Jon Lynes

  • Writer

Press clippings

As Alan and Celia's wedding plans gather pace in the final episode of this second season, Gillian's drunken confession has left Caroline in something of a moral quandary. Caroline's also struggling to win back the affections of Kate, as Robbie is persuaded to take a chance with Gillian.

Love is firmly in the air, then, and as usual the calibre of the writing and acting is very high indeed. Whether it's light-hearted japes or more serious, lugubrious subject matter, the performances throughout are first rate, while the exchanges always feel genuine and realistic.

Of course, events culminate in the much-anticipated wedding itself, which doesn't disappoint. A touching and uplifting affair, it manages to tug on the heartstrings without becoming saccharine. Every plot is concluded quite neatly; given this sort of quality and such impressive ratings, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Last Tango in Halifax get a third series.

Jon Lynes, Time Out, 16th December 2013

The final episode of this series certainly goes out with a bang. With the end of the academic year fast-approaching, JP is desperate to keep the flat together despite various forces working against him. With Kingsley, Heather and Josie in their palpably awkward love triangle, Oregon keeping a huge secret from Dylan and Howard receiving some surprising news from Sabine, the future is far from certain. With secrets to come out, relationships to resolve and decisions to make, there's plenty of room for the show to exercise its comedy muscle, and it does so with aplomb. After a slightly slow start, it soon gathers pace, and the denouement is frantic and, at times, sensational. Fresh Meat has been that rarest thing: a comedy-drama that succeeds on both counts.

Jon Lynes, Time Out, 27th November 2012

After a third, violent and incredibly sinister version of Rudy is released from prison, two things become quickly apparent: he has a disturbing obsession with Jess, and he even terrifies his other two (already pretty unsavoury) doppelgängers. With Finn trying to ward off advances from his horny step-mum and Curtis attempting to prove his bad boy credentials to trainee probation worker Lola, this certainly shows a darker side of Misfits. The new Rudy, played with disturbing and brilliant intensity by Joe Gilgun, exudes a simmering menace throughout, Jess's vulnerability gives her some much-needed depth and Finn comes off as both sympathetic and a total idiot. But Curtis and Alex feel slightly superfluous, the latter's brief appearance suggesting that the big 'reveal' regarding his fear of women is set to be a frustrating slow-burner.

Jon Lynes, Time Out, 11th November 2012

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