It\u2019s hard to ignore the fact that the real-life story behind Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama<\/a> was one of the most dramatic to unfold in 2019 and again this year.\u00a0For many, it was the modern day equivalent to Footballers\u2019 Wives, and so the new Channel 4 drama is tasked with bringing a segment of that suspense to the small screen.<\/p>\n Based on transcripts of the libel hearing, the new series mainly takes place in the courtroom, offering a heady, claustrophobic feel for those watching while making the witness stand questioning an incredibly intense feat.<\/p>\n The war of the WAGS, dubbed the \u2018Wagatha Christie\u2019 trial, swept through the internet in October 2019 when those iconic words of Coleen Rooney\u2019s \u2013 \u201cIt\u2019s \u2026\u2026\u2026.Rebekah Vardy\u2019s Account\u201d \u2013 became prime fodder for memes, jokes and pop culture moments alike.<\/p>\n In Vardy v Rooney<\/a>, you witness the consequential 2022 libel case unfold and with it, are offered a glimpse into the real lives of those in the headlines.<\/p> The series delivers much-needed insight into the 2022 High Court trial that the public didn\u2019t get to see at the time. But the drama also feeds our fascination with needing to know the intricacies of legal cases and in this particular case, the live coverage and Tweets at the time that fed that insatiable need in a more dramatic way than this series.<\/p>\n While the content of the show was never going to be a contender for the best drama of the year, the \u201caction\u201d of it all proves to be somewhat anti-climactic.<\/p>\n In the first episode, we learn about the libel case and we hear Rooney\u2019s accusations from Vardy\u2019s perspective. This choice in narrative \u2013 putting Vardy\u2019s account in front of the viewer first \u2013 proves to be influential.\u00a0The lasting impact of such a decision is that when watching, there are moments of undeniable sympathy thoughtfully dotted throughout the two episodes.<\/p>\n We hear of the resulting online abuse Vardy had to endure after Rooney\u2019s social media posts in 2019 \u2013 and her decision to sue Rooney is one that you question throughout watching, especially when the defence, David Sherborne (Michael Sheen), manages to underline discrepancies between Vardy\u2019s online and offline behaviour.<\/p>\n Deleted: <\/span>Her insistence at not using the term \u201cleak\u201d as it relates to Rooney\u2019s accusations is also a battle of \u201clinguistic gymnastics\u201d that Sherborne draws attention to.<\/p>\n We also hear of Vardy\u2019s deteriorating mental health at the time and the threats to her family and children, but also bear witness to some unfortunate mishaps in the libel trial \u2013 one of those notable moments being when Vardy doesn\u2019t understand the context of the term \u201cDavy Jones\u2019 locker\u201d that led her to ask (very seriously) who he was.<\/p>\n The result? A courtroom that quietly erupted into laughter and left her red-faced on the stand.<\/p>\n For that reason, Natalia Tena\u2019s performance is a strong one that really does prop up this series. Her portrayal of Vardy is one that is unexpectedly sympathy-inducing, dynamic and will force many viewers to consider Vardy\u2019s thoughts and feelings.\u00a0It\u2019s a line of thought that many people online probably don\u2019t give as much time to, compared to the ongoing comedic dialogue around the entire affair.<\/p>\n This is something that the series manages to do very well: shine a much-needed light on our collective relationship with social media and its role in this longstanding saga.\u00a0The vitriol, trolling and subsequent storm of social media messages targeted at Vardy are uncomfortable truths of this trial, and while the memes may have been enjoyed by many at the time, in Vardy v Rooney, we see just how that played out in real time.<\/p>\n Rooney is questioned by Hugh Tomlinson KC (Simon Coury) about how she felt engaging with and saving multiple memes about Vardy \u2013 the copy and pasted faces of the pair on Scooby Doo images, and Agatha Christie book jackets plastered with Rooney\u2019s face. There\u2019s an argument that Rooney was \u201cdelighted\u201d at the online praise she received, to which she passionately replies: \u201cI don\u2019t wish that upon anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n We learn of Vardy\u2019s constant and looming threat of panic attacks as a result of the 2019 social media post, and how Rooney felt unable to call out the trolls who were targeting her former friend.<\/p>\n While Chanel Cresswell\u2019s Coleen Rooney is engaging and a force to be reckoned with, seeing her write out her social media posts veer on the side of unnecessary.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no denying that this is a case that fascinated us all and like any good legal drama, tense courtroom dialogue keeps it interesting.\u00a0However, large portions of the series rely upon on-screen text messages and frantic reading to keep up with the onslaught of WhatsApp\u2019s that Vardy and Rooney exchanged with each other, and others in their social circles.<\/p>\n While I\u2019m not averse to reading on screen, at times it feels like Vardy v Rooney relies too much on those messages (and the context they provide) and not enough on the performances and pacing of the drama.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the series manages to capture and memorialise a significant pop culture moment. The \u2018Wagatha Christie\u2019 affair was an intriguing display of drama, but it also managed to be an \u201cantidote\u201d to the suffering that usually dominates the news, as discussed in the closing moments of the final episode.<\/p>\n While we watch on with mixed feelings about the two women at the heart of this drama (and the real-life case it\u2019s based on), it\u2019s clear to see that there are still negative feelings harboured on both sides.<\/p>\n Images of recent social media posts, Vardy\u2019s interviews<\/a> and news of each of their tell-all documentaries flash up on the screen, signalling to the viewer that while this Channel 4 drama may be over, it certainly won\u2019t be the last we hear of Vardy v Rooney.\u00a0But perhaps for the sake of us all and the threat of similar lacklustre dramas, it should be.<\/p>\n Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama will air on Wednesday 21st December on Channel 4 at 9pm. Check out more of our\u00a0Drama<\/a>\u00a0coverage or visit our\u00a0TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0and Streaming<\/span> Guide<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0to see what\u2019s on tonight.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Christmas double issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now<\/b><\/span> \u2013\u00a0<\/b>subscribe now<\/b><\/span><\/a>. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0<\/b>Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast<\/b><\/span><\/a>.<\/b><\/span><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n By Morgan Cormack Published: Wednesday, 21 December 2022 at 12:00 am 3.0 out of 5 star rating It\u2019s hard to ignore the fact that the real-life story behind Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama was one of the most dramatic to unfold in 2019 and again this year.\u00a0For many, it was the modern day equivalent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":27524,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/vardy-v-rooney-review-a-fascinating-courtroom-drama-but-not-as-enthralling-as-expected.png",2048,1366,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/vardy-v-rooney-review-a-fascinating-courtroom-drama-but-not-as-enthralling-as-expected-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/vardy-v-rooney-review-a-fascinating-courtroom-drama-but-not-as-enthralling-as-expected-300x200.png",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/vardy-v-rooney-review-a-fascinating-courtroom-drama-but-not-as-enthralling-as-expected-768x512.png",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/vardy-v-rooney-review-a-fascinating-courtroom-drama-but-not-as-enthralling-as-expected-1024x683.png",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/vardy-v-rooney-review-a-fascinating-courtroom-drama-but-not-as-enthralling-as-expected-1536x1025.png",1536,1025,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/vardy-v-rooney-review-a-fascinating-courtroom-drama-but-not-as-enthralling-as-expected.png",2048,1366,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Morgan Cormack Published: Wednesday, 21 December 2022 at 12:00 am 3.0 out of 5 star rating It\u2019s hard to ignore the fact that the real-life story behind Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama was one of the most dramatic to unfold in 2019 and again this year.\u00a0For many, it was the modern day equivalent…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/27523"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/11\/135A1877-a65a22e.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
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