If there is one place that I would never want to go back to – it’s high school. That was a nightmare. Sure, some people peaked in high school and they’d want to revisit, but they are not me. Now that being said I will watch all the craziness of high school and nothing delivers like a vertical series.
Tell Me Not To Love You was both the nightmare of rich kids in high school, cliques, and forbidden love. Watching this series the first thought that came to my mind? If my nieces and nephews did anything like this crap – they’d be catching me throwing shoes and throwing hands. I would rat them out to their parents in a heartbeat.
But watching Hannah Lowery play such a vulnerable character and Luke Dodge making me consider being a cougar because hello hottie with the good hair.
The series synopsis, “Brie is the daughter of a servant who works for Teddy’s family. She grew up living in the household with her mother and developed mutual feelings for the young master, Teddy. Once they came of age, Teddy began pursuing Brie passionately, but Brie feels insecure because of her status as a servant’s daughter. Teddy struggles to convince her to be with him. Brie keeps trying to pull away, but through all their back-and-forth, she eventually admits how she truly feels.”
Teddy has loved Brie since they were kids. His Mom loves her, but Brie is not someone for her son. She doesn’t even want him driving her to school, because people may get the wrong idea. Ahhh, elitists.
Brie is motivated to take advantage of all of the opportunities given to her. Teddy’s Mom paying for her schooling and Brie takes that to heart. She worries about making mistakes and it messing up life for her or her Mom. She knows that there is a level of responsibility that she has.
Teddy doesn’t get it – he only looks at things from his point of privledge. To him he doesn’t understand why it is that Brie doesn’t want to tell the world about him. He’s loved Brie, is proud of Brie, and doesn’t care what happens or what people think.
Enter the Regina George of the school – Caroline. She thinks that Teddy is hers and she does her best to cozy up to Brie – thinking that she’s Teddy’s sister. Not something that Teddy wanted anyone to think, but something Brie said.
Teddy isn’t interested in Caroline in the least bit – he’s actually grossed out by her. She and her band of rejects decide that being bullies is so chic and don’t seem to understand that they are absolutely disgusting. Teddy is willing to serve them a plate of humble pie and show them that what they do to others will be done to them.
Now – here’s the thing that I hate about verticals. Every single time we turn around there is attempted sexual assault. At what point do we find a different plot point? Sexual assault does not move along plot points – it hinders them. Yes, Teddy is able to save her, but she should never be put in a situation where that is a possibility. We should also not be putting it where women are the ones that choose that should happen to another women.
Women should not be learning this crap – and yes, some people take this stuff to heart and learn from TV, movies, and well… verticals. It’s just gross.
Brie keeps getting put in the situation where she is kidnapped, bullied and almost sexually assaulted. Caroline keeps kept putting her in that situation and it makes me wish that she would fade away. The trauma and the eventual PTSD that she’s going to have.
Not cool.
But what keeps you invested in this series is Hannah Lowery and Luke Dodge. Lowery has proven that she has on screen chemistry with her costars, but also that she can command any scene that she is in. While in Pucked By My Brothers Rival, Lowery and Evan Adams had great chemistry. That kind of chemistry is hard to recreate, but in watching Tell Me Not To Love You, it’s apparent that it comes naturally with Dodge also.
The two have a draw to each other – one that makes them seems as though they are moving in unison. The two are able to allow their characters love to come alive not only through their body movements and words, but also through their eyes. It’s not a simple thing that all actors can pull off.
But the reality is – Lowery and Dodge are able to convey that with their entire being. I watched a few other of their projects and realized that both are very convincing actors no matter their role. The two are great in verticals but I definitely would love to see them outside of them, as well as in more verticals together.
And you have to give them credit – they are pretty passionate on the screen. The will they/won’t they draw, the angst that they convey – they could lead a master class in portraying that.
Thought this story was predictable – as are most – there is no shame in that. The story also took turns away from the predictable leaving little changes that made the story fresh and new.
With an ending that wasn’t expected but two talented actors that commanded the screen – Tell Me Not To Love You was a vertical worth watching. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
