Tell Me You Love Me: The Complete First Season

In the wake of Sex and the City and The Mind of the Married Man, it made sense that HBO would launch a show about intimate relations from the couple's perspective. That said, Tell Me You Love Me isn't a comedy, but rather a cinéma vérité-style drama (shot on 16mm using handheld cameras) set in an unnamed city, with storylines revolving around three couples from different generations. The central pair, Dave (Tim DeKay, Carnivàle) and Katie (Allie Walker, Profiler), have two children and a happy home life, except that their bedroom has become a lonely place. By contrast, twentysomething twosome Jamie (Michelle Borth) and Hugo (Luke Kirby) can't keep their hands off each other, but hold opposing views regarding fidelity (their sex scenes are fairly graphic even by premium cable standards). Finally, Palek (Adam Scott) and Carolyn's (Sonya Walger) attempts to conceive are putting a strain on their marriage. The link between the three couples is therapist May Foster (Jane Alexander), whom they all turn to for guidance. Despite the universality of the concept, Tell Me You Love Me takes a while to find its footing. The acting, from both the familiar faces and the relative unknowns, is convincing (Walker is particularly good), but the lack of comic relief in a subject that sometimes begs for a little levity puts a bit of a damper on this series. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2007 first season, DVD extras include commentary on four episodes by writer/creator Cynthia Mort and cast members. Renewed by HBO for a second season, the sex-envelope-pushing Tell Me You Love Me is accurately described by Mort as "spare, quiet, and clean"—and by "clean," she means uncluttered. Recommended for more adventurous collections. (K. Fennessy)