Trigonometry 2020 Drama Review

『Between Love and Friendship, Three Characters Forge a New Family』

🎥 Drama Overview

🎬 Title: Trigonometry (2020)
🌍 Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🎞️ Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
🗓️ Production & Airing: BBC Two, 8-Episode Miniseries
⏳ Runtime: Approximately 30 minutes per episode
📢 Director: David Powell
🖋️ Writer: David Powell
📺 Platform: BBC Two, Netflix (varies by region)

👩‍💼 Cast: Thalissa Teixeira – Gemma
Gary Carr – Kieran
Ariane Labed – Ray

🧩 In-Depth Story Analysis (Spoilers)

🔄 Love, Space, and New Forms of Intimacy

'Trigonometry' explores a polyamorous relationship among three people that begins in a small apartment in contemporary London, examining love, financial pressures, and the meaning of space with nuance and without judgment. The series portrays not just sexual curiosity, but also the authenticity and complexity of relationships, and the anxieties individuals face in modern society.

🕯️ Necessity and Serendipity Amid Lack

The story begins with the financially strained London couple Gemma and Kieran. Gemma is exhausted from working in the restaurant industry, and Kieran from being a paramedic. Their relationship loses vitality due to monetary stress and mundane routines.

• Ray's Arrival: The new lodger Ray, a former synchronized swimming athlete who lost her direction in life after a head injury, moves into their cramped, complex apartment. Ray brings fresh energy into Gemma and Kieran's depleted space.

• Asynchronous Love: The drama realistically portrays the three-way romantic process, not as a clichéd triangle of jealousy or competition, but as a simultaneous deepening of feelings. Gemma experiences intense emotions for Ray and discovers her latent sexual identity, while Kieran is drawn to Ray's unique charm. Their love is rooted more in emotional needs than sexual desire.

🕸 Resonance of Loss and Lack

Gemma and Ray appear different on the surface. Gemma is a married woman tired from London's cramped apartment life and café work, while Ray is a former elite athlete who lost her life trajectory. Yet both share a fundamental lack.

• Gemma's Lack: Her relationship with Kieran had stagnated in comfort, leaving her without sexual desire or vitality. She needed something new in her life and relationship, though she did not know what.

• Ray's Loss: Ray lost the foundation of her identity in swimming due to a sudden injury and was in a precarious state, seeking stability and belonging.

When Ray moves in as a lodger, Gemma finds in her the vitality and authenticity she had lost, feeling a strong attraction. Their relationship begins as emotional resonance filling each other's loneliness, rather than sexual tension.

🍷 Gemma's Sexual Identity Discovery and Liberation

The relationship with Ray becomes the decisive moment when Gemma's bisexual identity emerges. This holds the most critical meaning in her journey of love.

• Meeting the 'New' Self: Gemma recognizes that her feelings for Ray are intensely different from the familiar love she feels for Kieran. This new emotion reveals Gemma's long-suppressed sexual spectrum previously confined by social norms (marriage).

• Depth of Intimacy: Their intimacy quickly deepens. The series shows them lying together, sharing small conversations, highlighting a subtle connection prior to sexual contact. This emphasizes that their love is based on genuine emotional bonding, not mere curiosity or infidelity.

✨ Relationship Imbalance and Realistic Issues

As Gemma and Ray's relationship deepens, the triad stabilizes, yet there remains a constant delicate imbalance.

• Gemma's Dominance: Gemma was the most active in forming the triad and emotionally most invested in Ray. At times, she tended to define Ray as a necessary presence for her marriage.

• Ray's Vulnerable Position: Ray begins in a financially vulnerable position as a lodger. Compared to the stability Gemma and Kieran enjoy as an 'established couple', Ray is always slightly outside the structure, with less control over the relationship's direction. The series subtly portrays Ray's anxiety over belonging without overtly highlighting this imbalance.

🌟 Authentic Portrayal of Polyamory

<Trigonometry> is regarded as one of the most serious and nonjudgmental media portrayals of polyamory.

• Love-First Principle: The series focuses on the genuine emotions of the three people rather than framing their love as a moral issue. The writer and director (especially Greek director Ariane Labed) encourage the audience to accept their relationship as 'a form of love', focusing on everyday intimacy rather than overemphasizing sexual content.

• Internal Conflicts: Love alone does not sustain the relationship. They face complex real-world issues like time management, financial fairness, and equality within the relationship. The subtle power imbalance between the 'old couple (Gemma & Kieran) vs. new partner (Ray)' and Ray's sense of exclusion illustrate realistic challenges faced by a triad.

• Community and External Perspectives: The series shows how they navigate family, friends, and societal biases, emphasizing that polyamory is not merely 'sexual experimentation' but an existential choice against social norms.

☕️ A New Benchmark for Mature Relationship Drama

<Trigonometry> is highly recommended for viewers who seriously contemplate love, gender, and relational boundaries. The series questions the traditional formula that "love is just between two people" and explores the value of coexistence among three people, emphasizing complexity, compromise, and unconditional acceptance in relationships.

While some criticize the ending as unfinished or open-ended, it can be seen as a mature conclusion implying that their love is an ongoing experiment, a 'happy ending' not as a static result but as a continuous effort. The drama elevates polyamory from mere fantasy to a complex, human life intertwined with emotions and reality.

🎯 Personal Rating (Subjective)

💕 Love Scene Level: ♥♥♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★★