This Way Up – Season 2, Episode 2 Review

The second episode of This Way Up sees Áine get an unexpected proposition and Shona prepares for her wedding with Vish.

Áine’s boss, James (Ekow Quartey) has had enough working at the college and plans to set up his own business. He asks Áine to join him as his business partner but Shona is sceptical. Shona tries to make amends with Charlotte after Vish sent her a wedding invitation.

The task of Season Two’s first episode was to re-establish the characters. This episode was setting up the storylines for the season ahead. Áine has shown to be a good and caring teacher so it would be an unusual step for her to start a business. As Shona states, Áine faces a financial risk because she has no savings and no business experience. The other factor that wasn’t stated in the episode was Shona’s worries about Áine’s mental state. The previous season focused on Áine’s recovery after a suicide attempt and Shona stated her younger sister does get overwhelmed. Despite these concerns, Áine makes some steps towards a new venture.

Whilst Áine had an important decision to make, the focus of the episode was mostly on Shona. Shona and Charlotte’s relationship had collapsed because of the events in the past two episodes. Shona needed to maintain a working relationship since the pair were in business together. The other issue was Shona was still in love with Charlotte. When Shona and Vish were performing some adult activities over the internet Shona fantasised about Charlotte, which made the Irish woman more enthusiastic. This storyline is going to blow up in a big way.

Much like the previous episode, the highlight of Season Two, Episode Two, was the interactions between Áine and Shona. Their big sequence was when they went to the bridal store. This sequence had the typical sisterly interactions fans have come to know. The topics were Shona’s upcoming nuptials, Áine’s business plans, and what the appropriate dress code should be. The most memorable moments were Áine trying on a wedding dress and the sisters having to deal with a bitchy shop assistant.

Season Two, Episode Two, was a more satisfying piece of TV than the previous episode because there was more urgency in the story and pacing. At this stage of the series, Season Two seems like it will be better as a whole rather than the sum of its parts.