by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
The romantic comedy is still alive and well. Over the years, movies have given us some entries for the ages. TV is a bit more tricky for a rom-com, though. With so many episodes to squeeze in, there is a lot of time to fill in for a relationship to flourish. Dramas can pull this off well by either having an already-established relationship that has a wrench thrown into it, or by having two people build up to get together eventually. Comedies, on the other hand, deploy the will-they-won’t-they strategy with a prospective couple.
There’s something about the show Still Up that makes the romantic comedy feel fresh and exciting. The show focuses on two friends, Lisa (Antonia Thomas) and Danny (Craig Roberts). They have issues that cause sleep difficulty, so they spend their nights talking to one another and developing a closeness neither of them has experienced.
I liked quite a few things about Still Up, starting with the two leads. Unlike a lot of other prospective couples we see on TV, they start as friends organically. Their friendship makes the story feel episodic, as we go from one episode into another. Lisa can’t sleep at night, so she goes out and calls Danny, who struggles to go outside after a traumatic event. The escapades that Lisa gets into help Danny feel like he can go outside and thrive in the environment. At times, it does feel like Lisa is taking advantage of him, but Danny is more than willing to help her. Danny is a caring person who will do anything to help others.
Although both suffer from sleep disorders, neither is adequately addressed. Danny’s situation isn’t explored until the final episode, but it gives a lot of context that should have helped provide clarity about his character, and more importantly, his relationship with Lisa. His fear of leaving his house is more about embarrassment with a significant other, and in turn, it causes him to struggle with finding a relationship when Lisa suggests he uses dating apps instead. Lisa, on the other hand, is not addressed with her sleep issues. It feels more like a symptom of her relationship with her partner Veggie (Blake Harrison).
Veggie represents a certain comfort level for Lisa. Having someone good enough to be her partner, even if their compatibility isn’t solid, drives a good amount of Lisa’s story. The main things in their relationship that cause friction are Veggie’s struggle with Lisa venturing out at night when she can’t sleep and the question about whether or not their relationship is meant to go to the next level. As a character, Veggie is pretty one-note, serving as the antithesis of Danny. From a performance standpoint, Harrison is humorous in the moments he gets.
Thomas and Roberts are electric together — they display how well they can anchor a show. Their main focus is comedy, and they both have a dry sense of humor and delivery that I adore. As well, their chemistry is solid, as we spend the majority of the season seeing how their friendship is built. I’m more interested in their other projects now that I’ve seen Still Up.
The overall story of the show is pretty straightforward, but I like how each episode feels like a new adventure. Whereas most romantic comedy shows would follow a more serialized storyline, Still Up features mainly self-contained episodes that have a resolution. For the most part, the story wraps up at the end of the episode and doesn’t get addressed beyond that. The final few episodes change that structure, though. It feels a little jarring at the end, as I generally like the episodic structure a little better.
I also enjoyed how most of the interactions between Danny and Lisa are over the phone. It’s a modern way to have a story about two people suffering from insomnia. FaceTiming presents some interesting challenges for both of them from episode to episode, but two instances help guide how far they would go to talk to one another.
The first instance is during an episode where Lisa is doing a sleep study, and she risks a lot to talk to Danny by having her phone out as a stimulant to impede sleep. Lisa is told that she cannot have a phone when she’s about to go to sleep, yet she still wants to talk to Danny. The second instance happens when Lisa is out for a girl’s night and her phone dies. She has to use a pay phone to call Danny and she has his number memorized. Little details like that pepper the series and help show the audience how close the leads are.
Still Up is a pleasant surprise for Apple. It’s a fun story about two people discovering their feelings for one another. Between the chemistry of the main performers, the creativity, and the humor, Still Up carves a unique path for a rom-com show. I’m rooting for Lisa and Danny in a similar way I’m rooting for Still Up to get another season to continue this story.
Rating: Liked It
Still Up is currently streaming on Apple TV+
You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd