To those that keenly subscribe to Netflix, you may have heard of or seen a trailer for the U.K. show entitled Wanderlust.
A show about a mostly functional family, Wanderlust is predominantly focused on a couple named Joy and Alan as they make a massive relationship change. Suffering from romantic and sexual ennui with each other, they decide to open their relationship to other partners. Mimicking the aura of the Netflix anthology show Easy – a show that also outlines the human experience through various interactions and relationships – Wanderlust doesn’t try to be a glamorized or overtly scandalous depiction of its content. Though it might centre on the concept of rediscovering passion through the physical connection with other people, the chronicles of Joy and Alan are just as much sexy as they are complicated, just as much outrageous as they are profoundly human. Ultimately, this story is about a couple that needs a serious readjustment in their relationship in order to save their marriage. However, the show is careful not to depict the progression in a black-and-white way, because let’s face it – any relationship, no matter the label, is complicated, and more often than not, there are no clear rules. Wanderlust just goes to show us that no matter how old one is, no matter their position in life, relationships will always go through phases of needing more work or readjustment. It shows that us romance transcends age, and that it does not necessarily get easier or clearer as one furthers themselves into adulthood. There’s something timelessly youthful about the concept, and it makes the characters in the show incredibly relatable.
What makes this show so unique is that it centers on a couple that are in their 40s-50s, while demonstrating dynamics of a non-monogamous construct. Oftentimes, popular media is guilty of being predominantly ageist in its romantic material, generally zeroing in on 20-30 something year old characters, while essentially making its older characters sexless. So, watching Wanderlust is refreshing – these characters are a little older, with an established nuclear family structure, traditional in all senses of the word until they decide that something needs to be done to break out of their unfulfillment. Their kids are grown and going through their own ups and downs, so it’s really interesting and frankly humanizing to see Joy and Alan navigate their relationships and sexuality in conjunction to the next generation’s journeys.
Another selling point for me is that one of my favourite actors, Toni Collette, plays the lead role of Joy. Collette, who is absolutely masterful at her craft, has never shied away from material that is challenging and vulnerable. She previously starred in the show United States of Tara, in which the titular character Tara is a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder (a brilliant, hilarious, devastating show that also includes Brie Larson, Keir Gilchrist and John Corbett in the main cast). This is one of my all time favourite shows, so of course I jumped on the opportunity to watch yet another that starred Collette.
There’s also something about U.K. produced shows that I have always loved, and that have always felt vastly different than American or Canadian made television. I love that the length of a season frames itself as more of a miniseries than it does a long-winded, overtly commercialized work. Wanderlust only has six one-hour long episodes, and yet, an entirely complex and unique narrative comfortably fits within those parameters. Most of the U.K. shows I’ve watched are also candidly unafraid to explore topics in the most uncensored way possible; there is no softening around the edges, nor are there the timid yet ironically glamorized depictions of romance and sex that American/Canadian shows often do. And, the plotline goes much further than it is advertised to be; not only does it outline the ups and downs of an open relationship, but actually goes deep into the psychological past of its characters, particularly that of Joy’s character. Episode 5 is entirely of a session Joy has with her therapist, outlining pivotal plot points while also leading to countless revelations within the character herself.
Of course, there are a multitude of personal issues that arise along the way between Alan and Joy. If anything, though, Wanderlust shows us that it’s not so much the status of their relationship that causes complications, but the deep-rooted individualistic issues that predate their newfound status. Profound personal understanding of trauma, coping mechanisms, defense mechanisms, and deep-seated habitual behaviour are pieced together, as best shown by Episode 5. It is an intricately layered map that works to reveal major aspects of our main characters. Finally, and perhaps most pertinently, Wanderlust centers on a concept that society still deems controversial, a view point that is extensively explored in Joy and Alan’s peers. Viewers see how Joy and Alan’s choices are unfairly judged and subjected to gossip, scorn and slander. What two people decide to do in their private lives becomes a point of condemnation, infamy and contention, which sheds light on the close-mindedness of some and how conditioned we are as a society to fall into “traditional” constructs. If nothing else, Wanderlust has shown me a wonderful, heart-rending and unapologetically human narrative of one couple’s experience. It is a beautiful exploration of the human condition, one that reminds us to keep an open mind, to tackle our traumas safely, and to remember that happiness is not linear nor is it always easily found, but that it’s always worth searching for nonetheless.
~ Z ~
