Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Plot: Ruby Richardson walks away from her ordinary life in the suburbs to revisit her past with her college boyfriend, Billy Johnson, with whom she made a pact 17 years prior that if either one of them texted the word “RUN” and the other replied with the same, they would drop everything and meet in Grand Central Station and travel across America together.

Review: These days, attaching Phoebe Waller-Bridge's name to any project is a guaranteed way to build instant buzz for a film or TV show. In the case of Run, Waller-Bridge serves as executive producer as well as actress for her friend Vicky Jones. Jones, who created and wrote Run, helmed the stage version of Waller-Bridge's Fleabag which in turn inspired the award-winning BBC dramedy. This new series tackles a romantic story with elements of comedy and thrills for a story very different than what you would expect. With the majority of the acting left to Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson, Run is a refreshingly layered tale that does not unfold quite the way you might think. In fact, Run takes a realistic look at what could happen when two people make decisions that impact their lives. Well, realistic despite some TV series conveniences.

Merritt Wever plays Ruby, who at the very start of the series gets the single word "Run" texted to her by ex-boyfriend Billy (Domhnall Gleeson). As per their pact, if both text the word to each other, they will run away together for a week to see if their romance can be rekindled. It is the type of fantastical agreement that people make in their early 20s when everything seems like it makes sense. But, Billy and Ruby are both in their late-30s with lives, careers, and obligations that make the decision to drop everything quickly lose the luster of romance. Very quickly. in fact, their whirlwind affair turns into something beyond their control. It is the ramifications of their choices that turns Run from a quirky high concept premise into something enthralling to watch.

The challenge with this series is whether you can actually relate to either of the main characters. While Gleeson and Wever are both very likeable in their performances, the aftershocks their choices make to those around them become increasingly more and more impactful and made me question whether I wanted to keep seeing how their story would end up. Like what the characters experience themselves, the series starts with a rush of adrenaline and excitement but when reality starts to creep in, it begins to feel uncomfortable and wrong. Then, about halfway through the season, the tale takes a big risk and changes the entire dynamic of Ruby and Billy's relationship. But the fundamental choices they make will leave you wondering whether or not you truly like these characters as people. They make some incredibly selfish choices that are necessary for the narrative but when you think about it, you may find yourself turned off by them as individuals.

A large amount of time in the five episodes made available for review is set on a train travelling across the United States. This affords the show some time to play with the less than ideal travel conditions of being in a confined space which is excellent fodder for romantic moments. While movies like MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS romanticize train travel, seeing people actually try to bang is comedy gold. But the travel element of Run also allows Billy and Ruby to step off the train and makes use of the varied American landscape, especially downtown Chicago and the rural Midwest. There are also flashbacks peppered through the series that add to the chemistry between Gleeson and Wever who work well on screen together and make for a believable couple.

While the majority of the story focuses on Billy and Ruby, we do get some nice supporting performances out of some familiar faces. Aside from an appearance by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the biggest supporting players here are Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) as Fiona and Rich Sommer (Mad Men) as Laurence. The small cast makes Run feel like an indie film and it does feel remarkably intimate for an HBO series. Director Kate Dennis, a veteran of series like Preacher, The Tick, GLOW, and more puts the focus on the dialogue and rekindled relationship between these characters. Each episode has a surprising amount of tension for a romantic series with elements of comedies and thrillers making Run hard to compare to other shows on television.

Overall, Run is an interesting premise and one that benefits from a variety of locations, a fast pace, and two likeable lead actors. But, Run also has to pack a lot in to the story in the form of twists that sometimes undermine the simmering relationship between Ruby and Billy. The show begins wth the title triggering Ruby into action and the audience then needs to play catch-up with why this couple broke up in the first place. I am interested to see where the rest of this season goes, but I also wonder how it could keep things up past a single run of this particular story before things start to get really ridiculous. Run doesn't entirely work as a comedy and it doesn't entirely work as a romance, but there is still potential in both if the writers manage to find a more consistent pace.

Run premieres April 12th on HBO.