The premiere episode opens in Edinburgh on July 15th, 1988 at what appears to be a graduation party. Despite the camera panning around the packed dance floor, it soon becomes clear that Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) and Emma (Ambika Mob) are the focus of the story. They even end up bumping into each other on the dance floor. Dexter is later shown discussing summer plans with both Caroline (Emily Butcher) and Rory (Jack Shep). He spots Emma and uses Callum’s (Brendan Quinn) drunken antics to play her rescuer. She admits to knowing him by reputation once he formally introduces himself. He claims to have seen her around campus as well, but later that night her question about where he previously saw her goes unanswered. Dancing and drinking the night away, their shared attraction becomes apparent. He even does a good job of showing interest in her major and dissertation.
They soon find themselves back at her apartment, where she invites him inside. Things get hot and heavy quickly, but there is a strange moment when she abruptly interrupts to play a tape, even taking the time to fast-forward. It’s mere minutes later before she brings the action to a lull again by asking about his plans for the future. Although she doesn’t claim to have her future mapped out, she does know that she wants to make a difference in the world. It doesn’t take long for them to realize they are exact opposites, but their physical attraction appears to be much deeper. The making out eventually resumes, but abruptly ends with Emma’s running off to the bathroom. Tilly (Amber Grappy) joins Emma in the bathroom to dish about Dexter, while he snoops through her belongings.
After Emma returns to Dexter, there is some flirty back-and-forth and an instance where it seems as if the encounter might get physical. She kills the mood with her insistence that there is nothing sexier than talking. They eventually fall asleep and she wakes the next morning to find him in the middle of attempting to sneak out. She continues to tease his sneaking out and doesn’t appear to believe his claims about already having the day planned with his parents, which is later revealed to be a lie during a fake phone call to rearrange his schedule.
This time it is Emma who intrudes on Tilly in the bathroom. Their encounter doesn’t last long thanks to Tilly’s continued nagging and unbelief that Emma didn’t sleep with Dexter. He eavesdrops on their discussion before Tilly introduces herself and invites him to stay for breakfast. Although their breakfast is uneventful and quick, it is decided that the day is far too nice to spend indoors. Both Emma and Tilly find it funny that Dexter has been in Edinburgh for 4 years and never climbed Arthur’s Seat. Once that becomes their activity for the day, Tilly realizes she is intruding and encourages them to go alone.
Despite being out of shape and Emma’s good-natured teasing, Dexter appears to be a good sport. He blames his struggle on the dress shoes and is even willing to accept Emma’s hand in assistance at the top. They both soon appear embarrassed and recoil from each other when a group of peers at the top recognize Dexter. After reaching the peak, a picnic and bottle of wine leads to a discussion about religion. She makes a toast to one-night stands and he reminds her that they didn’t sleep together before asking if that decision had anything to do with religion. She says it wasn’t. They take a photo together before descending the mountain.
At the end of their outing, he invites her for a drink at the pub, which she hesitantly accepts. When she asks what pub, he says one that is near his flat. They end up racing hand in hand towards his flat, which is very shortly interrupted by his parents, Alison (Essie Davis) and Stephen (Tim McInnerny). Dexter’s parents introduce themselves and are extremely cordial, even inviting Emma to dinner, but she appears to feel out of place. She makes it a few blocks away before he chases her down and they arrange to get back together after he returns from France.
Skipping ahead exactly a year into the future, Dexter is shown in a hotel or apartment where he joins someone in bed. Elsewhere, Emma appears to be happily traveling on a commuter bus.
One Day Review
Not the worst series premiere I’ve ever seen. It certainly wasn’t the most incredible or intriguing thing I’ve seen, but I didn’t have high hopes going in. I haven’t read the book, so I am coming into this with fresh eyes. I can certainly appreciate the shorter run time. In addition, there didn’t appear to be a lot of fluff. I also felt that Dexter and Emma were the sole focus of the episode, which was a plus. Although some of the friends were introduced, Tilly was really the only one to get much screen time.
My biggest complaint would be the stereotypical cliché feel. Dexter is the good-looking rich, privileged white boy who sleeps with anything that moves. Emma is an intellectual with a burning desire to leave her mark on the world. I’d give the episode 4.8 out of 10.
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