— The following contains spoilers for season one of this excellent series. If you haven't watched it, we suggest heading to SBS On Demand and diving into the first season before reading on. Season 2 arrives 1 January —
If you've got a pulse, then you'll have been thoroughly charmed by Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey as Gemma and Malcolm in the first season of this British comedy-drama. The good news is, the return is just as entertaining, unpredictable and warm-hearted.
Motherhood is proving a whole new ballgame for Gemma, and as enthusiastic as Malcolm is to be a grandad, they're erring more towards the ramshackle family oddness of Shameless than the glossy goodness of The Brady Bunch.
At the finale of the last series, Gemma gave birth to daughter Sadie, making it through a scary situation in which it seemed Gemma might not make it. Malcolm was there, making good on the burgeoning trust he'd established with his daughter. That trust is going to be tested in this new season, since Gemma's flighty mother – and Malcolm's ex-wife – Davina (Jill Halfpenny picking up the role previously played by Susan Lynch) is back and determined to replace Malcolm as principal grandparent.
they are one of the best odd couplings of modern TV times
Wood and Morrissey have proven a fantastic pairing in this comedy-drama. Following raves for her roles in The White Lotus and Sex Education, Wood could have signed on to a mega-budget romcom, but instead, she chose a leading role that has given her the platform to prove how brilliantly she can carry a series. She is met measure-for-measure by Morrissey, who had proven his versatile acting chops over decades, starring in everything from sci-fi and zombie drama (The Walking Dead) to political thrillers (The Red Riding Trilogy, State of Play) and period pieces (Sense and Sensibility). Their actorly charms are countless, and they are one of the best odd couplings of modern TV times, but they are thoroughly enabled by writer and comedian Danielle Ward. Daddy Issues is Ward's debut solo creation, having written episodes of Brassic (unmissable and now on SBS On Demand) and In The Long Run.
Rita (Sarah Hadland) in the new season of 'Daddy Issues'. Credit: Matt Squire
The duo of Gemma and Malcolm, their dualling and co-dwelling, are the delight of this series, but the ragtag bunch of ne'er-do-wells who make up their friends, colleagues and hangers-on are thoroughly entertaining in their own right. Gemma's best friend and key advisor Cherry (Taj Atwal) is back, Gemma's boss Rita (Sarah Hadland), and her sister Catherine (Sharon Rooney). Malcolm's landlord and friend (or "emotional support dickhead" as Gemma labels him), Derek (David Fynn) is back, too. The truthfulness of family - the miscommunications, misunderstandings, hurt and history - is what roots this series in relatability. It has all the emotional dynamics and bleakly British humour of Sharon Horgan's beloved co-created series Catastrophe and Motherland. There is something hilarious - whether you're a parent or a child - in the foibles of men and women fumbling and faltering as they regularly fail to live up to societal ideals of mums, dads, wives, husbands, employees and friends. And most, if not all, of us can relate to the fear that, as much as we try to learn and improve on our parents' jobs, the apple often doesn't fall far from the tree.
Gemma (Aimee Lou Wood) with baby Sadie. Credit: Matt Squire
As Wood told the BBC, "What I love about this new series is that it's a lot about generational inherited cycles and patterns. We get to know Gemma’s mum Davina and that adds a whole new layer of understanding why Gemma is the way she is and why her sister Catherine is the way she is."
Malcolm, too, has to wrangle with the inherited traits of his own estranged father (Phil Jackson), who shows up – for better or worse – this season.
Without giving too much away, viewers will find Gemma on a father-daughter-granddaughter bonding holiday to a caravan park in Wales, which is absolutely not a White Lotus resort in Thailand. Still, there's fish & chips. There's dating, lactating, baby classes, dad dancing and bad advice (that's right, Derek has some pearls of wisdom that land like dead flies).
Gemma, Malcolm and Derek. Credit: Matt Squire
While the family – by blood and by virtue of proximity – are the same people we met in season one, this season feels fresh, offering Gemma and Malcolm a chance to craft their own version of family, with baby Sadie this time around. Catherine, Rita, Derek, Davina and Cherry get their own time in the sun, too. As Christmas and the New Year loom, and family dynamics are unavoidable for so many at this time, Daddy Issues reminds us that families are flawed, faulty and sometimes very, very funny.
Season 1 of Daddy Issues is streaming at SBS On Demand. Season 2 premieres 1 January.
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Daddy Issues
series • Comedy
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series • Comedy
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