It’s a thin line

Love/Hate’s opener created quite a stir. Actor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and writer Stuart Carolan give Colette Sheridan their take on the hit drama

WITH a brutal rape scene and turbo-charged violence, Love/Hate sparked plenty debate when it returned for a third series last week. Viewing figures of 630,700 for the opener underline the show’s popularity, but RTÉ also received dozens of complaints about the graphic nature of some of the scenes, and the Rape Crisis Centres in Dublin reported an increase in calls to their helpline after the broadcast.

This Sunday’s episode continues the dark tone of its predecessor. Series writer Stuart Carolan seems to have been given a freer hand by RTÉ and it is obvious we are dealing with a very different Love/Hate than previous seasons. There are fewer lighthearted scenes and any accusations about the glorification of gang culture have been blown away by the grim repercussions for the characters involved.