Originally published by L.S. Media. June 21st 2012.L.S. Media Rating **Cast: Jane Horrocks, Alexander Siddig, Charlie Creed Miles, Genevieve Barr.
The penultimate episode of B.B.C.’s True Love season of short, partly improvised plays by Dominic Savage sees empty nest syndrome mum Sandra question her position in the world after her daughters have finally grown up and left the family home.
With two of television’s most recognised actors in Jane Horrocks and Alexander Siddig in the programme, there would have been high hopes on this particular half hour being as interesting as the previous three episodes but even Jane Horrocks can’t save every show she appears in. The main trouble that viewers may possibly have is with the casting of the ever reliable Alexander Siddig as the Turkish temptation that Sandra starts to develop feelings for. It does seem that for a man who spent many years perfecting the role of Doctor Bashir in Deep Space Nine and who has been phenomenal in many of the roles he has played, typecasted as a swarthy, intelligent Middle Eastern/African who comes along to save the day is slightly stale.
It is a shame that the focus of the story, which could have dealt so much more with the children leaving home and what it does to a couple was reduced to Jane Horrocks going wide eyed at a man who just happened to show interest in talking.
This half hour was the flip side of the previous episode Holly where Sandra’s husband, portrayed with some semblance of sour feelings by Charlie Creed Miles was having an affair with Billie Piper’s Holly. The turn-around where he sees how his negligence has not only lost him Holly but now his wife was quite possibly the best part of the drama, as we see a man destroyed by his own ego and his inability to realise that his wife could also betray him.
If anyone hadn’t managed to catch the episode Holly, it would have been almost permissible to put a warning out at the start of the programme advising to avoid if it was at all possible. Unfortunately rushed and without a real sense of depth, both in the dialogue and in the characters. It is a shame that there always has to be a weak point in a drama series, in Sandra, this was it.
Ian D. Hall