Mum's Monday: Years and Years

Warning Spoilers

In the first episode, it gets off to a confusing start as to how the characters/families are set up, but at the moment the focus is on what is being said on the TV. So there is time and it is not important at this time to know where the characters all fit in this program. The speech Daniel (Russell Tovey) gave at the hospital after Lincoln was born is sadly truthful. What follows can only be seen as guess work over the years, but in-keeping with world events and not going over the top. Now we are five years later, the face technology is sadly, good and funny. This episode has now taken a very political, sensitive and dark turn off events. Trans human sounds interesting but strange, it is however, clever how realistic it could be. The episode is confusing again, I’m sure it was mentioned Gran Muriel (Anne Reid) had died. The conversation after a revelation that wasn’t the character they meant is cleverly scripted and yes germs not existing is weirdly believable. It turns out robots could be really useful in the future. Moving on, I don’t know how likely it is a nuclear weapon would be launched, but this is still scripted as not over the top for this program. This looks to be a hard hitting drama.

The second episode, it is confusing as to what year it is. It starts off with some sad news and there are nicer/better ways of telling your family, this news is devastating to them. This program takes replacing humans and jobs with technology to a whole new level. It is also, personally to me, a little creepy having your hand as your phone. Even the thought of it makes me feel a little ill. Sadly, this could be a real thing in the future, which makes it even stranger. It is heart-warming to see the family reunited. It is sad to see Viktor (Maxim Baldry) having to leave, but there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. However, it is sad to see how another country see and treat a person who is gay. I can see how ‘The Blink’ can be a good idea. it is good to see that Stephen (Rory Kinnear) and his family, wife Celeste (T’Nia Miller) and their two daughters Bethany (Lydia West) and Ruby (Jade Alleyne) have somewhere to live, not so good losing all that money. I wander how that will turn out.

In episode three, I am so glad Viktor is found. It is interesting to see how far food and how to heat it has changed. Sadly, it does mean another job lost. Despite the loss to the family we find out how the family all fit in. it is weird to see in this program they have changed funerals. Bethany is in Liverpool ‘A camera eye’ it looks and is horrendous. A new world. Stephen, Steven (Craig Gazey)

In episode four, Europe is imploding there is ‘Grexit’ where Greece is leaving the European union and Hungary has gone bankrupt. However, life for the Lyons family is carrying on as normal. I don’t want to say this episode is becoming far-fetched, but Spain has gone from now in 2019, where I have heard ‘The most popular holiday destination’ to in this series ‘You only go there if it is essential travel’. The writers have really used their imaginations so you are glad this is only a fictional drama. Now we see compulsory voting in the general election. It is good to see love put above everything. Sadly, it isn’t all legal what is being discussed and carried out, but I really feel for the characters. Steven’s world has imploded and Daniel and Viktor’s life centres around getting home. The year 2027. How could they! The writers. Such a devastating and shocking ending to this episode. Ultimately it is nice to see Celeste and Muriel reconcile their differences.

In episode five, when Edith (Jessica Hynes) starts talking about the ‘Disappeared’ it has an air of ‘Doctor Who’ vibe about it. It isn’t necessarily Si Fi fiction like the brilliant program of ‘Doctor Who’ and what it aims for and achieves so well, this series however, is absolutely meant to represent real life. I can see some truth in what is happening as the characters are starting the year 2028. It is nice to see the eye surgery went well and ultimately the heart-warming reaction from Celeste when the family celebration doesn’t turn out as planned. It is inevitable that somethings will never change as in ‘Conspiracy Theories’ and there always seems to be a slither of doubt in an argument. Did the nuclear bomb happen, leading to the bank collapse? If it didn’t, you could say there is proof, Edith is not dead, despite being close to the radioactive area and was infected/affected. It is weird hearing that Bethany has seen filing cabinets in ‘Films’, ‘Period Dramas’. It is little snippets of script like that that enhances the futuristic nature of this series. Now the program is slowly turning into a spy series and has strange new laws.

In the sixth and final episode of the series, at the meal it is lovely, amazing and heart-warming to have Celeste included in the division of the house sale profit. After, the speech Muriel makes at the dinner table is brilliant, is so truthful and made me think to the extent of ‘Blowing my mind’ with the actual realisation of how society could become, as we see the start of it even now in 2019. The ‘War’ has started, one family rose up. Enough is enough. And Edith is that you?

Overall this was a weird and intriguing series. Really it is just about a family getting on with their lives with all the political upheaval and strange technology in the background. It just works as a unique and original drama.