冤家成双对 第三季

劇情簡介

　　本劇集是BBC 2臺2000年正式推出的以青年人為题材和对象的系列情景喜劇，创意和編劇均由Steven Moffat一人担当。三男三女的主要人物构成很容易使人联想到当時正走红（其实已经在走下坡路）的《Friends》，因此很有不少根本沒看过本劇的媒體人士和評论家想当然地将本劇称作英國版的《Friends》，而在那些有幸欣赏过本劇的觀众们看来，《Coupling》在情節設定、人物表演、喜劇元素的設计和表现等诸多方面所达到的水平，要比《Friends》高几个档次。相比之下，《Friends》只能說是一部“業余”水平的好作品而已。当然总體来說，英劇的水准本身就高于美劇，这和英劇註意保持创意、編劇一體化是分不開的，美劇的创意一般也就為最初几集編劇，以後主要的編劇工作都是由其它編劇根據最初的角色設定来自由發挥，編劇队伍的构成也是不断变化，老的走新的来，造成美劇情節連贯性差甚至前後矛盾，故事往往缺乏深度，人物性格平面化，缺少發展。这都是题外话了。　　《Coupling》的主要人物包括优柔寡断、性格不成熟的帅哥Steve，Steve的莫逆之交、舉止語言古怪、总也找不到女友的Jeff，头脑簡单、外表性感的“donkey” Patrick三位对Porn、特別是lesbian porn非常熱中的男士，以及Steve的前女友、神神叨叨、擅用性感作武器的Jane，Steve的继任女友、Jeff的同事、曾经非常“不羁”（包括和Jeff還有Patrick）过的Susan，Susan的莫逆、对衰老和肥胖极度敏感的美容师Sally三位女士。在第一集中，Steve决定“再次”和女友Jane分手，結果却被Jane三言两語引诱到洗手间亲熱；Patrick想把和Susan的關系再進一步，却被告知根本不存在什么“關系”； Susan在洗手间碰到匆忙出来买Durex的Steve，向他表示好感，两人订下约会以後Steve钻進隔间继續……。本劇的主線包括Steve和 Susan之间逐渐正式起来的關系，Jeff寻找艳遇过程中的种种意外以及後来和上司發展出来的一段關系，Patrick和Sally之间若有若無到若即若离再到情深难舍的感情發展，還有Jane在事業和異性關系中的各种奇事，等等。　　本劇在情節設计中所达到的精致和完美程度让人叹為觀止，而六位当時并不算大明星的青年演员的所展现精湛演技更是具有顶尖演员的水平，無怪乎播出之後立刻走红大洋两岸，在IMDB、AMAZON和BBC網站可以领略到其受欢迎的程度。2002年底，第3季播毕，故事情節基本告一段落。美國NBC看到这部“英國版《Friends》”在英美两地均广受欢迎，觉得正好可以搬来做2004年终于要關张的《Friends》的接班人，于是2003年大张旗鼓地决定翻拍美版《Coupling》。美國的fans本来以為这是件好事，沒想到NBC的翻拍愚蠢地采用了全臺词照搬的方法，虽然个人沒看过，不过也可以想象到有多恶心，結果只播出一集Pilot就因為骂聲太大而整个计划搁浅（这點上美國佬是值得学习的，不象中國有些搞影視的骂聲越大越要上）。在这里http://www.nbc.com/Coupling/可以看到这个计划的尸體，還有一些彻底走了味儿的劇照。　　2003年底，本劇獲得英國喜劇奖（BCA）最佳電視喜劇奖。BBC已经在2004年正式開拍并播出第4季，不过Jeff这个人物将不再出现，而代之以新角色——经营Sci-Fi書店的Oliver，由Richard Mylan扮演。从已经播出的几集来看，应该說在更换主要角色之一的背景下，基本保持了前3季的水准，但是同時也流露出对前3季中成功情節進行拷贝的迹象，希望这仅仅是偶然。　　Two&#39s company, three&#39s a crowd... so what do you do with six? On average, men and women think about sex every six seconds. Shorten that to every second, and you&#39ve got Coupling. It&#39s more than just a one night stand!　　When a couple gets together, it&#39s never just the two of them - they also bring baggage - and Susan (Sarah Alexander) and Steve (Jack Davenport) are no exception. Their baggage is a crowd of best friends and exes who talk about all aspects of sex and relationships on their never-ending quest to find true love. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps...　　Susan Walker is a beautiful go-getter with an uninhibited attitude who used to date Patrick Maitland (Ben Miles), the sextet&#39s charismatic, cocky player, London&#39s king of conquests - a guy who&#39s just too cool to worry about being smart. Attractive Sally Harper (Kate Isitt) is a beauty therapist who is Susan&#39s unashamedly vain best friend, who aggressively battles aging with heavy doses of moisturizer and men - including Patrick.　　Meanwhile, Steve Taylor, while getting together with Susan, can&#39t seem to shake loose from his vivacious and slightly vacuous ex-girlfriend Jane Christie (Gina Bellman), a woman supremely confident in her ability to seduce anyone of either sex, and who refuses to be dumped unless she&#39s the one doing the dumping. Jeff Murdoch (Richard Coyle) is Steve&#39s &quotporn buddy&quot who is, in equal parts, obsessed and bewildered by actual sex charming in his way, but with an uncanny ability to say the wrong thing at the worst possible time. He works in the same office as Susan, with whom he had a disastrous and unsuccessful one-night fling.　　Coupling has been honoured with the prestigious Silver Rose of Montreux, Best TV Comedy Award, and is recent winner at the 2003 British Comedy Awards.　　With a new guy on the scene, a baby on the way, commitment in the air, and love on the horizon, the dynamics of the six friends are definitely changing.　　At the end of last season Susan and Steve discovered they were pregnant (well, mostly Susan), confirmed bachelor Patrick and Sally finally admitted their true feelings for each other, and poor Jane was left on her own, once again.　　But it&#39s not all doom and gloom for Jane. As the new season opens, things are looking up. There&#39s this guy called Oliver, who has his eye on her. Is it possible that lifetime loser in love Oliver might just get somewhere with lifetime loser in love Jane? Trouble is, his apartment is a little &quotun-edited&quot and his living room has lost the battle with magazine nudity...　　Susan and Steve are now well and truly an item. So why is he dreaming about being executed by a fetus with an axe?　　Meanwhile Sally and Patrick are settling into their new relationship. But since the dawn of time, men and women have been falling in love - and men have been trying to get home straight afterwards. Can fallen playboy Patrick ever find his way back from the enchanted glade of his one true love and get a decent night&#39s sleep?