Love, Lies & Records

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        Sometimes it takes seeing a preview to get really interested in watching a TV show or film.  I’d read about Love, Lies & Records before.  While I thought maybe I would try it some time, it didn’t grab me enough to watch right then.  Then I saw a preview and knew I wanted to watch this show sooner rather than later.   

     Senior Registrar Kate Dickenson (Ashley Jensen) has just been promoted to Superintendent.  It is an exciting opportunity.  One Kate received over her colleague, Judy (Rebecca Front).  It is not hard to see why Kate got the job.  She is warm, caring, and compassionate to everyone who comes into the Register Office.  It does not matter whether they come in to register a birth, death, or marriage; Kate is concerned about what is happening in their life.  This cannot be said for Judy.  She is very distant and by the book.  She does her job, and that is about it.

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    Still, having temporarily held the role of Superintendent while a permanent employee was sought, it is not surprising that Judy was upset about losing the position.  The problem is, it upsets her to the point that she blackmails Kate in order to get her to step down.  She does this with a copy of a security recording showing Kate and her co-worker Rick (Kenny Doughty) together in one of the storage rooms.  Sleeping with someone you work with is an offense that can get you fired, which is why Kate will do pretty much anything to hide what she and Rick did.

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                The thing is, it’s not just her job Kate has to worry about.  She also has a family at home.  Her long-time partner, Rob (Adrian Bower); her two kids; and adult step-son would all be affected if this video came out.

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                With all this in mind, Kate does step down, but it isn’t for long.  That’s because the other people she works with threaten to quit if Judy becomes Superintendent.  To keep his staff and the register running smoothly, Kate’s boss asks her to take back her job.  He knows about the video, but is willing to move past it if she accepts.  Happy to have this anxiety behind her, Kate agrees to once again become Superintendent.

                Unfortunately, despite her work situation getting figured out, Judy is still threatening to tell Rob about the video.  She also causes problems for Kate at work by interfering and moving forward with what Kate is sure is a sham marriage.  Kate is convinced young Slovenian girls are being forced to marry men to help the men stay in the country.  When one of these girls turns up dead, Kate becomes even more certain.  As a detective, Rob becomes involved, forcing them to work together, which is not a good thing.

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                You see, now that the video is out in the open at work, Kate has to face her feelings about Rick.  She wants to deny them, but with Rick constantly professing his love, it is not easy.  It doesn’t help that when she and Rob are together, they always seem to be fighting.  Even if the conversation starts off well, they end up in a fight.  Somehow, they just never get along for long.

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                Despite the reveal of the video, all the other colleagues at the register rally around Kate.  As I already mentioned, they threatened to quit if Judy became the Superintendent over her.  That’s because Kate cares about all of them.  As in really cares.

                One person in particular Kate is close to is James (Mark Stanley).  He has publicly declared he is going to transition into being a woman and would like to be called Jamie.  This does not go over well with his wife, and James ends up staying with Kate and her family, much to their irritation.  Kate helps Jamie as she begins dressing like a woman, risks losing her sons, and goes back to dressing like a man.  Through all the ups and downs of what Jamie goes through, Kate is there, her support unwavering.

Image provided by Acorn TV.

                This compassion is what Kate shows to the people at the Register Office.  In particular, Simon Armitage (James Burrows).  He came in to register the birth of his son and tells Kate the love of his life is dying of cancer.  Kate arranges it so Simon and Jenny (Hannah Steele) can get married quickly.  An event that happens right before she dies. 

                It is the scene of this wedding in the preview that made me really want to watch this show.  Despite it being in a hospice, the wedding is absolutely beautiful.  The love Simon and Jenny had, that is the kind of love everyone wants to have in their life.

                The ending of the show was left a little ambiguous, and I don’t think there’s going to be a second season.  This left me thinking I knew what was going to happen next, but not being fully sure.

                Still, despite the ending, Love, Lies & Records was a good show to watch.  After each episode I always wondered which new way the plotline was going to turn.  At any moment it could have gone in so many directions.  That is what made this show so exciting.