Run – Season 1 Episode 1 Recap & Review

Run To You

Run is a show that’s almost certainly going to divide audiences. On the one hand, the series has an interesting premise, a decent enough idea to run with and a short enough run-time to prevent the show outstaying its welcome. At the same time, the abundance of toilet humour, the back and forth dialogue designed to exude exposition and a weak first impression start Run off with a stumble rather than a confident canter.

Episode 1 of Run begins with a woman named Ruby sitting in Target car park talking on the phone with her partner Lawrence. After telling him she loves him, seemingly with regret, she receives a text message from a guy called Billy with one word – “RUN”. As she sits, catching her breath, she sends the same word back and races off in her car.

She buys a ticket to fly across to New York and after ditching her yoga mat, takes a cab to the Big Apple. Composing herself, she jumps on a train to Chicago and finds Billy himself, who happens to be on the phone to a woman named Fiona. As Billy and Ruby flirt over a palm reading – hinting at a deep history between them – further down the tracks they discuss their spur-of-the-moment decision of racing away together from their lives without any of their own possessions.

They head down the train to another carriage and end up having food together, but not before Ruby heads off to the toilets alone to relieve herself while Billy watches a video sent from Fiona with a text reading “It’s gone viral”. Back at the table, Billy confirms he’s a life coach and after a couple of jokes surrounding his book, riling him up and talking about periods, it’s Billy’s turn to head off to the toilet alone.

As they continue to flirt on the train, both Billy and Ruby crack jokes and find their bedroom carriage, complete with their own attendant, Ruby’s previous text to Lawrence doesn’t go through and she’s forced to phone home to explain what’s happening. Only, the reception is bad and the messages indicate that he’s going to phone the police.

Unfortunately things go awry when they talk about the text and Billy admits he only sent the message “RUN” because he was wasted. An incredulous Ruby confronts him but he mentions that he had a moment of clarity and didn’t want to be with anyone else other than her.

As the train stops for a short break, Ruby takes the chance to try and get some reception on her phone and just about makes it back as the train departs again. As Billy hands her phone over, he spies the home screen that shows Ruby, Lawrence and her two kids together. There’s seemingly a moment of regret as he hands it over, as an announcement comes over the tannoy that their room is ready, which is where the episode ends.

With the exception of a sarcastic door handle joke, most of the humour here revolves around toilet comedy and slapstick. While that in itself is fine, it sometimes gets in the way of the chemistry between the two leads that does a good job of exuding that sexual energy the two manage to pull off so well. The mystery is what keeps this one intriguing though but as the episode goes by, the script has an annoying tendency to answer questions almost as quickly as they’re given.

Why has a video of an angry Billy gone viral? Oh, he’s a famous life coach so he must have lost his temper in public. How do Billy and Ruby know each other? Ah I see, they’re talking about school so they must have a long history. These moments are littered throughout the episode and by the end, you have a pretty good idea why these two are running away together.

Then again, there’s always the possibility that the obvious answer may not be the correct one, which is enough of a hook to keep you around to find out what happens next. It’s not perfect, and there’s certainly better prospects out there, but while you may not run toward it right now, there’s enough to at least briskly walk toward the next episode.