The Lovers (2023)

"Opposites attract" is as old as the hills but the writing here is sharp and witty, and the performances of Roisin Gallagher as Janet and Johnny Flynn as Seamus pretty much spot on, each having funny bones in their own way.

It’s their interplay and the two actors’ natural charisma that draw us in. The writing is as nimble and spirited as the leads — not a shock since the screenplay is by playwright David Ireland (“Cyprus Avenue”), who ditches the schmaltz in favor of tart, edgy interplay.

I ended up enjoying it while remaining wholly unconvinced that Janet and Seamus belong together. Tune in if you’re a sucker for a warped vibe.

Episode one does just enough to cast a sly, subversive hook. But Northern Irish writer David Ireland drops enough quirky clues to suggest that things are destined to heat up between his two offbeat lovers.

Janet is much more likable than Seamus, but less developed as a character.

It’s a rollercoaster ride into disaster early on, as honesty takes a backseat to jokes that only half-land and an exploration of subject matter that might’ve been better suited for a traditional drama. .... [Janet is] merely a crass Irish stereotype, but at least she's more endearing than Seamus, whom I spent most of the series wanting to shove into a wall just to see what kind of obnoxious sound he’d make.