Free Agents Series 1, DVD Review

Free Agents is a black comedy from Big Talk Productions that recently aired on Channel 4. The show centers around two characters, both of whom work for CMA, a talent agency. Alex (Stephen Mangan) is a thirty-something agent who’s life has taken a turn for the worst. He’s going through a messy divorce, misses his kids and has nowhere to live. Helen (Sharon Horgan) on the other hand is starting to come out the other side of her bad patch, but life is still not a bed of roses. Her fiancé died of a rare heart condition a few months before their wedding and as a result she drinks quite heavily. The series opens with the two in bed. They’ve had some casual sex, they work together, there’s going to be some aftermath!

Episode 1

Alex and Helen share a night of casual sex. The day after, back at work, Helen is handling it well, but Alex seems to want something more and stalks her around London trying to explain why he’s ready for another relationship.

Episode 2

In an attempt to move Alex’s attentions on from her, Helen posts Alex’s details on a dating website. This is no ordinary dating website though, it’s for emotionally damaged individuals. Alex, who is at first not keen, soon perks up when he’s left 48 messages from willing women, one of them university ex-girlfriend, Sarah.

Episode 3

A legendary agent has died. CMA’s boss, Stephen, wants all his agents to attend the funeral to try and poach his clients. This is Helen’s first funeral since her fiancés so she heads to the off-license for some liquid courage and ends up in a drunken conversation with the vicar over God’s existence and whether she should be Godmother to her dead fiance’s niece.

Episode 4

Helen is stuck with her baby Goddaughter for the day but knows nothing about looking after a baby. To help out she turns to Alex, an experienced baby wrangler with two kids of his own. Alex has his own agenda however and is trying to get a look at his wife’s new boyfriend.

Episode 5

Alex arranges a surprise birthday party for Helen, secretly hoping that she’ll get drunk and sleep with him. To get her out of the flat he’s fixed her up with one of his, bit-part actor, clients, who’s written a script. It all backfires on Alex when Helen brings him back to the flat, and the party and ends up in bed with him.

Episode 6

Alex and Helen’s boss Stephen is getting married again (for the ninth time!). This time he’s got it sussed and is marrying a woman who runs a brothel. Alex is designated as best man and is dragged off to Stephen’s fiance’s brothel for the stag night. Both Alex and Helen start to realize their true feelings for each other, but Alex has moved in to his ex-girlfriends spare room and had sex with her. Is it all too late?

This is described as a black comedy and it certainly is. There’s not a normal character amongst them. They’re all screwed up in some way, which then leads to a lot of the comedy, but also gives us some serious angst to work through as well. The closest to normal is Helen. It’s been a while since she lost her fiancé and she’s beginning to put her life back together. Alex’s pain is fresh. He’s only just split-up with his wife and he’s not handling it very well. As a character, Alex comes across as way too needy and pathetic. It’s difficult to see Helen being even remotely attracted to him but the interaction between them provides the back-bone to the program and is quickfire and witty.

There is one character who steals the show however. The CMA boss, Stephen (Anthony Head) is a foul-mouthed, sexual deviant and doesn’t try to hide it. You might think this is a bit of a leap for an actor who we saw as sophisticated and suave in the coffee ads and bookish and boring in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, but Anthony shows his acting breadth and totally pulls it off. He utters pretty much every expletive you can think of and references pretty much every sexual practice you’ve ever heard of at some point in the show so if you’re easily offended stay away. If not then he’s the best character in by far, he injects another comedy element, crude and rude, which alongside the witty banter between Alex and Helen makes this a very decent show.

I don’t usually go for black comedies, I usually prefer mine light hearted and easy going, but this is one that I hope gets a second series. If you missed it first time round then I recommend the DVD.

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