As the finale of The Lovers begins, Janet (Roisin Gallagher) and Seamus (Johnny Flynn) get on the plane together. Janet wishes they’d booked separate flights, but Seamus says they didn’t know they’d be breaking up. Once they arrive in Belfast, Janet and Seamus go to work. Seamus asks Tim (Simon Paisley Day) if they can go somewhere private. Gemma (Jenn Murray) pulls Janet aside because she wants to know all about her trip to London. Seamus tells Tim and Ndidi (Evelyn Miller) about the breakup and how Frankie is going to post about it on her socials today.
Ndidi wonders if he has a drinking problem since he has been acting erratically lately. Seamus says he isn’t an alcoholic although he has been having an affair. He is sure she won’t go to the press. Philip (Conleth Hill) walks in on Janet and Gemma talking before learning about Janet’s famous boyfriend. Jason (Martin Quinn) joins them as Philip urges Janet to tell them who it was. Two customers interrupt and refuse to go away when they hear about the celebrity. Although most of them haven’t heard of Seamus, Philip says he loves him.
Seamus wants to tell Tim something in private, but Ndidi barges in to see what he has to say. Janet tells Philip that it got complicated because of her past. Gemma learns she was in the LUV. Janet admits she was young and stupid. Seamus tells Tim and Ndidi about it. Tim doesn’t seem to think it is a big deal since she wasn’t a member of ISIS. They agree to reach out to HR and legal just in case. Philip offers to let Janet take the day off, but she doesn’t want to be alone. He insists he can’t blame Seamus for reacting that way. Janet complains that no one is ever on her side. Philip tells her to give him a chance since he is English and doesn’t know what they went through there.
He tells her to forgive him before explaining what a nightmare she really is. Eventually, Seamus gets a message from Janet asking if they can meet. When they meet, Janet tells Seamus she has decided she has to forgive him. She hopes there will be a chance for them. Janet explains she will try to forgive him, but Seamus argues he hasn’t done anything wrong. He reminds her that she waited until he split from his girlfriend before revealing she was a terrorist. Janet insists he will never understand what it was like to be there. Even though his mom was Irish, he didn’t grow up there so he can’t know what it was like.
Seamus reveals his mother was driven out of Belfast by the UVF because she was pregnant with him and her boyfriend was Catholic. He never met his father so he has no idea who he is. Seamus argues she isn’t a victim of The Troubles. Instead, she is a criminal. Janet says her father was killed by the IRA in front of her in their living room. She was only five at the time. Seamus wishes she’d told him that before. They almost touch hands until Seamus gets a message because the producers have realized he isn’t there. He admits his career is the most important thing. Janet gets upset and claims he is nothing. Seamus tells her to go back to the supermarket because he has a show to do.
They begin heading back to work while Ndidi contacts Seamus to ask where he is. Janet cries on the bus. Seamus makes it back and immediately receives instructions from Ndidi and Tim. They talk about releasing dirt on Frankie to deflect from him. Seamus argues he didn’t get into journalism to destroy the lives of the people he loves. Tim and Ndidi find out that there are negative comments about him on Twitter after Frankie’s announcement. Seamus begins panicking and says he can’t go on television. He eventually goes on anyway. Once the show begins, Seamus says they’re going to be speaking to Sir Rupert.
Gemma and Philip watch his television show. Sir Rupert Greenwood (Roger Barclay) knows about Seamus’s breakup. In private, he tells him that he is planning to oust the PM. He wants Seamus to be his Director of Communications if he is successful. Rupert says his private life is no concern since they all have skeletons. Gemma and Philip wonder if Janet is in the audience or backstage. As Seamus grills Rupert, Ndidi admits this is the best he has ever been. Seamus curses and tells Rupert that he isn’t listening to this bollocks. He tells Rupert that he doesn’t care about ordinary people. Seamus used to be an ordinary person, but he got messed up by all this celebrity bollocks.
Seamus says they do live in a bubble so he is going to burst the bubble. He walks up to the camera and apologizes to Janet. Philip says Janet is missing the biggest moment of her life. Ndidi urges Seamus to get back on the stage, but he leaves anyway. Philip tries to get in touch with Janet. She eventually returns and says she was just out back. Philip begins helping Jason deal with customers while Gemma tells Janet what happened. Philip tells the customers about Janet and Seamus. Janet is shocked to see Seamus standing outside in the rain. Seamus tells her what just happened with the interview. Gemma rushes out to say hello and Philip joins them.
They kiss although Janet says they can’t do this because she is a car crash. Seamus doesn’t care. They kiss after Jason gets Gemma away from them. Seamus is shocked when Janet says she is going to go back inside to finish her shift. She says she’ll be an hour. He can watch her through the window and thank his lucky stars he ever met her. Philip gets an alert on his phone about a news story saying “Terrorist Past of TV Star’s Mistress”. He tells Gemma and Jason to say nothing. Seamus helps bag groceries as the episode ends.
The Lovers Review
The finale of The Lovers was a little kooky and silly, but it did a good job of wrapping everything up. Still, it feels a little disappointing considering how good the first two episodes were. After that, the series was a roller coaster in terms of episode quality. Nevertheless, the finale managed to bring Seamus and Janet together while remaining somewhat original and true to itself.
Some viewers will obviously complain about the seriousness of the finale since it is highly unlikely someone in that position would give up their job. Then again, someone with the name recognition of Seamus would probably have no trouble finding another job. The show isn’t for everyone because of its quirkiness, but many will like the humor and the romance.
Some of the scenes were genuinely funny although the jokes didn’t always hit the target. Roisin Gallagher and Johnny Flynn made a good couple despite playing dramatically different characters. The basic cinematography and camerawork were exactly what the series needed and the soundtrack was particularly good most of the time.
Truthfully, The Lovers is a quick watch that was more enjoyable than not and it ended on a high note. It may be an overlooked surprise hit that a lot of viewers will enjoy. The finale scores a 6.5 out of 10. Recaps of The Lovers are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.
