I’ve been watching Fifteen—Love
Wendy and I have just finished the disturbing and absorbing six-part drama Fifteen—Love on Amazon Prime. It primarily examines the relationship between a brilliant tennis player (played by Ella Lily Hyland) and her coach (played by Aidan Turner).
We found the script to be deftly plotted and the production to be outstanding, as the two combined to peel away layer after layer of complexity in a series where almost nothing is black and white. It is timely, coming as it does after so many stories have come out of abusive behaviour from coaches towards young athletes. Without wanting to spoil anything, it also thoughtfully and cleverly includes a character with dementia in a way that feels integral to the plot.
We did have some quibbles: the contortions the script goes through to avoid mentioning the word “Wimbledon” introduced some unintentional and inappropriate levity in some serious scenes. There is one central character whose writing is so uneven that their inclusion felt vaguely pointless. And there is quite a bit of unnecessary and unnatural scripted exposition: it may be unpredictable, but when revelations occur they are telegraphed rather than hinted at.
But the acting—especially Hyland’s incredible performance—is unmissable.
This post was filed under: Post-a-day 2023, TV, Aidan Turner, Amazon Prime, Ella Lily Hyland.