Written by contributor Lisa D
For over a century, Hollywood remains the biggest movie-maker in the world, so naturally, it sets the trends in the field. Being part of the huge movie industry, Netflix is also famous for launching various intriguing and entertaining features not only of American production, but also worldwide production. However, European content seems to be less interesting to most in comparison American or UK releases and how sadly wrong this tendency is! European production can proudly boast of an enormous variety of the resent launches and The Hook Up Plan is one of them. This two season French comedy series by Netflix leaves no one cold and indifferent, so here are the six greatest reasons to watch it!
Reason 1: The Story
The main character, Elsa, just crossed the threshold of her 30th birthday. She works in a Parisian Town Hall, and she’s completely fed up and uninspired by the job. Her personal life does not go the best way as well: she broke up with her last boyfriend, Max, two years ago but this crush still cannot let her go. Her friends, Charlotte (Cha) and Milou try to console and support her when Cha comes up with a crazy idea: to bring Elsa together with a young and handsome escort, Jules. Of course, the plan must by no means be revealed to anybody, especially Elsa, and here is where the whole mind-spinning begins.
The outstanding, exciting story does not let one go up until the end. Original and unhacked but at the same time natural and with absolutely real situations, this is how one can describe the whole show. They may look only slightly idealised at first glance, however, one still needs some perfect image to dream about whenever one feels sad or discouraged. After all, this is the purpose of a comedy – to make us feel good.
Reason 2: The Characters
Known to everybody and totally relatable, the characters of the show awake a lot of sympathies and the ease in which they transfer through the screen and makes the viewer feel like they are close friends with them for a long time. Moreover, the series does not only tell the story of Elsa. Although she is a starting point of the entire story, throughout the series, one gets to know the stories of all characters. Charlotte, Antoine, Milou, Max, Matt, and Jules, and all their fates, backgrounds, relationship, and emotions unite in one enormous snowball that speeds up. Furthermore, making the characters so lifelike, the creators point out extremely important social issues of today: how is it like being the grown-up child of the migrants; how to combine motherhood and carrier; how to find yourself when you are utterly lost; how to adjust yourself to the fast-changing society; how to accept and tolerate someone else’s rats in the attic and much more.
Reason 3: The Style
Inspirational French chic carelessness follows the viewer throughout the whole show. Such casualty in everything, from clothes, hair, and makeup, complete the outer look, to then the characters’ behaviour, this all gives the ultimate feeling of lightness and certain freedom. Not only does the style of the characters perfectly fits the tune of the show, but it is also the colours of the scene – warm and cool tones, well combined and almost blended together, complement and polish out the picture.
Reason 4: The City
I like Paris! Do you like Paris? Everybody likes Paris! Here, a viewer gets the beautiful City of Love in every scene. Apartments in the famous Haussmann and La Belle Époque buildings with winding staircases, huge windows and fabulous views on the Paris streets, high ceilings and simple but tasteful interior. Looking at Art Déco and Art Nouveau neighbours with contemporary architecture, watching the characters jogging in a park, strolling on the Seine Embankment or sitting in a café somewhere in Marais one cannot help a feeling of living in the city oneself.
Reason 5: The Speech
Bold, bright, sharp-tongued, and sometimes even insolent dialogue gives life to the picture and makes a viewer feel the vast spectrum of emotions. Furthermore, if you are the one who likes the sound of French, do not refuse the pleasure to put the original audio on.
Reason 6: The Additional Episode
The second season came out in 2019 with six episodes and it has the perfect romantic ending that hardly needs any continuation, although there might be one. However, recently, on November 6th, Netflix unexpectedly released an additional episode called “The Lockdown Plan”, dedicated to COVID-19 and the quarantine situation.
The episode shows how different people take the lockdown, both mentally and physically. Elsa and Jules appear to be trapped in one apartment together, where Elsa, scared with the world so drastically changing, turns into an excessive eco-activist carrying the fixed ides to the point of absurdity. Meanwhile, Jules catches the illness and only this brings Elsa’s mind back together. Antoine brought Milou and their son Eddie to the faraway village while working in one of Paris’s hospitals at the limit of his capability himself. Charlotte is terrified of the mere possibility of going out on the street, watering herself head to toes with sanitiser. Matt is stuck in a hotel near Berlin airport due to the closed borders, and Max just tries to find something to do not to go mad, ending up with extremely ridiculous ideas.
Though the topic is as pressing as never, it is a perfect moment to face a new reality, to look at the world and the people around us and maybe to laugh. It is time to consider new opportunities and pay attention to the ones who need it. The episode translates one simple but still incredibly important message: we are all in one boat, therefore, we have to deal with what we got.
Will it continue?
There is no certain information about the following seasons of the show.
Maybe, sometimes, European series tend to be underestimated for some mysterious reason. However, there are many more reasons to watch it. It will definitely be a delightful series solution for the cosy weekend inside, with a cup of coffee or something tasty. One could not stop watching the show, turning a day into a six-hour rom-com, diving into the essence of Frenchness. So, there is no coincidence, the name of it literally translates from French as “The Heart Plan” – it firmly cuts into your heart, makes you laugh out loud and leaves a fuzzy warm feeling for a long time after.
