State of the Union

Name: State of the Union
Genre: Comedy
Released: May 6, 2019
Rating: 79

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Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Ratings

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7.1

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Ratings

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State of the Union

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Series Details & Credits

Sundance | SundanceTV | Sundance Now | Release Date: May 6, 2019

Summary: Tom and Louise (Chris O'Dowd and Rosamund Pike) meet up in a pub to decide on what to say during their weekly marital therapy sessions in this 10-part short-form comedy series written by Nick Hornby.

Genre(s): Comedy

Recent Episodes

tbd
S2:E10. The Last Box
Air Date: February 23, 2022
tbd
S2:E9. Kopi Iuwak
Air Date: February 22, 2022
tbd
S2:E8. Facetime TV
Air Date: February 21, 2022

See all Seasons and Episodes

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Critic Reviews

100

The Guardian Lucy Mangan

Dec 4, 2019

Season 1 Review: They [Nick Hornby, Stephen Frears, Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd] have created something close to a masterpiece (or 10). It seems like a double-marriage of true minds. The quartet make it look effortless, even artless, but every aspect, every frame, every word, every beat is a perfectly considered, crafted and curated thing that creates something even greater than the sum of its parts. Read full review

Amy Glynn

May 3, 2019

Season 1 Review: I think it’s safe to posit that State of the Union is the right iteration of what it is, a marriage of form and function that is at least as functional as the marriage it depicts. Read full review

Daniel Fienberg

Jan 29, 2019

Season 1 Review: The conversations that Tom and Louise have are generally funny, skipping around pop culture references ranging from Call the Midwife to the films of Preston Sturges to generational confusion about modern dating. They're also utterly lacerating, things they can't bring themselves to say to a stranger, but know they need to say out loud, even in a public place. Read full review

Mike Hale

May 6, 2019

Season 1 Review: Even when the writing feels a little vague or forced, Pike and O’Dowd make the scenes work. ... It’s hard to be pessimistic, because both performances are so expressive, aware and alive. Read full review

The Times Carol Midgley

Jan 7, 2020

Season 1 Review: The two weak spots for me were that they seemed incompatible as a couple and he wasn't recriminatory enough. ... Maybe that will come later. Thus far, though, Hornby has created a cleverly structured two-handed play in ten segments, lush with domestic humdrummery, in which we will never see them in that therapist's room. Read full review

Tara Bennett

Feb 14, 2022

Season 2 Review: State of the Union continues to be a fascinating peek into the psychology of marriage. Even if the specifics of Scott and Ellen’s situation don’t speak to the watcher’s particular experience, there are plenty of feelings between the two that are relatable and resonate because of Gleeson’s and Clarkson’s performances. Read full review

The Guardian Rebecca Nicholson

May 24, 2022

Season 2 Review: It is unusual, in a dramatic sense, in that it feels slovenly and sticky when it is all about conflict, but vastly improves when the tension between Ellen and Scott dissipates. Once they begin to have more even-handed chats – about the nature of intimacy and sex; about what they expect from life, now that they have reached this point; and about what it means not only to be happy, but to pursue happiness – then it becomes endearing, and plays to everyone’s strengths. Read full review

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amheretojudge

Jun 20, 2019

An admirable attempt but after these many snippets all I could hope for is, they stay in the bar.

State Of The Union Nick Hornby (the creator) and Stephen Frears (the director) has a good equation in this project; certainly better than the characters they are working on. But this art houseAn admirable attempt but after these many snippets all I could hope for is, they stay in the bar.

State Of The Union

Nick Hornby (the creator) and Stephen Frears (the director) has a good equation in this project; certainly better than the characters they are working on. But this art house project, almost looks like, came from that tingling sensation of "What If" bar chat. Hence, the publicity is naturally oozed from the virginity of it, in the market. But how much can this fascination last? And don't get me wrong, the work put up on creating this scenario is marvellous. Yet, I find myself struggling to tap to its rhythm. The series has to and does come with a baggage.

Fortunately not the emptiness In your mind regarding the length of each chapter. But the urge to inform the viewers within a short period that ought to be uncomfortable to swallow since the conversation perpetually tries to be practical- which is just like any free bird that tries to fly away from the arena it is supposed to hover around- but then is also obliged to or anchored down by the pace of the storytelling advancing along with character's development. In fact the series is staged in a way to be repetitive.

And like some Shakespearean play it expresses its uncalled views to its characters; but actually it's the viewers they are aiming towards. It makes you feel a lot that having a narrator would have been a lot better. It doesn't have the room to derail or flaunt like say for instance, Before Trilogy did. The "Snack" of the web series, as they are calling it- can't afford on pretending to be a healthy meal. Rosamund Pike is the reserved one which takes time to cope up with since "Gone Girl", you'll find yourself all the way waiting for her to snap. And Chris O'Dowd is goofy just as same, think how would the State Of The Union be where policies are written by them, quirky yet homely.… Expand

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Seasons & Episodes

79

Series Overview
Season 2

72
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: February 14, 2022
- tbd
  S2:E10. The Last Box
  Air Date: February 23, 2022
- tbd
  S2:E9. Kopi Iuwak
  Air Date: February 22, 2022
- tbd
  S2:E8. Facetime TV
  Air Date: February 21, 2022
- tbd
  S2:E7. The Road Most Travelled
  Air Date: February 20, 2022
- tbd
  S2:E6. Intimacy Kit
  Air Date: February 19, 2022
Season 1

81
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: September 8, 2019