Loveday Writing

The episode kicks off with Frankie, a teenage girl, arriving in town by a bus that is stuck behind a slow driving van, with her aunt and uncle, Becky and Dan, waiting at the bus stop to pick her up. They take her to the holiday house as they are in the middle of cleaning it up, as no-one is staying there until Monday. Frankie is immediately hostile towards them as her mother sent her to stay with them, as her mother has taken her father back into their home.

Frankie causes trouble for Dan and Becky by flushing all of the toilet rolls down the toilet, blocking the pipes in the entire house. After Dan and Becky discover this, Dan tells Frankie that she can either clean the bathroom or go to the beach, she ends up going to the beach and the van sneaks in after she exits, as the gate was still open. When Becky notices a disabled man, Trevor, from the house balcony in the backyard, he tells her that he used to have a shack there years ago and refuses to leave.

When Frankie returns from the beach and finds Trevor, he tells her that he’s waiting for sea nymphs to return to the beach and that he’s Poseidon, God of the sea. Later, he sets up a tent in the backyard, even though Dan and Becky want to report him, Becky points out that they can’t tell the agent due to the plumbing situation and that they’ll lose this job.

As the episode progresses, it’s slowly hinted that Trevor is terminally ill, and he and Frankie manage to bond after she confronts him over his selfishness. Trevor tells her that he cheated on his wife and asks Frankie why she’s not talking to her mother. Frankie tells him that she can’t understand why her mother can’t kick her father out of their lives for good and why she has no problem leaving her with her Dan and Becky. Trevor tells her it sounds like her mother is trying her best, and that Dan and Becky are a good team who clearly care about her. To cheer Trevor up, Frankie makes him a crown and trident from the decorative shells, foil, and pitchfork around the house.

The next morning, the pipes are unblocked and Trevor leaves. However, when Dan, Becky and Frankie go to the beach, they discover the police going through Trevor’s van. Bev, a local fish and chip shop owner, tells them that Trevor died from lung cancer. Frankie finds the decorated pitchfork, sits on the beach with it and grieves over Trevor’s death. The episode and season ends with Frankie calling her mother.

Overall, I felt that the episode on its own, like its predecessor, was weaker in comparison to the first six episodes. I felt that Trevor believing he was Poseidon was a little over-the-top and the reveal of his terminal cancer would have had just as much impact if it was purely based on him having a shack on the property in the past. However, I felt having this episode focus on the house’s cleaners was a great way to bring the season to a close.

In regards to the season as a whole, I felt it was strong and well-done, and the choice by the show’s creators to make it an anthology series, having the cast rotate but the setting stay constant, was a good one. It prevented any story arcs from dragging out, characters from getting boring, and there was something new in every episode. I also appreciated the different types of love explored from friendships, to marriages (that both succeeded and failed), to parental, romantic, and even sibling love, throughout the season.

While I felt that this episode wasn’t the strongest note to end on, I did enjoy watching and reviewing Summer Love. As it was an anthology series, I wouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t renewed, however I would welcome a second season.

Stray Observations:

Running gag – “Google it”, Trevor’s response when he’s asked certain questions.

-Kate Mulvany wrote the episode, however she didn’t appear in it.

-As this episode focused on the house’s cleaners and their niece, and Trevor was a squatter, the booking is listed as ‘0 nights’.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “So if I slept with half the people I work with, you’d be okay with that?” “You do sleep with half the people you work with, me.” “What?” “’Cause there’s only two of us.” (Dan-Becky going back and forth)
• “I don’t think you can say handicapped anymore.” “Really?” “Actually, I don’t think you can say bugger anymore either.” “Oh, fuck me.” (Dan-Becky going back and forth on how to talk to Trevor)
• “It’s your mum because you blocked her on your phone.” “Is there anything you don’t block?” (Becky to Frankie and then Dan to Frankie)
• “I’m so sorry for saying everyone thinks you’re an arsehole. I think you’re an arsehole, but I don’t know if everyone else thinks that.” (Frankie to Trevor)