Georgie calling the shots
SHE’S still haunted by the death of Elvis – her army colleague and fiancé, that is, not the chap in the rhinestone jumpsuit – but Michelle Keegan’s Georgie Lane was nonetheless reporting back for duty last night in the bullets ’n’ banter drama OUR GIRL (BBC1).
And not a moment too soon. Her colleagues from 2 Section had been handed yet another hazardous assignment, this time in Nigeria and Lance Corporal Lane’s expert medical skills were bound to be called upon.
Sure enough, a guy got shot in the leg in the 35th minute, giving Georgie her first chance in months to leap into action, whip out the Dettol and, once they’d stretchered him onto the truck, shout stuff such as: “Stitch him up, course of antibiotics, change the dressing every day…”
The patient didn’t seem wholly grateful, mind you, as hinted at later when he spat in Georgie’s face. But then we’re talking about a kid of little more than 10 and the only reason he’d been shot was because, well, he and his child soldier chums had started it, firing bullets of their own at Section 2’s vehicle. “We will kill you all!” this kid was heard to cry later, as Georgie kindly tended to him back at base. “You’re the enemy! We will kill you or die trying!”
“Course you will, sweetie,” I’d hoped Georgie would reply. “Now finish your Sugar Puffs, there’s a good boy. They’ll make you big and strong.”
Our Girl will never win any awards for innovation drama-wise and Keegan’s ability to remain cosmetically immaculate in the most gruelling conditions might stretch plausibility a tad but it’s one of those tightly written, neatly characterised shows that offers appealingly effortless, fast-paced entertainment.
Its formulaic nature only adds to the fun. I particularly look forward to the bit, five minutes from the end of each opening episode, where Georgie invariably ends up off-grid and in mortal danger. “Will she die?” we cry. “Oh, no, hang on, of course not, it’s her show.”
In that sense, last night didn’t let us down. While the guys had a kickabout with the locals, Georgie and colleague Richards nipped off on a quick errand. “We’ll only be five minutes,” she promised…
As part of what I assume is Channel 4’s Mock The Millennials season, a new show called HELLO STRANGER offered 20-somethings a unique chance to test out their relationships’ sustainability.
This would involve undergoing hypnosis that would temporarily erase all memory of each other then setting each partner up with three dates – two with strangers, the third with their other half (who of course they’d no longer recognise). The question then being: would they ultimately still pick one another?
“Dozens” applied for this show, said the voiceover. That’s TV speak for “hardly anyone applied, because it’s a blatantly stupid idea”.
Of those who did, Sussex pair Lucy and George were deemed the most suitable – i.e. they were (a) susceptible to hypnosis, and (b) in a rut, after four whole years together. “When he texts me now,” sighed Lucy, “it’s more like, ‘Oh, can you pick some milk up on the way home?’”
To be fair, that did sound like a relationship in a mess. But they’ll learn. Just keep some spare milk in the freezer, guys. It lasts for months.