Fair warning: this is a happy post about a sitcom that's just made me very happy. Doesn't contain a single growl. Enjoy!
Things can be funny sometimes.
All it took was my checking the TV listings from a website for my mother, and I spotted a piece of "news" on the sidebar. And it caught my eye.
Of course, it was meant to be shocking, and I usually avoid that kind of tabloid stuff like a mix of the Plague and the Ebola virus. But not this time.
It's about a sitcom that's currently broadcasting (they're on Series 5), but it's the champion of spin-offs (I think).
I'm not going to pretend that I grew up with these series, but I did manage to watch most of them.
It all started with the sitcom Salut les Musclés (I couldn't find interesting links in English... Sorry!), which begot a spin-off, Premiers baisers, which begot a spin-off, Hélène et les garçons (oh, look! This one has a page in English), and this one was followed by three related series with (nearly) the same group of characters in Le miracle de l'amour (Miracle of Love), Les vacances de l'amour (Holidays of Love), and currently Les mystères de l'amour (Mysteries of Love).
I was still reading when I watched the first three series, and then I started working, and for years I had demented schedules (No, really barmy hours. Seriously.), and then I missed most of the three series after Hélène et les garçons.
I was vaguely aware that Les mystères de l'amour was on one of the channels I can get through my amazing Internet provider, but until last weekend, I'd completely forgotten to give it a try and watch it. It's on on Saturdays and Sundays, and... let's face it, I recover from my classes on Saturdays and plan the details of my classes on Sundays.
*completely, utterly, irremediably fake gasp* I was being a responsible adult.
Well.
I noticed, by accident, one TV guide article. I clicked the link - this link - and I knew after watching the video on that page (by the way, I hope there's no geographical thingy on the video, because that's always annoying when that happens, and I really hope it can be watched outside of Europe!) that I'd be tuning in to watch that episode, because of the massive plot twist in it.
Since I read that page, I've been doing some catching up about the plots, and I discovered that critics have been rather nasty about the various series because they found them not realistic enough. Yea... because a SitCom is supposed to be realistic (honestly, what are these people smoking? The very bad lawn?). If I want pseudo-realistic, I'll watch a documentary - and even then, it's never realistic.
These series are fun, and this is what I found - and I'm finding again - in them.
I've read comments (on the TV guide page) that complained that the twist ruined the series, and some even say they'll stop watching.
I'll start watching again. I did last Sunday, and now I want to know where that plot twist is going to go.
What plot twist? Two of the male characters, who have been friends for twenty years, start a relationship (one has just been nastily dumped by his long time girlfriend, whilst the other is having a rocky relationship with his wife).
Now, yes, I'm a fan of slash relationships, but as I watched the episode where everything changed, I just kept thinking about real life where 'stuff happens' (I swear, that was my mantra throughout the episode). I have honestly seen weirder things happen in real life.
First, this plot twist makes me think of another series I love: Bob & Rose (and its creator said that the plot was inspired, if loosely, by the life of a friend of his).
It's about love, for Merlin's sake! It's not about a gay man falling in love with a woman or about two Casanovas falling in love after twenty-odd years of friendship. It's not about wondering how a gay character can marry a woman and still be gay, and it's not about, as I've seen some people wonder (because they're missing the plot about gay lovemaking and they use stereotypes and outdated clichés that show us how badly we still need accurate Sex Ed!) who is being the "woman" in the newly-formed couple. Repeat after me: it's all about love (sex is great, but it's secondary)... and friendship doesn't hurt either.
The writer and producers of this series wanted to have a gay couple amongst their characters (in the comments, one bloke suggested a lesbian couple, as it would have been more realistic - for a wank marathon, perhaps), and even if I'm just one gal watching it, I'm glad they chose two of the main characters (not only because the two gentlemen are extremely handsome!).
I was on board the moment I saw the snippet, because it's well-written, and it's funny, and very well acted.
Messieurs Jean-François Porry (the writer... Well, one of the creator's pseudonyms), Patrick Puydebat (playing Nicolas) and Philippe Vasseur (playing José) will probably never hear of this blog post, but I'd like to thank them for a wonderful episode and a brilliant twist.
This episode made my day... and that's the goal of telly, isn't it?
Allow me to decipher the twist, if I may.
If you don't want SPOILERS, stop reading this, and go leave a comment. Cheers!
The full episode can be found on the net... go look for it...
So... Let's focus on the boys.
Scene 1:
Nicolas's feeling blue, and José comes to check on his friend in the garden.
We discover that José's had an argument with his wife for quite a silly reason.
Nicolas is really shaken (he even declares that he's done with women), and José reminds him that his friends are here for him - that he's here for him.
They hug... and they suddenly both have looks that tell us 'There's something odd; something different's happening', but they do not jump apart; they keep hugging.
After all, they have been best friends for twenty years.
Scene 2:
Our dear boys have decided to plant a small tree (probably part bonding male ritual and part 'let's help Nicolas forget about his being dumped' kind of exercise).
José's wife finds the location of the tree ridiculous, and they have another argument (it's not a good sign when people argue about trifles).
Nicolas tries to be a diplomat for a moment, but José stands his ground, which prompts his wife, Bénédicte (Laure Guibert), to announce that she's leaving.
Our boys agree that women are too complicated and decide to go out for a walk (the poor tree isn't fully planted - I know blokes who'd do that).
Scene 3:
They've made it to the village café, and they end up agreeing that only male friendship is worth their time (after complimenting each other on their respective good looks... they do have a point there).
José takes Nicolas's hand, and even though they do trade a brief look that reads 'What the heck is going on between us right now, oh, please, God, help me see the light?', they still don't run away screaming.
Something's about to explode (but I swear I've seen barmier stuff in real life!).
Scene 4:
Back in the garden, they've moved the tree: Nicolas doesn't want his best friend to have another argument with his wife, but José's bothered that they did as she wanted.
Bénédicte, who's going to the village with Hélène (Hélène Rollès) and Olga (Macha Polikarpova), gloats that she was right. That doesn't go too well with José, but Nicolas prevents his friend from reacting too harshly. However, José really sounds as if he's reached a point where he feels that his wife is a source of complete negativity.
They head home to take a shower.
Scene 5:
Nicolas, half-naked on his bed, is thinking about his ex-girlfriend (flashback sequence!). José joins him in a lovely bathrobe.
Nico's feeling terribly blue, and José tries to cheer him up again. Nico repositions himself to lean against his best friend, and he's very moved when he states that José's always here for him ('T'es toujours là, toi. J'te remercie, ma poule!'), which prompts José to answer that he'd do anything to make Nico happy ('Tu sais, j'ferais n'importe quoi pour que tu sois heureux').
Fasten your seat-belts, slash twist in a few seconds...
Nico assures him that he knows that, and after turning to look at his friend, he states that he's irreplaceable.
And then... José dives onto his friend's lips and... José/Nico! All right, Nico squeaks a bit, but he instantly wraps his arms around José.
Scene 6:
This one is pure genius (give the writer a cookie and a hug!!).
Our boys appear to be naked in bed, and Nico's head's on José's belly. It's not quantum physics, but... they did it.
Tongue-in-cheek (or with the Neanderthals in the audience in mind), our two characters do state that they did it - this can work to show their own surprise at that twist in their lives and their friendship.
They agree that it was brilliant, and that they've never felt anything this strong with any woman before. They don't regret a thing, but they look a tad surprised (plausible, indeed!).
The first stroke of genius in this scene comes with Nicolas.
Nicolas: (frowning) However I feel some pain in the (he moves his left arm towards his nether regions in order to fool the cliché-afficionados) knee, right behind it. I must have made some awkward move / Par contre, j'ai un petit peu mal au... genou, là, derrière. J'ai dû faire un faux mouvement.
That tiny detail made me laugh quite heartily - at the expense of the fans of clichés.
Then, José goes on to state that, now, they're gay; Nicolas answers that their making love doesn't mean they're gay: it's about feelings and being friends.
José, with a small smile, points out that they've got to be extraordinary friends for sharing what they've just shared.
Before we can get a word from Nicolas on the topic, they're interrupted by Hélène shouting that lunch will be ready soon.
Nicolas shouts back that they'll join them all soon; this takes two tries as he deepens his voice in order to make it sound more masculine, which José seems to find both adorable and ridiculous (cherry on that cake, Nico seems to wonder where that bit of silliness came from).
José suggests that they be careful so that the ladies won't suspect a thing, and Nico points out that no one would ever suspect such a barmy twist - and José nods to agree.
Scene 7:
They've got dressed - almost identically, which amuses them (and that's cute, because it's a tiny hint that, yes, they tend to be on the same wave length).
Incidentally, their story collides with a secondary plot that sees two other characters cheating on their companions, which is another sign for José and Nico that they're better together.
Scene 8:
Lunch scene on the patio.
Nico's sitting next to José, and all their friends encourage José and Bénédicte to make peace.
When she kisses him, José rushes back inside, obviously needing to worship the Porcelain God. Nico's the one who runs after him.
Still tongue (firmly, I believe) in cheek, one of their friends says that José's not really gay these days (yea, silly pun, but it works).
Scene 9:
They're in the bathroom after José's offering to the Porcelain God. He explains that he's in trouble because he's now completely disgusted if his wife tries to kiss him, and that's going to be a major issue at night because she's quite snuggly under the covers.
When Nico suggests him to find a trick, José come up with the idea of pretending that Nico's still feeling blue in order to stay with him. He'll pretend to cheer him up as they explore their new relationship.
After a bit of 'Are you sure this is really what you want?' from both men, they agree to spend the whole night together.
They share two more kisses (lips and cheek), and their alleged clumsiness and eagerness sold me the plot a bit more (they've got to hide their feelings from their friends, they need to understand what's just happened to them, and... they're in love and want more).
Incidentally, we have Olga (a more recent addition in the group of friends; someone who hasn't known them for twenty years) who notices the new dynamics between Nicolas and José, but Hélène and Bénédicte dismiss her warning, because that's just impossible.
Scene 10:
The next morning - and Nico has been watching José sleep for fifteen minutes when the latter finally wakes up.
They still don't regret a thing. José's even so sure of his feelings that he's planning to tell his wife everything.
'No, but wait, what are you going to tell her?' (Non, mais attend, qu'est-ce que tu vas lui dire ?) Nico inquires.
'That I no longer love her, that I love you, and that we're going to build our future together,' (Que j'l'aime plus, que j't'aime toi et qu'on va faire not' vie ensemble), José answers.
'Isn't it too soon?' (C'est pas un peu tôt, non ?) Nico wonders, frowning.
'What is it? Aren't you sure of your feelings?' (Quest-ce qu'i'a, t'es pas sûr de tes sentiments ?) José asks, worried.
'Absolutely not, that's not it, quite the conrary! Not at all, but, erm... you know, we should do things step by step,' (Ah, non, non, c'est pas ça, au contraire ! Pas du tout, mais, heu... c'est comme tout... Faut y aller progressivement) Nico explains.
'Yes, but what do we do then? Do we come out or not?' (Oui, mais on fait quoi, alors? On le dit ou on le dit pas ?) José asks.
'Well, look, I've got an idea: I'm going to confide in Hélène. We're not together. She's my best friend, not my girlfriend. We'll see how she reacts. If she's sick or she faints, well, we'll know it's too soon to come out,' (Bah, écoute, j'ai une idée : je vais en parler à Hélène. On n'est pas ensemble. C'est ma meilleure amie, c'est pas ma copine. On verra sa réaction. Si elle vomit ou elle s'évanouit, bah, c'est que c'est pas la bon moment.) Nicolas suggests.
'Yep, you're right, and it's better than telling Béné straight away. [slight pause+smile] That's another reason for me to be in love with you: you always have the best ideas,' (Ouais, t'as raison, c'est mieux que de le dire directement à Béné. C'est aussi pour ça que je t'aime, parce que t'as toujours de bonnes idées.) José states.
'Well, careful or I'll end up believing you,' (Um, fais gaffe, j'vais t'croire) Nico concludes.
Scene 11:
The mother of all twists!!!
As Nico is about to come out, Hélène tells him that she knows. She knows that he's over his ex-girlfriend (she's not wrong on that one), and that he's realized what his true feelings are (still not wrong - sort of).
Then she tells him that she's still in love with him (always have, always will) and she proceeds to kiss him... no arm wrapping around her this time, in spite of their past love story.
Of course, José arrives right then and fears that his lover took advantage of him and betrayed his heart.
They start fighting and... cliffhanger!
All the critics (and member of the audience!) can say anything they want. I loved it, and I'm planning to watch the next episode, and if José and Nico really stay together, I'll arrange my schedule to keep watching (for a ton of reasons, and the list would be too long here).
The title is Mysteries of Love, and yes! Love can be barmy, too - on television and in real life.
ps: Is it next Saturday yet?
pps: I'm suddenly wondering if there are fanfics for this fandom... *Disapparates to investigate*
ppps: Nephir, thanks for encouraging me to blog, this was fun! ;)
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