This Phoebe Waller-Bridge Thriller Series Was Criminally Underrated
Everyone knows Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the force behind Fleabag, Killing Eve, and Crashing – three impressive series that elevated their respective genres. What makes Waller-Bridge's work universally accessible is her deeply flawed yet somehow redeemable and completely human characters. Her biggest strength is her ability to write characters that are constantly teetering on the brink of emotional collapse, torn between staying on solid ground or risking it all with an impulsive decision. Whatever the decision may be, we can trust Waller-Bridge with the characters we've come to love and can expect their arcs to unravel as the story progresses. Though it feels like everything the creator is associated with becomes an undeniable success, that isn't always the case. Even those that have left no stone unturned for Waller-Bridge have somehow glossed over Run, a one-season wonder starring Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson that the Fleabag creator executive produced.
What Is Phoebe Waller-Bridge's 'Run' About?
Waller-Bridge teams with writer Vicky Jones (also of Killing Eve) to deliver this action-thriller romance about a pair of college exes that are fulfilling a 15-year-old pact that will completely upturn their lives. We meet Ruby (Merritt Wever) in the middle of her plain and simple suburban day: she’s running errands and excited about her yoga class. Her day-to-day seems stable enough but the deflation in her tone as she talks to her husband on the phone suggests that there is something she’s lacking that she just can’t quite put her finger on. That lackluster energy quickly dissipates when she receives a one-word text: "RUN."
It only takes her moments to decide that she’ll respond with that same word, and before we know it, Ruby has taken off to the airport with only what she has in her tote bag and buys a ticket for the first plane to New York. There, she meets with Billy (Domhnall Gleeson), the sender of the initial text. With him, she boards a train across the country and begins a delectable game of cat-and-mouse of desire that sweeps audiences through its first few episodes. But soon, the bemusement of a forbidden romance will give way to the heaviness of the baggage they brought with them on their trip, and we're not talking about a carry-on.
The seven-episode series demands a lot from its protagonists, forcing them into dire circumstances and confined train cars that force them to make tough decisions. But it also asks a lot of its viewers. Run flips the notion of “making a huge mistake” on its head as Billy and Ruby grapple with their choice to up and leave their lives behind. Through their complicated relationship, we see that “mistakes” aren’t as cut-and-dry as we may believe. The adventure they take is selfish: they manipulate each other, they string each other along, but they also uncover parts of themselves that have been long dead and buried and that desperately needed to be reawakened. Is that a mistake?
The stifling routines of their lives push them towards radical action, as well as an attraction that has lasted 15 years. They are reunited to avoid the problems that await them while simultaneously cozying into something long-lost yet familiar. Their early courtship is messy and fun, and there is something inherently sexy about Billy’s perceived accountability and Ruby’s self-discovery. Their performances carry the tension that drive the story forward. Domhnall Gleeson is sinister and tender, secretive and transparent. Merritt Wever transforms as her confidence grows, catapulting her through her character’s arc. This series strips down the facades of happiness, (whether that be from relationships or success) and the two leads keep us wondering how long they will chase this endless pursuit of satisfaction.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Acting Elevates 'Run'
By way of a series of unbelievable twists and turns, the pair find themselves on a slight detour from their train route. Wandering in the wilderness, trying to find a way back on track (pun absolutely intended), they come across a local townie marveling at the potential of a dead roadside possum. But don’t worry, she’s a taxidermist. Who else could this be but Waller-Brige, waiting happily in the wings to make her much-anticipated appearance in her own show? (She and Gleeson have shared the screen once before in 2017’s Goodbye Christopher Robin.) The “Run” pact is something that Billy and Ruby have in common with Jones and Waller-Bridge, who would use that same code word to get out of awkward situations.
In the back half of the series, Waller-Bridge has limited interactions with Ruby and Billy, but plays a key role in determining their fate. Her character reminds us that connections may be fleeting, but perhaps we have a bigger impact on other people’s lives than we realize. Her character Laurel is wickedly clever and always one step ahead of everyone in her small town, but when it comes to getting back in touch with this couple on the run, it seems as though she’s always just missed them. The mere seconds that separate them are what allow Ruby and Billy to continue on their journey for as long as they can before the train reaches its final stop.
Why Didn’t 'Run' Became a Hit?
A show starring Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson running away from their problems? Yes, please! Run has all the high-voltage drama and scorching wit that we’ve come to expect from Waller-Bridge and Jones, and yet it's subdued enough that the action-thriller aspect isn’t entirely in your face with high-speed chases and shootouts. This levels with the emotional core of each character’s uncertainty and vague ideas of morality very nicely. The pacing and withholding of information could be viewed as either frustrating or satisfying.
It seems the pacing and intensity of the show do a 180-degree spin about halfway through, but this strategic decision really drives home the feeling that the ground is constantly shifting under Ruby and Billy’s feet as they uncover more of each other’s deep, dark secrets. (And land themselves in more trouble in the process.) Tonally, this series feels in line with Waller-Bridge’s other aforementioned successful endeavors, but somehow, sadly, many skipped this series in the 2020 binge era.
Even though it is short-lived, Run promises a wild ride from start to finish. It is sexually and emotionally intense which incites truly vulnerable and intriguing performances from each player, including even lone-wolf taxidermists that find themselves in the wrong place at the right time. Though Jones stated she had big plans for Season 2, the series was canceled by HBO. Even as a standalone season, Run is definitely worth the watch. It is a great way to get sucked into a captivating story without an egregious time investment and the series ending still holds up despite its unfulfilled promises for more.
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