A look at the all-consuming horniness of the HBO series starring Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson.
I see your lush romanticism ofNormal People,and I raise you the totally twisted sexual tension ofRun.
A large part of the tension and attraction comes from the ingenious casting.
Credit: Ken Woroner/HBO
Gleeson and Wever have such electric chemistry they probably have the power of resuscitation.
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As Billy and Ruby, the actors walk a tightrope of barely suppressed desire and adrenaline-fueled dread.
That is next level thirst.
Ken Woroner/HBO
These two also know how to banter like theyve been thrown into a Golden Age screwball comedy.
Here, though, its deadly serious, the verbalization of their long-suppressed desire.
On an elemental level, its a second chance romance, an exploration of an oft-tantalizing what if?
when it comes to the ones who got away.
The train and the hotel room Billy and Ruby share introduces another beloved trope:theres only one bed.
Then theres the tried-and-true danger bang.
Are your hero and heroine in mortal peril?
We should also not underestimate the power of setting the events of this series predominantly on a train.
They allow characters to travel through space and time, locked away inside their own bubble.
Lastly, though, theres something undeniably erotic about the taboos of Billy and Rubys relationship.
Who hasnt at some point day-dreamed about running away from it all and embarking on a wild love affair?
Actually doing it is another story, but THEY GO THERE.
Theyre contemplating giving up carefully built lives for each other.
Part of this arises from Ruby’s role in the situation.
She has sexual agency and appetite, pursuing Billy and repeatedly pushing him to have sex with her.
Ruby is far from perfect, but she is refreshingly allowed to be a woman who wants sex.
She shares that with Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, but in a way that feels less louche.
Their desperation seemingly only heightens their want.
Theres nothing noble or particularly aspirational about their choices.
Theyre just two messed up people, fumbling toward each other because they can’t help themselves.
It’s the ultimate fantasy smashing into the reality of foregrounding our most primitive desires above all else.
We should look away, but we can’t help but run toward them.
With Billy and Ruby, it’s all aboard for an id-fueled train ride of epic proportions.
