In a calm neighborhood of Dublin, an individual stands in his driveway, sporting a tank top and voicing his feelings. “It seems like I'm becoming more silent. More invisible,” states Leonard, looking into the darkness. “One thing’s led to another and currently I feel like without a change, I’ll just carry on in this minor, harmless existence.” Hungry Paul, his closest and only friend, ponders this statement. “There's no harm in that,” he responds, his bathrobe moving in the breeze. “Preferable to attempting to leave an impact and causing harm instead.”
For viewers exhausted by the bluster and constant stimulation of current streaming landscape, Leonard and Hungry Paul steps in similar to a warm cover and a comforting beverage of a sweet cordial.
In line with its quiet characters, this comedy – a six-episode comedy created by the writing duo, based on Rónán Hession’s subtle 2019 novel – looks disapprovingly toward today's world; peering disapprovingly through its eyewear at anything in the way of disturbances, quick actions or – goodness forbid – too much drive. This show on the contrary, an ode to introversion; a quiet celebration for those content to wander out of the spotlight. But. The character (one more distinctly original portrayal from Alex Lawther) is uneasy. He senses an increasing “need to open the entryways of my life … slightly.” The passing of his mother has pulled the carpet out from under him and Leonard, an anonymous author, now finds himself questioning the decisions that directed him to his current situation (alone; sporting facial hair; working on several educational volumes for a boss who ends messages with the phrase “see you later”).
And so Leonard starts an exploration to find happiness, alongside his more outgoing friend Paul (the performer) serving as his confidante, life coach and co-conspirator in a weekly board games evening which acts as discussion (“Is the water heated from kids relieving themselves, or do kids pee in it as it's heated?”) and sanctuary.
(How did Paul get his nickname? It's unclear. The origin of this name is shrouded in history. It could be that Paul on one occasion consumed a snack in record time, or reacted to a socially fraught incident by hastily opening several snacks by biting into them).
Entering Leonard's quiet life bursts Shelley (the performer), a fresh lively associate who lightheartedly proposes to eliminate Leonard’s appalling boss (the character) during the office fire drill. The rushing noise you can hear is Leonard’s gentle world experiencing a revolution.
Elsewhere in the first episode of this program not heavily plotted and more on what a modern audience might call “vibes”, we are introduced to the older generation (the consistently great the performer), a tired character who privately views, records then replays daytime quiz shows to amaze his devoted partner using his trivia skills.
Shepherding viewers throughout this gentle kindness is a narrator that sounds very much like – and actually is – the Hollywood icon. Truly, the celebrity. If you are thinking, “undoubtedly the use of such a famous actor clashes with the series’ unshowy MO and starts off as just a distraction?” that's accurate. Still, Roberts does a good job, and lines such as “Leonard's challenge is that he lacks a ‘eureka’ face” contribute to ensuring that initial doubts fade if not quite to appreciation, then at least acceptance.
But that’s enough grumbling for now. The series' spirit is in the right place: which is “located on a seat alongside similar shows, indicating the duck it loves.” It’s a series that ambles along in comfortable attire, at times staring into space, sometimes downward at its feet, serenely certain that there is nothing on Earth as cheering as passing time with good friends.
Throw open the portals of your life, slightly, and let it in.
