The first season of BBC’s Cheaters was a breath of fresh air in the rom-com genre last year. Finally, here was a show that balanced realistic bonking, shock twists and convincing performances. Cheaters series one had the silliness of Russell Tovey gem Him & Her from the 2010, combined with the wit and astute observations of a show like Big Boys.
And there were lust-worthy interiors to top it all off. Season two continues the story from where we started: with central characters Josh (Joshua McGuire) and Fola (Susan Wokoma). In season one, an airport meet-cute turned into a fling.
And then, in true rom-com fashion, it turned out they were neighbours. And both were in relationships: Josh engaged, and Fola married. Eight 10-or-so minute mini episodes laid out the stakes: would they get together? Would they get caught by their respective partners? And importantly: why were they so damn likeable? Well, spoiler alert: the end of season one saw them get caught.
So can season two live up to its predecessor now the game is up? From the opening scene it’s clear the spark isn’t lost between Fola and Josh. It starts as the pair are going at it in a toilet cubicle, overheard by a stranger (”What?” asks Fola in typically dead-pan form to the woman as she exits). And we learn it’s six months since we last saw the pair, though their witty repartee is the same and Josh is still somehow endearing to Fola (how?), in spite of being a just-about-functioning neurotic.
As for his ex Esth.