The ITV romance drama Leaving is climbing the Netflix chart, with fans hailing the three-episode series as "utterly absorbing" and "heartbreaking".
A Forbidden Love Story Set in a Hotel
The 2012 miniseries stars the late Helen McCrory and Callum Turner in a forbidden love story between a middle-aged family woman and a callow youth working in the same hotel. The series follows 45-year-old wife and mother of two Julie Ranmore (McCrory), who is stuck in a rut in her marriage to her husband, Michael (Sean Gallagher). As a distraction, she throws herself into her job as a hotel events manager.
Her life is turned upside down when unemployed 21-year-old Aaron (Turner) lands a job working at the same hotel as Julie. The series sees the interactions between the young man and woman go from flirtatious to a full-blown affair with dire consequences.
Fans Praise the Performances
Viewers took to IMDb reviews to share their thoughts, with one saying: "Utterly absorbing. Brilliantly acted, often tense and heartbreaking, this is an outstanding drama."
The review continued: "The late Helen McCrory gives an unforgettable performance as a married woman aged 45 falling in love with a man nearly 20 years younger. She conveys emotion subtly but unmistakably in several scenes which can only be described as electrifying. Callum Turner's acting is convincing as her lover who comes to understand what she has at stake in their relationship. Resolving what will become of their love for each other is worked through very realistically by the plot and leaves the viewer driven to watch until the end. Helen's early death is a great loss to the acting profession."
McCrory died in April 2021 at the age of 52 following a battle with breast cancer. One viewer called the series "unexpectedly good" and felt the loss of the actress whilst watching. They explained: "Was a bit initially unsure but honestly it's such a find! Slightly sad to see Helen on the screen but good to see some of Callum Turner's early work! Such a hateable husband (he was literally no better and such a hypocrite) and the last 10 seconds were quite sad! Well worth a little binge on a rainy afternoon!"
Critical Acclaim and Where to Watch
Good Housekeeping called the series "one of ITV's best ever dramas". Back in 2012, McCrory spoke to What's On TV about what attracted her to the script, sharing: "I liked how it didn’t just look at the problem of age difference because we’re used to that now, it’s not shocking any more. This is a really fresh story about a romantic and aspirational woman who falls in love with a younger man, yet has all the complications of being married with two children."
McCrory went on to star in Peaky Blinders as the iconic Polly Gray, before moving on to the series Fearless and MotherFatherSon. As for Turner, he went on to land main roles in The Capture and Masters of the Air. Leaving is available to stream on Netflix.
