In a quiet neighborhood of the Irish capital, an individual can be found in his driveway, wearing a tank top and sharing his concerns. “It seems like myself getting quieter. Harder to see,” states the protagonist, staring into the darkness. “Circumstances have evolved and at this point I feel like unless I take action, my life will proceed in this quiet, unremarkable life.” His friend Paul, his only companion, considers this statement. “Nothing wrong with that,” he answers, his robe swaying with the wind. “Better than trying to make a mark and ending up damaging things.”
For viewers exhausted by the bluster and fast pace of current streaming terrain, the show arrives as a foil blanket and a comforting beverage of a sweet cordial.
Similar to its quiet characters, Leonard and Hungry Paul – a half-dozen installment show created by its authors, inspired by Rónán Hession’s subtle book – casts a critical eye toward today's world; looking skeptically through its prematurely middle-aged glasses toward anything related to unnecessary noise, quick actions or – goodness forbid – too much drive. This show on the contrary, an ode to introversion; a subtle homage of those content to pootle around below the parapet. And yet. He (one more sublimely idiosyncratic performance by the actor) is uneasy. He feels a growing “need to open the entryways of my life … a little.” The recent death of his parent has yanked the floor away from his feet and Leonard, a ghost writer, now feels doubting the decisions which led him to where he is (alone; defensively moustached; writing several children’s encyclopedias for a boss who concludes emails saying “see you later”).
Therefore Leonard starts on a journey for personal satisfaction, accompanied by the somewhat braver Paul (the performer) functioning as his confidante, mentor and co-conspirator in a recurring board games evening that serves both as discussion (“Is the pool warm because kids pee in it, or do children urinate because it’s warm?”) and safe space.
(Why “Hungry” Paul? The reason is unknown. The beginning of the nickname seems forgotten in mystery. It could be that Paul once ate some food very fast, or answered to a tense moment by nervously peeling several snacks with his teeth).
Arriving in Leonard's calm existence bursts a vibrant character (the performer), a fresh energetic associate who happily suggests to kill his terrible supervisor (the actor) at a fire practice. That whooshing sound you can hear signals Leonard's peaceful routine undergoing a shake-up.
Elsewhere during the opening installment of a series driven less by plot and centered around what the under-30s may refer to as “mood”, viewers encounter Hungry Paul’s dad (the ever-wonderful the performer), a tired character who privately views, records then replays trivia competitions to dazzle his adoring wife with his general knowledge.
Guiding us throughout this subtle warmth we hear a narrator that sounds very much like – and, indeed, very much is – the famous actress. Yes, the star. In case you're considering, “surely the inclusion of a big-name celebrity clashes with the series’ unshowy MO and initially serves only as a diversion?” you would be correct. However, Roberts does a good job, and phrases such as “Leonard's challenge is his absence of a ‘eureka’ face” help ensure that initial doubts yield though not complete approval, then certainly understanding.
But that’s enough grumbling currently. The series' spirit has good intentions: that place is “resting on a bench next to the Detectorists, showing the duck it loves.” The program that moves gently wearing its simple clothes, sometimes gazing upward toward the sky, sometimes downward at its slippers, calmly assured that nothing is on Earth as heartening as being in the company of good friends.
Open the doors and windows within your world, just a bit, and welcome it inside.
Elara is a financial strategist with over a decade of experience in wealth management and entrepreneurship.
