Channel 4’s new drama Close to Me opens with protagonist Jo Harding (Connie Nielsen) sprawled out on the floor in a pool of blood after falling down the stairs. But just as we’re in danger of growing distracted by yet another unbelievably immaculate TV home (if it doesn’t look lived-in, I’m just not convinced), we are quickly introduced to Jo via her satirical internal monologue: “Well, you seem to be alive. Just.”
Diagnosed with post-traumatic amnesia, Jo finds that she has lost a year’s worth of memories – and this seems to suit husband Rob (played by Christopher Eccleston) just fine. He fails to fill her in on her job, her father’s illness and the death of her beloved dog; but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Their son and daughter, both adults, are behaving strangely too, and it’s soon made clear that Rob won’t let them tell their mother the truth about anything. Is this really to protect her, or is there an ulterior motive? Be warned, we’ll be delving into spoilers for the full series…
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Jo is plagued by flashbacks. Some include herself in unexplained states of rage, while others are of a sexual nature with a man who is not her husband. All of this leaves her worried about what kind of person she really is. Jo also has the nagging feeling that her “accident” was nothing of the sort; she has a history of hurting herself, but can’t help wondering if Rob pushed her.
The ensuing six episodes are a real slow-burn. Over the course of the series, we see Jo grappling with some home truths about herself. Rediscovering that her son Finn (Tom Taylor) is gay, she learns that she intervened in his relationship with Josh, the son of her friend Cathy (Susan Lynch). This damaged her relationships with both Finn and Cathy.
Jo was also briefly tempted to have a fling with Thomas, the boyfriend of her pregnant daughter Sash (Rosy McEwen). The passionate encounter Jo remembers turns out to have been merely an elaborate fantasy on her part – though I’m not sure this reveal warrants such a vocal celebration on the street.
At this point, her inner monologue congratulates her for not acting on her desires (personally, I would have had a sterner word with myself over the whole scenario, but each to their own).
She isn’t the most likeable of women, but there’s still the sense that, above all, Jo is the one who has been wronged here – and this premonition is proved to be correct.
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Eccleston’s cleverly ambiguous portrayal of Rob initially allows us to see both his charming side and his crafty nature, which keeps the suspense going. Still, it’s not a massive shock when it transpires Rob is using his wife’s fall to cover for his sins. Yes, not only has he been having an affair, but the woman in question is also pregnant with his child. Jo had apparently discovered the truth before she tumbled down the staircase, but no one had thought to remind her following her memory loss.
That is very convenient for Rob, who believes he’s won the chance to keep his marriage intact while hanging onto mistress Anna (Leanne Best) and their unborn baby.
The penultimate episode takes us back in time to the previous year, and this is where Rob’s true selfishness emerges. The short explanation for his betrayal: his business was struggling while Jo’s career and social life were thriving, and he wasn’t getting enough attention. It’s all very “woe is me” on Rob’s part.
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During the final instalment, Nielsen gives a memorable performance as the troubled woman recalls a childhood memory in which her now ailing father almost killed her adulterous mother. This leads Jo to challenge the men in her life over their actions.
A flashback to the night Jo was hospitalised shows her slipping at the top of the stairs. Rob takes her hand to save her; but as their war of words continues, he purposely lets go, allowing her to fall. Her instincts over her husband were right all along.
Ultimately, the strength of the show’s closing episode makes up for some of the more predictable and far-fetched developments along the way. It’s a powerful finale that doesn’t make excuses for the perpetrators, which ensures that the story ends in exactly the right way.
Close to Me episodes 1-6 are available to stream now on All4. Episode 2 airs on Channel 4 on Sunday 14th November. And don’t miss the rest of our Drama coverage, or our handy TV Guide.