Years and Years: Episode 1
May 15, 2019 1:48 AM - Season 1, Episode 1 - Subscribe
The focus of the six-part series is the Manchester-based Lyons family: Daniel is dating Ralph, Stephen and Celeste worry about their kids, Rosie is about to have her second child, and Edith has not been home for years. Presiding over them all is Gran, the imperious Muriel. All their lives converge on one crucial night in 2019, and the story accelerates into the future, following the lives and loves of the Lyons over the next 15 years
The first episode covers how the first five years of changes affect the family.
Subtle, and not so subtle exploration of future-tech, local politics, world politics, plus exploration of how quickly extended family dynamics can shift.
The first episode covers how the first five years of changes affect the family.
Subtle, and not so subtle exploration of future-tech, local politics, world politics, plus exploration of how quickly extended family dynamics can shift.
Another non-UK RTD stan here who managed to watch it. Really uncomfortably close to reality, but wonderful human relationship portrayal as always from RTD.
posted by andraste at 4:30 PM on May 16, 2019
posted by andraste at 4:30 PM on May 16, 2019
Watched this on iPlayer last night. Phenomenal stuff. The ending was like a waking nightmare.
I'm thinking now that they've got everyone up north for Grandma's celebration because London is going to be a smoking ruin.
posted by rory at 1:37 AM on May 17, 2019
I'm thinking now that they've got everyone up north for Grandma's celebration because London is going to be a smoking ruin.
posted by rory at 1:37 AM on May 17, 2019
I don't want to fight anyone but I am not an RTD stan *at all*.
I promised myself I wouldn't watch anything he was involved in ever again after a certain episode of the series Cucumber involving violence. (If you've seen it you'll know, if You haven't . I won't elaborate).
Not because I don't think RTD isn't a good writer, but because I think he's *too good* at making me care about characters and then doing *Terrible* things to them, often with very little or no warning.
But I'm invested now and have to watch entire series because otherwise I might imagine even more terrible things happening to these characters I now care about.
Bah.
posted by Faintdreams at 4:31 AM on May 17, 2019
I promised myself I wouldn't watch anything he was involved in ever again after a certain episode of the series Cucumber involving violence. (If you've seen it you'll know, if You haven't . I won't elaborate).
Not because I don't think RTD isn't a good writer, but because I think he's *too good* at making me care about characters and then doing *Terrible* things to them, often with very little or no warning.
[Click for spoiler]
The ending of episode one will probably give me nightmares for weeks. Not being hyperbolic here, ever since seeing When the Wind Blows around aged 6 I have an irrational fear of depictions of nuclear warBut I'm invested now and have to watch entire series because otherwise I might imagine even more terrible things happening to these characters I now care about.
Bah.
posted by Faintdreams at 4:31 AM on May 17, 2019
I've been having issues with anxiety and panic attacks lately sooo I think I might have to shelve the rest of this until I get my head back together.
I was doing fine until the last 5 minutes. Jesus.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:05 PM on May 24, 2019
I was doing fine until the last 5 minutes. Jesus.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:05 PM on May 24, 2019
Yeah, this is just a little too close to real. Those last five minutes are too close to nightmares I've actually had for me to participate with this one.
posted by Cannon Fodder at 1:00 AM on May 28, 2019
posted by Cannon Fodder at 1:00 AM on May 28, 2019
Stick with it—episodes 2 and 3 are great, and they aren't a Threads re-run.
posted by rory at 1:01 AM on May 29, 2019
posted by rory at 1:01 AM on May 29, 2019
My roommate is a RTD acolyte and pirated this when it was on the BBC and watched the whole thing, and is re-watching with me now that it's on HBO. I indeed was as triggered by the last 5 minutes as everyone here (had to go get my Snoopy doll from my room and made us watch a video of Tom Holland playing with puppies after), and he swore up and down repeatedly that "that is the end of any nuclear war imagery in this series, my hand to God". I in turn insisted that I wanted to keep watching but wanted a trigger warning should that come up again.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:45 AM on June 25, 2019
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:45 AM on June 25, 2019
Me, when Daniel lies and says he has a "boyfriend" instead of a husband to the sexy refugee: You piece of shit! Don't treat your marriage like that!
Me, when Daniel's husband starts going on about how germs aren't real and the Earth might be flat: To hell with that knucklehead, Daniel. You go get you some of that refugee sexy person.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:21 PM on June 27, 2019 [9 favorites]
Me, when Daniel's husband starts going on about how germs aren't real and the Earth might be flat: To hell with that knucklehead, Daniel. You go get you some of that refugee sexy person.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:21 PM on June 27, 2019 [9 favorites]
Me, when Daniel lies and says he has a "boyfriend" instead of a husband to the sexy refugee: You piece of shit! Don't treat your marriage like that!
In my apartment - where you have me who is watching this new, and my roommate who streamed the entire thing through clandestine channels about five times already a week ago - this went down like this:
ME: ...Hey wait, he said "boyfriend" and not "husband".
ROOMMATE (with sly grin): Yes. Yes, he did.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:19 AM on June 28, 2019
In my apartment - where you have me who is watching this new, and my roommate who streamed the entire thing through clandestine channels about five times already a week ago - this went down like this:
ME: ...Hey wait, he said "boyfriend" and not "husband".
ROOMMATE (with sly grin): Yes. Yes, he did.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:19 AM on June 28, 2019
There was a lot of this I found pretty disturbing, because it nailed in so many respects aspects of current society that make me feel queasy.
The filter mask worn by the daughter reminds me of a George Saunders story where a similar kind of mask is sold for babies to simulate talking. The story is written as an absurdist ad. In this show, the filter mask seems like all too real a possibility. Also, when the children are watching the warning on television and seem too inured by their constant interaction with screens to understand the reality of what's happening. Are we poisoning our children?
In general, there is a sense that we've gone off the rails and don't know how to handle it. Everything feels so absurdly stupid, and somewhat out of control. This family is handling things somewhat like I am, making a lot of bemused jokes and generally being amiably incredulous. I don't think I realized how much of a defense mechanism all of that behavior is until I saw it mirrored here in the show.
posted by xammerboy at 7:15 AM on July 2, 2019 [4 favorites]
The filter mask worn by the daughter reminds me of a George Saunders story where a similar kind of mask is sold for babies to simulate talking. The story is written as an absurdist ad. In this show, the filter mask seems like all too real a possibility. Also, when the children are watching the warning on television and seem too inured by their constant interaction with screens to understand the reality of what's happening. Are we poisoning our children?
In general, there is a sense that we've gone off the rails and don't know how to handle it. Everything feels so absurdly stupid, and somewhat out of control. This family is handling things somewhat like I am, making a lot of bemused jokes and generally being amiably incredulous. I don't think I realized how much of a defense mechanism all of that behavior is until I saw it mirrored here in the show.
posted by xammerboy at 7:15 AM on July 2, 2019 [4 favorites]
OMG they nuked Daisy!
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 1:56 PM on July 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 1:56 PM on July 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
RTD! I was wondering when some fatphobic fascist alien was going to show up followed by David Tennant but I couldn't place why and then I saw his name in the credits and I was like, ah. There will be some kind of nasty alien fascist any second. He really has a schtick. The show is very good though and almost too creepy for me.
posted by bleep at 11:52 PM on July 8, 2019
posted by bleep at 11:52 PM on July 8, 2019
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posted by soren_lorensen at 5:59 AM on May 15, 2019