As the first episode of The Change begins, Linda (Bridget Christie) hangs out with her daughter who complains about every little thing. Her kids go inside so Linda is left sitting alone. Linda asks Siobhain (Liza Tarbuck) if she swallows loudly since her daughter complained about that. Linda tries to tell Siobhain her work story. Siobhain offers her a drink so she can stop speaking for a bit. Siobhain thinks it is great that Steve (Omid Djalili) organized all of this for her. Linda explains that she invited everyone, got all the shopping, and baked her own cake. She even selected and wrapped her own present.

Steve says a few words about Linda being fit and a great mom. Linda keeps a log of everything she has done. Steve comes inside to get her because they’re going to cut the cake. She is upset and questions whether he could’ve thought of anything else to say about her. Linda says behind to look for the cake cutter thing while Steve goes outside and hurts his back. Linda visits her doctor (Richard Durden) because there are a few issues she wants to discuss with him. She goes through her symptoms before confirming she is 50 now. The doctor thinks she is dealing with menopause.

He goes on to say some of the women find the shift in hormones liberating. His wife has taken up extreme climbing so she hangs off cliffs on weekends now. Linda remembers climbing as a kid and hiding something. Back at home, Linda does chores and records her progress. When she opens a cabinet, everyone comes falling down causing a cut on her forehead. After throwing stuff outside, Linda remembers climbing as a kid once again. She goes to her storage where she uncovers her motorcycle and grabs her helmet. Then, Linda goes inside and explains to Steve that she is going away for a bit.

He ends up calling his mom with a note and telling her what happened. Steve says Linda has gone to look for some time capsule in a tree. She has been adding up the invisible work she has done over the past 25 years and writing it down in a ledger. Now, she is taking some of that time back. Steve continues complaining to his mother while Linda drives her bike into the woods. Steve blames Dr. Spence for putting ideas in her head. He says Linda can tell people whatever he wants. At the pub, he tells his friends that she has cancer. Once Linda stops, she briefly speaks to a man about being a biker.

Then, she notices a sign for the upcoming Eel Festival and a luxury caravan for hire. Steve looks in the closet and finds all of the ledgers. Linda asks about the caravan. She tells Agnes (Susan Lynch) and Carmel (Monica Dolan) how long she wants to use the caravan. Linda explains she can’t stay longer because she is just there to find a tree. Agnes agrees to let her stay in the caravan but gives her a long list of rules. It’ll need to be cleared out because no one has been in it since their dad died in it. Once Linda checks it out, she says she hasn’t come out there just to clean up another man’s mess.

Although she says she isn’t doing it, Linda ends up cleaning up the caravan. She receives a call from her sister who says Steve claims she left because she had done some ironing. Siobhain believes she has left for another man so she asks Linda to call her back. Later, she receives a message from Siobhain saying Steve can’t find the cheese grater. A man joins her at the bar and says she shouldn’t be sitting alone. Linda asks why it isn’t right for an adult woman to sit alone. Tony (Paul Whitehouse) jokes that she could be raped in there before noticing she is reading about menopause. Linda says she has spent more time putting other people’s feelings and needs before her own.

She tells him about the importance of time before saying she is going to sit there and read her book. She isn’t going to buy him a drink or chat with him. Tony ends up getting up and making one last joke before moving.

 

The Change Review

The opening episode of The Change was surprisingly enjoyable although the humor didn’t always hit the target. Bridget Christie plays the role well and the show did a good job of being as moody as it needed to be. Some jokes landed better than others, but the humor may not be the highlight of the series.

Instead, The Change may be an emotional drama if it manages to play its cards right. The first episode was a good step in the right direction since it was effectively moody and the idea of finding Linda’s hidden box is intriguing. I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would considering comedies usually aren’t my cup of tea.

The opening episode scores a 6.5 out of 10. Recaps of The Change can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising with us here.