Us on PBS Masterpiece Is a Sincere, Wistful Tale of Family Reckoning

At first glance, Us looks a little bit like The Trip. In that British series, two frenemies discover they may actually love each other (as friends), or at least come to some kind of tenuous accord as they annoy each other across England and Europe. But Us, based on David Nicholls’ novel, takes that story in reverse. Here a married couple in their 50s, Douglas and Connie Petersen (Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves), plan to take one last “grand tour” of Europe together for the sake of their teenage son Albie (Tom Taylor), who is about to leave for college. But the story begins with Connie announcing to Douglas that she thinks their marriage should end, and follows Douglas’ awkward attempts to win her back by proving he can be more spontaneous.

The four-part BBC series, which PBS Masterpiece has edited into two movie-length episodes for reasons unknown, is gorgeously directed by Geoffery Sax. Filmed on location in Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, and Barcelona, the sun-drenched beaches and charming cobblestone pathways provide an optimistic background to what is, on the whole, an emotionally fraught story.

The setup is familiar: Douglas is a scientist who is stuck in his ways, Connie is more of a free spirit who feels stifled after 25 years of marriage, and while they love each other there doesn’t seem to be a clear way forward—primarily for her. But the story is almost entirely from Douglas’ perspective, and Hollander is excellent as a wry, uptight husband on the brink of a heart attack, desperate to connect with a family he feels alienated from. And to be fair, they don’t make it easy. Despite flashbacks that provide context to key moments from their lives, Douglas and Connie never really seem like a good match. Connie just remains frustrated by Douglas’ intractable nature, never taking his side in never-ending battles with their petulant son and the aggravating friends he makes along the way.

Then again, Us is really a kind of personality test in terms of who you might relate to more. As a Douglas, I was entirely sympathetic towards his plight, and yet, Nicholls’ scripts and Reeves’ soulful portrayal also allowed me to understand Connie’s point of view as well. The real relationship that needs repairing in Us, though, is between Douglas and Albie. While it’s still clearly a work in progress, there’s a truth and emotional resonance that only deepens as the series goes, reflecting realistic dynamics between parents and children who have nothing in common.