Take Me (2001) User Reviews

Unexpected

[lje32677 · 8/10 · 18 May 2004]

I don't know what I expected with series, but one thing it is, is thoughtful. This series is multi-layered that work together in the end to form one ending.

The main story deals with Jack(Robson Green) and Kay(Beth Goddard) Chambers who have moved to Hadleigh Corners, a suburban area, to try to save their marriage. Kay has been unfaithful. Jack is a hard working, mellow man who knows that keeping his marriage together will take work. The problem is; Kay really doesn't want it too. Less than 3 weeks after moving into their new home with their two children; Maggie(Julia Mallam) and Dan(Sean McMahon), Kay returns to her relationship with Kevin, Jack's best friend. Like many who move into new neighborhoods, the Chambers try to fit into their new surroundings. Enter Doug(Danny Webb) and Andrea(Olga Sosnovska) Patton. All the action is at their house. Doug and Andrea have regular sex parties with wife swapping etc. Jack feels that it is wrong, but goes along anyway. Kay has stopped seeing Kevin by this time and is enjoying her new life in the neighborhood.

Although, Doug works with the police as a forensic photographer, Jack begins to suspect Doug in the disappearance of one of their neighbors, Lillian Stokes. Jack begins to believe that Lillian is dead. He finds mail that should have been forwarded to Lillian who is supposed to be in New Zealand. As Jack becomes more and more suspicious of his neighbors, the police become involved. One night during a sex party, Doug and the woman he is with, experiment with autoerotic asphyxiation. The woman dies and Doug asks Jack for his help in burying the woman. Jack helps him bury a woman, but later discovers that it wasn't the one he had thought it was. It turns out that the dead woman is one of Doug's regulars. Kay, of course, doesn't believe him. Jack finally gets courage enough to phone the police and tell them where to find the body.

During the course of his investigation, Jack and Kay become more and more estranged until Jack moves out. Also, it the process, Jack becomes attracted to Andrea who tells Jack about her miserable life with Doug. Her life had gotten so bad, she put herself in care at a local mental hospital. Doug explains that Andrea had tried to take her life because she had been dumped by a man she had had an affair with. Doug becomes more and more jealous of their relationship and eventually loses it, culminating in a fight.

There are two sub stories that are worth noting which lead Jack into self discovery. He reconnects emotionally with his estranged father and discovers that his marketing firm is buying troubled businesses and selling them for a profit. He chooses not to participate any longer and loses his job.

In the end, because of the parties: Jack and Kay kill whatever was left of their marriage, Kay becomes pregnant with her brother-in-law's child, Doug and Andrea lose everything.

There are questions at the end. I learned who killed Lillian, but who killed Janet? Jack and Andrea leave together, but I wondered about Jack's future with Andrea after seeing her history with Doug.

All in all, I would recommend this series, but it is "TV Mature" and not for young people below the age of 18. The series presents some very adult themes. I gave this series an "8", so I did enjoy it.

Thought provoking, tense drama

[Hoods77 · 8/10 · 28 November 2011]

After reading one writer's very negative review I was expecting the worst from this series, but found myself watching all six episodes over two nights. It was like a novel I couldn't put down.

My take on the plot is that it is complex, but not convoluted. The characters are almost all interesting, from Robson Green's Jack Chambers and the other main players to the various minor parts, including that of Jack's father Don. The acting was superb from all the cast.

I can't say I "enjoyed" the drama - it was too tense for that - but I was certainly gripped by it, to the very last. I'd have liked to see where the story went from it's ending ....

Tense, great

[lje32677 · 8/10 · 29 September 2004]

I had never expected to see Robson Green in a role like Jack Chambers, but it was wonderful. Chambers is a good man who works hard at his ad agency. Unknowingly, his wife, Kay(Beth Goddard) is having an affair with Chamber's best friend, Sam(Aneiran Hughes). When he finds out, they decide to move to "start over". They move to Hadley's Court where they become entrenched in sexual games led by Doug Patton(Daniel Webb). Patton is married to a provocative woman, Andrea(Olga Sosnovska). One night at a party, Doug confesses that in a game of auto erotic asphyxiation he had killed a woman and begs for Jack's help. Jack does help and that's when the murder mystery begins. Jack realizes that there is more than meets the eye about the dead woman. For one thing, the dead woman is not the same one that was on the bed. He also realizes that a neighbor who had "gone" to New Zealand was actually dead and becomes convinced that Doug had killed her.

During the murder mystery part Kay begins her affair with Sam again. What was left of the Chambers marriage dissolves. In the process, Jack falls in love with Andrea.

This movie has several layers and I recommend it because the layers are fully fleshed out.

There is the relationship between Jack and Kay. There is the relationship between Jack and his father. There is the relationship between Jack and his children. There is the relationship between Jack and Andrea. Then there is the murder mystery, which includes the destruction of Jack and Kay's marriage, the murder mystery, and the sex games.

The only question that is not answered is who is responsible for the serial killings. Doug is a forensic photographer for the local police. I have my own thoughts about who is guilty. The keys are there somewhere, I'll have to watch it several times, which is a good thing, because I enjoyed it so much.

British drama series

[rmt38 · 9/10 · 26 February 2002]

Entertaining british drama. Anything I have watched with Robson Green cast in it has been worth the effort, and this series is no exception. The story seems a little lacking, although it is very watchable despite this - having seen two episodes all I can say is "Man with troubled family and disrespectful/unfaithful wife solve (or aggravate) problems with wife swapping parties." Hes appeared in better things - most anything else hes worked on.

There is a very attractive male and female lead.

[robinmichael-hurley · 8/10 · 9 September 2014]

I found myself watching bits of the first two episodes on TV. I am recording it so I can watch it later.

There is a very attractive male and female lead. Some steamy scenes that you may remember long after you have forgotten the film.

I am sure I saw it a long time ago.

My memory of the film was that ultimately it was unsatisfying.

Sometimes you can just enjoy things without thinking too much about them. The main criticism seems to be that it is not particularly realistic.

The basic premise that wife swapping leads to unhappiness seems reasonable, which reminds me of another 'better' film - Happy Happy (2013).

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I have now watched episode four, and I am much more impressed. For the first time I watched an episode from beginning to end. To watch six hours of television including adverts is asking a lot. With my PVR (TV recorder) I can fast forward and even go back.

When I first saw it, I got the impression that it was well made but I had difficulty following the plot. A plot over six hours, is difficult to follow. It is well made. Made in 2001 it is interesting to see what has dated. People no longer use photographic dark rooms. Most of the cars are still current.

Very Disappointing

[rainstar · 3/10 · 6 June 2004]

I watched this because I love Robson Green. However, I must say it is the worst thing I have seen him in. The story is so convoluted - and the flashbacks are very annoying. The story is titillating with the spouse swapping scenes, but at the end of this mini-series I was angry at myself for having wasted my time watching it. I also found it very confusing telling some of the characters apart. There were 2 female cast members who looked very similar to me and I was never sure which one was which.

The acting was adequate, but it was just so preposterous - I can't recommend this to anyone.

If I were Robson Green, I would remove this from my resume.