’s it. But instead of being part of a downward spiral like Dana’s death was, Cat’s death just spring boarded Lip Service from average soap to serious drama. Believe it or not, many of us appreciated the sudden turn this show took and you repeating how terrible this event was/the show is now junk/etc was really annoying. Cat’s death was sad and tragic, I agree. It was also executed really fucking well, which should give hope that the show is going to be good.
That said, there are several things I want to see this season:
1. More Frankie/Sadie. Whether as friends or a couple, I don’t care. Their shenanigans are one of the best parts of the show.
2. A conversation between Sam and Frankie. With Cat gone those two really need to have a long talk face-to-face if they’re ever going to sort through the emotional baggage Cat left behind. I don’t expect them to ever reach the level of friends or even an end to their hostility, but I would like to see them reach some mutual understanding.
3. Tess needs a girlfriend. But that girlfriend can’t be Lexy. Lexy has shown no interest in her and given her interest in Sam Tess is just going to get hurt. I don’t particularly like Tess, but she got hurt enough times last season.
4. Frankie’s half sister and half brother are still alive, aren’t they? I think it’s time Frankie reconnect with them. She needs to fix some of those broken bridges, because we all know that she can’t expect emotional support from either of her parents.
Come on! This was my opinion. I get to have mine and you get to have yours, and it’s ok if we annoy each other. It doesn’t meant I should stop or you should stop or anybody should stop.
But I *will* stop commenting now since I know we all have a lot of feelings to air!
I understand that you have your opinion, but I do think everybody comparing this to Dana’s death is being a little unfair and premature.
Probably shouldn’t have jumped straight to telling you to stop (sorry) but I think we need to see a few episodes before we write this off as another Dana.
You don’t like Tess???
She’s funny and adorable, but something about her has always put me off. And her comment about Sadie during the funeral was definitely not appreciated.
Cry-Fest 2012 :(
i just have to say one thing: sadie is absolutely fabulous. when she said “fuck it” to sensible shoes, i really fell in love with her character. she and frankie make so much sense together.
as, for cat, i couldn’rt stand the character and didn’t understand why sam or frankie would be attracted to her anal rententive, lying self. i have honestly never been so happy to see a character go since jenny.
i’m pretty annoyed that they got rid of the one character of color, fin, without so much as a goodbye. i guess they are trying to set up another love triangle between sam, lexi, and tess.
I agree with this comment completely. I really wish they would bring fin back– she and Tess weren’t working, but she was a pretty strong character.
I agree with you. I never understood what both Frankie and Sam saw in Cat, nonetheless, I was surprised at her death.
Also, WHY did they have to get rid of Fin, I though she was a good character, cute, and being a person of color is nice to see among the cast. Regardless of her sports-loving self and Tess not able to handle it, she should have remained.
Oh and Sadie, I was taken by her from the moment she stole that book from the bookstore.
What annoyed me most about how they handled Fin was the complete rewrite of her character. I re-watched season 1 after this episode, and Fin (in the limited screen time she was given) was shown to be fairly supportive of Tess’ career and accomplishments, and seemed genuinely happy for Tess when she told her she got a lead part.
Also, Fin was a goddamn silversmith. I would have liked to have seen that come up again.
I was going to say the same thing about Fin. I mean they could have at least showed them breaking up on camera.
I know, right? Sadie is fabulous- hilarious and so entertaining. I want to see more of her. And more of her + Frankie.
I don’t think I’m going to say anything new, but…
I’m glad they did this. After episode 1, I wanted Cat to go away. [Ok so I was thinking to a spa or something to sort herself out, but this works too]. Series are short as it is, so the thought of spending another one focused on the same dragging storyline didn’t really appeal to me, and I couldn’t really see any way of the situation ending well with all 3 characters still around. It would have just been back and forth forevermore. I think this opens up way more possibilities, and now I almost feel like I’m actually interested in the show. With series 1, I was watching out of obligation. It was cringey and I loved to hate it. So far with series 2, they seem to have struck a good balance of ‘wtf?’ ‘lol’ and ‘ooo’ [technical terms]. It’s holding my attention more.
Also, I think the actual death was really well done. There was no slow-mo, no real indication of it coming, just.. WHAM. And it shocked me. Which is quite something, given the amount of shock tactic road safety ads I’ve seen over the years [if that driver had been going at 30mph, there would have been an 80% chance that Cat would have lived y’know…]
So, all in all, I think it’s a good and clever move. Provided they don’t make a hames of it for the rest of the series.
ps. tayto cheese and onion ftw.
I KNEW IT!! I. KNEW. IT. I commented that Cat would die when autostraddle announced the 2nd season. This is why I haven’t watched the show. I’ll stick to reading these recaps. If somehow at the end of the season there’s a happy ending involving Frankie or Sam then I’ll watch this season. I’m a coward I know but I hate unhappy endings and drama. I mean I expected this, I didn’t even watch it and my heart was pounding out of my chest with dread while I read the recap. Dread! There is no escapism in this show anymore.
I woke up today thinking “Cat is dead!” So horrible for a fluffy, guilty pleasure to turn out. I, too, was thinking I would have a couple of beers and watch Ep 2. I was anticipating more sex and drama, but in a good way… I was shocked by how violent and sudden the car crash was. From a production standpoint, they did a great job with that. So after watching (and processing) that ep, I watched Game of Thrones and watched another sudden death (no spoilers) and THEN I watched The Borgias and had to see a dead Frankie! (maybe a little spoiler there). It was night of sudden deaths and that, for lack of a better word, sucked.
For those saying they are unhappy that Fin has been written out; the actress who plays her has said on Twitter that she was unable to work on series 2 due to filming on another series.
Like you said above, the BBC seriously needs to get its contracts in order so this stuff doesn’t keep happening and writers don’t keep getting painted into corners!
(I still say these are spiteful overreactions: “Oh, Laura Fraser has commitments? Fine, her character’s DEAD! Oh, Lorraine Burroughs has other work? Fine, Tess and Fin will break up OFFSTAGE!” I just don’t believe there weren’t other, more graceful options.)
I’ll admit I laughed.
Agreed. Keeping in mind how long it took to finish the second season, I’m sure the cast was taking other work as well. Also, with the buzz of the first season bringing attention to ‘this little show that we can’t watch in the US’, I’m sure the offers were coming in for a lot of them. The Homeland gig is major. The acting isn’t horrible and most of them have been in other notable projects. (stopping myself from criticizing certain US casting choices *cough L word*) You are right…they should have had better contracts. I’m sure the agents are glad they didn’t!
If you were Laura Fraser and you had the choice between a show that had a run of 12 episodes, and one that lasted for 6, it’s clear which option you would take. You also have to factor into this that the pay in the US for actors is at least 4 times that of a BBC show. Finally, Laura is married to a US citizen, and I think its quite clear that they wanted to move over here together and that the job offer was a huge incentive.
Shows made for the BBC don’t come with huge ready made budgets, there is no advertising revenue, and very few actors will have long term contracts with maybe the exception of Eastenders, Pobol y Cwm, and the Archers (not sure there are any other shows that run year round).
What does happen in reverse though, is that a show will be commissioned for x episodes, and will be broadcast for that length of time. If the ratings are poor it won’t get cancelled, there just won’t be another series, as they are not dependent on advertising revenue to keep on or stop broadcasting.
Fair enough, but in that case they should’ve written a brief break up scene for the first episode.
Gawd I felt the same way. My girlfriend and I ordered chinese and sat in our comfy couch ready for another sexy and funny episode and then WHAM Cat is smashed by a car!?
We literally both jumped…and then cried…for the rest of the episode. I mean, Cat was my least favorite character (like another said, underserving of hot Frankie and annoyingly indecisive) but wow!
Tears all around, definitely changed the mood of my night. And now I can’t stop worrying about my lady being abruptly smashed by a speeding Chicago motorist. Yikes Lip Service! I hope everyone isn’t grieving for the rest of the season, that would be a real downer. Where’s the partying and the (happy) sex? That’s all I want.
It was sudden and it was shocking and I did not see that one coming. It was a total “wtf?!?” moment. But, it turned the switch on the show from melodrama to actual drama, and it was done really effing well. And yes, the show lost it’s anchor, but the beauty of that is that without their anchor, the rest of the characters can spin out in all kinds of unexpected and interesting ways. No more predictability, all bets are off. I think the performances given in this episode prove that the actors are capable of developing into 3-dimensions…it remains to be seen if the writers are up to the challenge as well.
Im still gutted, seriously if they came back and said it was a dream sequence I would totally go along with that
Also first comment as a proper member, hi everyone!
While I’m certainly saddened by Cat’s death (she was quite likable when she wasn’t manipulating either Sam or Frankie), I think I might be a bit more upset that now, after Sam finds out about the cheating, she won’t get a chance to confront and break up with the lying, two-timing, just generally unpleasant person that Cat had become this season. Everyone else now has to deal with the consequences of her behavior. Personally, I’m not at all looking forward to the Sam/Frankie confrontation.
Oh, and pretty pretty please, no Sam/Lexy/Tess love triangle! I can’t stomach another one of those.
Another way to write Cat out would be if Cat just left for NYC, as cheating on sam drove her crazy, like Frankie left for NYC. The way they did it changes the series completly – Cat was in the center of the show.. the other main characters from series 1 were: Cat’s brother, Cat’s ex, Cat’s partner, Cat’s flatmate and Cat’s colleague. Now everything will just be the story of sorrow and sadness.
Besides the fact that it would be completely and utterly ridiculous, I would not be terribly opposed to them coming back next week and being like, “JK! Sam was just having a horrendous nightmare, and because of it, figures out what is happening between Frankie and Cat…and Cat is still very much alive!”
Because I liked Cat. I liked the horrible love triangle. Call me crazy!
Anyway, brava on the acting from everyone. Gut wrenching!
This episode hit me way harder than I expected. For me, the portrayal of sudden grief in this episode was just so realistic. That half-scream/half-wail that came out of Frankie as she processed the news. Tess having to explain twice to Ed that Cat didn’t survive. The realization that something was not right as soon as Frankie entered the flat with Ed and Tess there. It was completely opposite to the general tone of the show but I felt we finally got to see the characters grow (unfortunately we had to see that during such sad circumstances).
The episode was full but not too busy. Instead of having filler footage of Frankie walking down the street with her hands in her pockets and her hood over her head for the millionth time, we got some character development. While the execution of it (pardon the pun) was not completely satisfying as a viewer, I think it was realistic to the situation.
Scribegrrrl, how can you not like Prawn Cocktail?! Haha. That’s alright. Have you tried Skips Prawn Cocktail? Ahhh so good. Whenever I go to visit my sister, the first thing I do upon arrival is go to Tesco and buy Twiglets, Skips, Quavers & Walkers. ;)
Yum! Here in NYC we have The London Candy Company and Myers of Keswick — both very essential when I need a cheese-and-onion crisp fix. :)
I want to point out another thing that upsets people about: It seemingly reenforcing the notion that lesbian couples don’t get a happily ever after. Besides that, you have Braun saying in a blog post that Cat wouldn’t have ended up with neither Frankie nor Sam, although I’m still not sue I buy that. She may have had Cat lose both at some point, but that doesn’t that, when the show was over and done with, Cat would have been without either. Does anyone really buy that Frankie would have been able to walk away from Cat, as in never seek out romantic love, companionship or friendship from her ever again? And either way, it doesn’t bode well for romances on this show if we can’t expect that a lesbian couple will get to be happy on it, in addition to having their ups and downs, and that their relationship doesn’t have to end tragically.
That’s one of the frequent complaints I’ve seen about this episode, especially on YouTube.
Of course I meant “wouldn’t have ended up with either Frankie or Sam” for the above line.
I hate typos and not being able to correct them.
People change. The Frankie we have now never would have been able to leave Cat. The Frankie who would have been, the one who would have been Cat’s secret lover and constantly waiting for Cat to leave Sam to be with her… I can see that Frankie at some point putting her foot down and telling Cat to fuck off if she couldn’t make a choice.
Also, while the dead lesbian trope usually pisses me off to no end, in this case I just can’t bring myself to care. As I’ve already said this episode is by far the best episode of Lip Service we’ve seen. Cat’s death, her downward spiral and the sheer panic you can see in her just before she dies was incredible to watch. And given the alternative (an endless continuation of this stupid triangle) one dead lesbian is definitely the preferred option.
And I’d like to point out that Braun said there’d be no happy ending for Frankie/Cat or Sam/Cat; not that Frankie and Sam wouldn’t get a happy ending period. Cat dead actually boosts the chances of those two getting a happy ending – and at this point, Frankie and Sam deserve happiness more than anyone else.
People change, but it’s doesn’t necessarily mean that your true loves does. And if it isn’t already clear, I consider Frankie/Cat to be true loves. I know that you don’t. But that’s another point that we disagree on.
You say that the Frankie we have now wouldn’t have been able to leave Cat, but yet you also say that she would have been able to?
Frankie would have been able to wait for Cat, in my opinion, as she’s proven before. And she wouldn’t have needed to stop being Frankie while waiting, just like she didn’t stop being Frankie before.
But we’ve already been over this. I responded to you above. I know what Braun stated, as you very well know. Does that mean I have to interpret it the same way taht you do or even believe it? No. Like I stated, I believe that Season 2 would have ended with Cat being with neither Frankie or Sam. But I’m not sold on the Cat never starting up another romance/sexual relationship with Frankie before the entire show were to be over. I made it quite clear that if this show had gone on for a few more seasons with Laura Fraser still on it, people are fooling themselves to think that Frankie and Cat wouldn’t have hooked up again. Sure, they may not have gotten their happily ever after. But I don’t doubt that there would have been a lot more on-and-off between them before this show was over and done with.
As for not caring about the “dead lesbian trope” this time around, well, it’s not like you were a big fan of Cat’s or the Frankie/Cat romance, so it’s easy to see why it wouldn’t bother you.
Yes, of course the only reason I could possibly not care about the dead lesbian is because I don’t like Cat. It couldn’t have anything to do with the quality of the scene and episode, the incredible acting, or the myriad of story possibilities her death opens up. It couldn’t possibly because I thought the alternative is terrible enough to make her death worth it. It’s all because I don’t like Cat. Thanks for making that judgment about me.
Anyway, Braun was talking long-term. As in beyond season 2. At least, that is how I interpreted her statement. And it made sense. So that’s my view of the series as it would have been had Cat lived.
“I want to point out another thing that upsets people about: It seemingly reenforcing the notion that lesbian couples don’t get a happily ever after.”
But based on what you said here you actually don’t seem to care much about a “happily ever after”; just that Frankie and Cat get together, regardless of the quality of that relationship. Don’t make a dig at me for not caring about the dead lesbian when you’re essentially doing the same thing with another negative lesbian trope.
Also, I actually really wanted Cat and Frankie to get together until I re-watched the first season. Then I realized that Frankie deserved better.
Well, not liking Cat has been the main reason people have given for not caring that this lesbian is dead. A lot of people like the episode for the reasons you mentioned, but some of those same people also care about the Cat and didn’t want her dead.
My point about Braun comments is that people are acting like the love triangle would gone on forever. If it were to have ended in Season 2, which is where I believe it would ended…since I don’t feel that Braun would have dragged this storyline out long-term, then Cat would have ended up with neither Frankie nor Sam at the end of Season 2. But there’s still the whole rest of the show to think about. And while Cat may have never gotten her happily ever after with either Frankie or Sam, I highly doubt that end of the love triangle would have been the end of Frankie/Cat. That’s my point. Just like you made a point about Frankie not being able to leave Cat, that’s how I feel in that respect.
I wouldn’t mind a happily ever after Frankie. Does that mean I want another woman portrayed as equally or more so important in her heart as Cat? No. People can move on with a new love without that new love ever being their great love. It happens all the time in real life. With regards to fiction, you have people who will argue that while Willow from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fell in love with Kennedy and moved on with Kennedy, it is Tara who will always be Willow’s great love. That’s my point there.
And I don’t see how I was essentially doing the same thing as you with another “negative lesbian trope.” Digging at you? … Well, I was only returning the favor after you stated how I must feel about Frankie (much higher above)…all because I believe that Frankie found the love of her life and won’t be able to truly be able to move on beyond that. There’s also the fact that I don’t like it when someone seemingly won’t let me have my opinion.
Agreeing to disagree is the key. Just like I disagree with your conclusion from rewatching Season 1. Rewatching Season 1, it’s Sam who deserves better in my mind.
Well, of course Sam deserves better. Figured that went without saying. But a lot of people bring Frankie down, saying she’s not good enough for Cat when it’s actually the other way around. The second part is what I realized upon watching season one again.
And for all my bitching about Cat, I did feel so sorry for her during her final moments. She looked so lost and scared, I think only someone with a true stone heart would have felt nothing.
For me the idea of someone never truly moving on from a lost love is as sad as it gets. I don’t want that for Frankie (or Sam, for that matter) and so yes, I do want her to love some other girl (preferably Sadie) just as much if not more.
Sorry if you feel I’m not letting you have an opinion, but this is how I debate. Know that that’s all I’m doing, I’m not trying to forcibly change your mind.
Also, saying you seemed to have a low opinion of Frankie wasn’t a dig. It was an interpretation of your interpretation of a character.
Yes, I stated much higher that we should start over in the way that we’ve been interacting with each other.
Most of my response is there. We can agree to disagree on some points. For example, romance-wise, I don’t view the fact a person has touched you on a level so deep that no one else will be ever to touch it as a sad thing. A lot of people say that when it comes to romance, they only had one love of their and that it’s rare to find that type of love. I believe that it is rare. It’s not about not being able to move on. It’s about that person having a hold on your heart that no one else can touch. The closest I have come with that is my mother, LOL. So I consider Frankie/Cat to have been extremely lucky to find that type of non-platonic love. You can love again, but I’m speaking in terms of no one having that particular effect on you again.
Anyway, apology accepted. I apologize as well.
One more thing: How do you, after rewatching Season 1, figure that it’s Cat who wasn’t good enough for Frankie? How do you get that from watching Season 1? I just don’t see it.
Guys, as I just stated higher above, I was right about what Braun meant. On the blog where she addressed Cat’s death. She stated this in the comments section: When I said Sam/Frankie wouldn’t have ended up with Cat – again I should have said that was the intended ending for series 2 if Laura hadn’t left. Of course, had things been different and Cat didn’t die, who knows where her, Frankie and Sam could have ended up. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor are a testament to how a great love is rarely resolved. I don’t want to stamp out people’s imaginings.
Well that would have been idiotic. What’s the point of having Cat losing both if one or the other crawled back to her? I feel like since her first instinct with Fraser gone was to kill Cat she originally envisioned the break up to be more permanent. But as she said, no reason to ruin people’s imaginings…
Anyway, I remember when I first finished watching the first season I wanted Cat and Frankie to get together because I thought the cheater and fuck up deserved each other. Then I went back again.
Deciding that Cat didn’t deserve Frankie was a conclusion that was reached primarily due to a sharp boost in my perception of Frankie. I’d forgotten how horribly her family (and even her friends, sometimes) treated her. Like Tess, she’s been hurt more than enough. She deserves someone fully ready and willing to be with her, who would not bring even more drama into her life. My opinion of Cat remained consistently low except for the rare scene in which she was being a true friend to Frankie.
Furthermore, while Frankie had a tendency to reject responsibility for her own failings, Cat had a tendency to essentially do the same blame everything wrong in her life on Frankie. Mess up at work? Frankie’s fault for distracting her. Shitty date with hot girl? Frankie’s fault for trying to butt into her life again. Fight with girlfriend? Frankie’s fault for getting her pissed. Frankie obviously bears some responsibility, but Cat bears most of it – and entirely rejects her own part.
And there’s the simple fact that Frankie is easily my favorite character and Cat is near the bottom.
All told, I wanted Frankie and Cat to become best friends again. She needed the stability of Cat’s friendship way more than she ever needed her as a lover.
Raef, I don’t see what would have been idiotic about
ending the love triangle in Season 2 and the story being open as to if Cat would have ended up with Frankie or Sam. Keep in mind that this would have happened if Laura Fraser had not left the show. If all three had stayed on, of course there would have been the possibility of Cat getting back together with one of them. And keeping the love triangle going for most, or to the end, of the show has been done to death by other shows. At least Braun would have put a stop to it by Season 2. I don’t feel that it would have been the case of either Frankie or Sam crawling back to Cat. And Braun may have envisioned the breakup (Cat being with neither Frankie nor Sam) to be more permanent, but it’s very likely that she would have had Cat end up with one of them in the end. I don’t feel that she was saying that the love triangle is over in Season 2, and then Cat gets back together with one of them in Season 3.
About rewatching Season 1: Maybe Cat didn’t cheat on her girlfriend before Frankie left for two years. Maybe Cat was just thoroughly convinced by Frankie to leave her girlfriend without any cheating going on. Braun did set up a different Cat in Season 1 than the Cat we came to know in Season 2, after all.
I agree that Frankie deserved someone fully ready and willing to be with her, who would not bring even more drama into her life, but Cat was the person who was originally ready. It was Frankie who left her. Should she have been expected to just push aside her hurt and jump back into a relationship with Frankie, when she wasn’t sure if Frankie was going to leave her again? That’s exactly what she thought would happen. She told Frankie in Season 1 that Frankie is always ready until she gets what she wants. I feel that that’s the main reason Cat wouldn’t leave Sam in Season 2.
I also understand her blaming Frankie for the things you mentioned. It was difficult seeing Frankie again, and her mind was continually out of whack because of it.
I love Frankie, and I felt that she would have been just fine for Cat in Season 1. But I can’t understand the argument that Season 1 Cat wasn’t good enough for Frankie.
However, I agree about Frankie having needed Cat’s friendship more than she needed Cat as a lover. Not way more, LOL. But more. Even though it seemed Frankie couldn’t see it that way. It was quite difficult for her to just be friends with Cat, as we saw.
It would’ve been idiotic because Frankie should be with Sadie, goddammit.
But really, if all we got was the triangle for another few seasons it would’ve gotten boring and repetitive. I don’t want to see the same basic storyline play out over and over again.
Cat cheated on Sam, which is what I was referring to. She may have cheated on her girlfriend two years ago (or would it be three now?) but I never imagined it that way.
The main thing that seriously bothers me about Cat is the fact that she got involved with Sam in the first place. Frankie’s return was just a coincidence; it was clear from Cat’s behavior before she knew Frankie was back that she wasn’t even close to being over her. Her behavior after seeing Frankie again strongly reinforced this. And you do NOT enter a serious relationship when you still have so much mental and emotional baggage from your previous one. No matter how you look at it, Cat wasn’t ready for it. It was massively unfair to Frankie and especially Sam and a completely selfish move on Cat’s part. Sam even confronted her about it early on in the relationship, and Cat lied.
So, did I expect her to jump right back into Frankie’s arms? Of course not. But she did not handle the situation well at all, choosing to avoid her problems rather than confront and deal with them. Because she didn’t resolve her and Frankie’s issues two people she supposedly loved are going to get hurt very badly.
I’m surprised I forgot to put this in my first post, because this is really my big problem with Cat. Her irresponsibility and cowardice already has and will cause a lot of damage.
And, well, Frankie doesn’t seem to understand what’s best for her. It pretty much took Sadie kicking her ass out the door to get her to go to the funeral. Though maybe that wasn’t so good for her after all…
“It would’ve been idiotic because Frankie should be with Sadie, goddammit.” LOL!!!! One-track mind. I don’t blame you, though, seeing as I’ve often had one about Frankie/Cat these last few days. We all feel that way about the couples we feel should be together.
Agreed about the love triangle. That’s why I said I’m glad Braun would have ended it in Season 2. Hopefully, never resurrecting it again. I don’t have a problem with love triangles, since they are often a staple on dramas (we have the Tess/Lexy/Sam love triangle now, for example), but it can be quite tiring to drag them out for most of or the entire show.
Oh, I thought you were referring to Cat cheating on her other girlfriend because you stated “Anyway, I remember when I first finished watching the first season” and then referred to Cat as a cheater. It temporarily slipped my mind that Cat had cheated on Sam at the end of Season 1.
And, ooh, I am so in agreement with your frustration about with Cat getting involved with Sam. It was a bad, bad idea. I felt the same way about Sam giving it go, seeing how Cat was still likely very hung up on Frankie. Like you stated, that’s why she had to ask Cat if she had anything to worry about between those two. I gave Cat a pass, though, because she was hurt and scared of falling back into Frankie’s orbit. She clearly thought that moving on with Sam would help her get over Frankie. And she was clearly wrong. Didn’t truly move on at all. But I still wouldn’t say she was unworthy of Frankie.
“Frankie doesn’t seem to understand what’s best for her.” Usually, she doesn’t. We see eye to eye there most definitely.
I was hardly devastated by this episode, that would require that I give a fuck about Cat and I didn’t. There’s inevitably going to be a confrontation between Frankie and Sam, should be interesting to see how that goes.
I can’t believe I didn’t recognize Mrs Hughes until you mentioned it.
ME NEITHER
I can’t believe you don’t like prawn cocktail crisps.
While I was shocked when Cat got hit by the car and lay on the road and thought “OH MY GOD IS SHE DEAD?!” my thoughts then turned to “Well, I hope she dies.” The love triangle plot was just annoying and I never found her and Frankie believable (Frankie just wanting what she can’t have/the comfort of the closest thing to her). At least we’re not facing a series of Cat’s deer in the headlights face and cheating on Sam for no reason (how hard was it really to break up with her?).
Hopefully Sam’s character will go back to the way she was in the first season and Ed won’t be so relegated to the background. Not gonna miss Jay.
BEGONIAS
I wanted begonias.
Oh, also, my first thought after the car hitting Cat was ‘wow, Lip Service really topped Glee on teaching people about the dangers of texting while walking.’
1. The scene where Frankie learns about Cat’s death WRECKED ME WRECKED ME WRECKED ME. Also the scene where she’s clawing at the earth surrounding Cat’s grave.
2. I’m okay with this turn of events overall.
3. Frankie is becoming unbearably hot. I much prefer Sam’s body to any of the other characters, but I’ll accept Frankie’s excessive (IMO) and perhaps slightly disturbing (IMO!)thinness as part of the package.
4. I’m not actually sure if I like Frankie all that much. Perhaps part of it is that she’s actually not that great or unique of a character. And, obviously, if she were a real person I would find her pretty unbearable. How old is she supposed to be? They’re all like 30, right?
5. Lexy is lovely and brings a nice new energy to the show.
6. Frankie and Sadie are really striking together because they are both so lanky but have such different coloring, etc. I like their strange relationship, and Sadie has really grown on me.
7. Sam’s body
I feel bad now for being mean to Frankie. Not to her but about her. She’s had a rough time… the scene with her mom in this episode was nast. And she really was attempting to make positive changes before Cat’s death! I don’t know. Maybe I’m just worried because she’s obviously going to downward spiral and revert now and that kind of broody self-loathing stuff is just boring/annoying to me for the most part. In fictional characters.
Yes, the positive change in Frankie, wanting/making an effort to be a better person because of her love for Cat, is one of the things that liked.
Dunno about you, but if the mess we’ve seen is just Frankie in a downward spiral then I am both nervous and excited at the prospect of seeing how Frankie is when she’s hit rock bottom.
Kelsey, in the first season, the cast were said by the show’s creators to be in their late 20s. I know that, on the show, Tess was revealed to be 29 (or was it, 28?). I think Jay was called 30 (or was it also 29?).
But, yeah, about late 20s/early 30s.
Tess turned 30 in late season 1. Dunno about any of the others.
that is a crazy way to go out!!!
Funniest part being Morena Baccarin’s subpar performance on the otherwise stellar Homeland.
I really did not like the way this played out. Yes the acting was really good, but in my opinion this whole show just changed. It’s like one second you’re watching Scooby Doo and the next Scooby is dead so it becomes something entirely different. I know many don’t agree that the show revolved around Cat, but in my opinion, Cat seems to be the person that first connected all the other characters and ultimately was the reason for some friction between characters. Honestly the only thing, in my opinion, that makes sense is for the characters to basically mope around the rest of the season. There are only 4 more episodes anyways, or at least that’s what it seems on BBC online when I’m watching the show… But all in all I feel like they just killed Scooby in Scooby Doo and now the mystery gang is left to be depressed.
Tori, reading around at other places, not just here, it seems that the consensus is that the show did revolve Cat, or rather that Cat was the heart and others were the heart vessels. That’s why this episode is such a huge game-changer, as you mentioned. Not just because she was a main character.
My face literally looked like this D: for about ten minutes after Cat was hit. Yes, literally.
Cat must have been extremely unlucky to be killed considering she was one of four patients in the entire A&E, the accident rate seems pretty low in Glasgow.
And when somebody crashes in resus you end up with about 30 medical staff working on them, Is it that expensive to employ a few more extras? And the CPR ohhh!
I know this might seem pernickety and irrelevant but it ruined the emotion and sadness of the episode for me.
haha! don’t get me started on how actors playing medics wear their stethoscope wrong (strangling the neck and with the bell dangling so it gets in the way, see photo on page 2)… or how there’s no oxygen system attached to her endotracheal (breathing) tube. or that medically it’s usually referred to as epinephrine (not adrenaline). anyway, yeah, i’m a pain-in-the-ass critiquing doctor.
Word. I kept thinking “Geez, didn’t they hire a medical consultant for this scene? This is crap.” But, the last straw for me was when he referred to epi as “adrenaline”. I winced, and had to pause it. Adrenaline?? Really?? Is this an Emergency Room, or a phys ed class?
But… adrenaline is what they call epinephrine in the UK.
Right, Brits? If they’d called it epinephrine, the Brits would be (rightly) screaming about the Americanization of their TV. :)
I am about 90% that it’s called adrenaline in UK hospitals? That’s the only name I’ve encountered during medsci education here.
Same thing!
http://www.differencebetween.net/science/health/difference-between-adrenaline-and-epinephrine/
Which, somehow, despite being a biologist, I did not know. This puts epi pens into a starker perspective.
Interesting – I work in a UK hospital and we call it epinephrine. I guess it could be regional though…?
It could be (I am in Scotland), or I could be just wrong. I do medsci things but I don’t work in a hospital (yet!) so they might well say ‘epinephrine’ there.
@Scribegrrrl
Yes, I later figured (and hoped) that it was a regional language issue. I mean he said adrenaline like THREE times for Chris’ake. Thanks for the clarification. Of course, it doesn’t make up for the remaining total lameness of that scene, but it’s all good. Looking forward to Friday’s “epi”.
“I can’t remember the last time I felt this kind of breathtaking shock from a TV show.”
I was thinking about this, and the last time I was so surprised by a death on a TV show was.. never? I don’t think I’ve ever been so completely blindsided like that before. I didn’t even know that Laura Fraser was going to leave the show!
The worst was that I watched this episode with my roommate, who had never seen the show before. I sold it to her as a fun, soapy show about Scottish lesbians, and instead we got THIS. I spent the whole episode alternately crying and trying to explain to her, “but really! This show is normally so different!”
I read a spoiler somewhere that Cat was going to die in this season but like everyone else, i shrugged it off like “no, they couldn’t do that, it would just be ridiuclous”, but voila. Never expected it to happen! Although Cat was really annoying me with the whole Frankie/Sam dilemma so i’m a little glad she’s gone.. The whole time she was with Frankie i was honestly screaming at the television since Sam is actually the cutest, most perfect girlfriend ever and she was blowing it all (i’d give anything for a girlfriend like Sam!!).
It’s annoying though, it feels like they’re just kind of leaving that plot after not actually developing it that far and having it come to a proper ending.. It’s like Cat just got everything she wanted and didn’t have to deal with making the decision between Frankie and Sam, and the consequences, because she’s dead now.
All the same, this episode had me in tears, particularly the scene in which they told Frankie. I also felt horrible for Sam, she puts on such a brave face but we finally saw her vulnerable side in this episode. Hopefully this week’s episode will be less emotionally heavy!!
at the beginning of this episode, i was kind of excited because it was cat’s birthday, and it’ll be my birthday tomorrow, so that made me happy for some reason because i felt like we were twins. even though she was not my favorite character and also i’m not a cheater. and then BAM! she died and i was suddenly convinced i would also die on my birthday. like this fictional character. who is not real.
my girlfriend was understandably concerned about how upset i was over this.
i have no idea if this comment makes any sense. but i enjoyed the recap, it summed up my feelings well.
Cat’s character was so annoying, I’m so totally fine with her death. I can’t wait to see what happens next now that she’s out of the way. I couldn’t believe how two amazingly hot women could be so in love with such an annoying person anyway.
I wish this was half reality and I could be the next Mrs. Sam =D
I like Lexy and she’s super hot, but I don’t see her with Sam. They just don’t match.
And… yeah! I love Sam!
good lord. can we PLEASE get some color up in this show!
I don’t understand why the f*ck did they kill Cat…it’s just f*cking sad :(
funny how laura fraser left one show for another only to be replaced. funny how these things work out.
I couldn’t agree more that these types of episode need a mood warning, and that I want my Friday night back.
Unbelievable. I’m not even 25% as invested in this show, as I was in the L Word (until Dana died and I wanted to sink down to the floor with my sinking sunflower and Alice), and I am still deeply emotionally affected. At least we saw Dana’s death COMING.
Where did this come from?!? Where was the car? Where was Cat? Why was she in the street? Why why why?
Also– I can only understand about 66.7% of the words in this show. British series need English subtitles, for sure.
I couldn’t agree more that these types of episodes need a mood warning, and that I want my Friday night back.
Unbelievable. I’m not even 25% as invested in this show, as I was in the L Word (until Dana died and I wanted to sink down to the floor with my singing sunflower and Alice), and I am still deeply emotionally affected. At least we saw Dana’s death COMING.
Where did this come from?!? Where was the car? Where was Cat? Why was she in the street? Why why why?
Also– I can only understand about 66.7% of the words in this show. British series need English subtitles, for sure.
Welp, my girlfriend leaves tomorrow for 6 months. We just watched this episode & this bites. Goddammit, cant we pretend lesbians are immortal for once??
OK i figured out my discomfort with this!
you have to EARN a death episode. I mean, they’ll be mourning this week, right? and let me tell you, watching people in mourning is rarely fun, it’s really emotionally exhausting especially for people with serious funerals in their past that they really don’t want to think about anymore. i really had to love shane to watch her cry for an entire episode, you know? like it was just premature. we weren’t ready for this. we’re still meeting these people. we’re like on our second date with this show. just — just wait. i think, is what caught me off-guard about this. it was too early. i don’t love them enough to watch them mourn, not yet. it was just too early.