Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starshard to decide
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2016
hmmm.... first of all, I didn't really find this funny at all. I usually really enjoy British humor, but the only thing I found remotely funny was the accidentally flashing the bank manager.
The story is a very dysfunctional one, perhaps if I was British I'd find the slapping of the sister when going in for a hug is funny, but honestly, I just found the whole thing sort of painful to watch. But, like others have said, it was very real. The dad's obsession with being happy (sans children), the step-mom's obsession with flaunting their sexuality. The sister's perfect worklife yet imperfect marriage... all very real, and perhaps painfully accurate for some viewers that have encountered these issues.
The part I didn't like was the main character's obsession with terrible sex. it is seriously self destructive and proves to be seriously destructive to an important person in her life. Perhaps the message needs to get out there that sex isn't always free, easy and fun even when it seems that way, but honestly, to never see in a positive light instead portraying it as cheap, truly destructive and traded as currency was pretty disturbing, particularly since it was about young women. Honestly, I'd have really enjoyed the show more without it, and thought more highly of the family related messages that are important. Instead, we see a horrifying portrayal of a woman doing all the things we know we shouldn't do because she feels she can't do any better with her life. While sometimes I get a little sick of the let's super empower everyone, this went a little far the other way.