Viewers have shared their emotional reactions to the final episode of the BBC’s heart-wrenching drama Mayflies, starring Martin Compston.
The Line Of Duty star, 38, stars as Jimmy in the two-part series, who is reunited with his pal Tully, played by Tony Curran, 30 years after the ‘climax of their youth’.
However, Jimmy learns that his friend has tragically been given a terminal cancer diagnosis and Tully asks his lifelong pal to take him to Switzerland to die.
Heart-wrenching: Fans of BBC’s Mayflies have shared their emotional reactions to the final episode starring Martin Compston
After the second episode aired on Thursday night, viewers took to Twitter to share their emotional reactions to the series, which deals with hard-hitting topics such as terminal illness and assisted dying.
With some expressing that they still had ‘tears in their eyes’ after viewing, the drama based on the 2020 novel by Andrew O’Hagan has proven to be a hit with audiences in a heart-wrenching way.
One fan wrote of the emotional second part of the two-part series: ‘Pheww that was some watch, two hours of silence here and a sad glance at each other at the end. Well done to all concerned. It moved us. Drama at its best.’
Difficult: With some expressing that they still had ‘tears in their eyes’ after viewing, the hard-hitting drama based on the 2020 novel by Andrew O’Hagan has proven to be a hit with audiences in a heart-wrenching way
Another added: ‘Finished 10 minutes ago, still have tears in my eyes.’
A third took to social media to add: ‘What a watch. Loved the book and I just cried my eyes out at the TV show even though I knew the story. So powerful.’
‘Remarkable performances from all concerned,’ wrote another. ‘Ultimately, I took it as a story of human strength and spirit, taking control of an impossible situation rather than succumbing to a distressing and depressing end.
Hard watch: Tully, played by Tony Curran, finds out he has terminal cancer, and Jimmy, played by Martin Compson, is reunited with his pal 30 years after the ‘climax of their youth’ to find out of Tully’s horrific diagnosis
‘Tough watch but I was cheering for Tully all the way.’
Someone else added: ‘I’ve just watched #Mayflies, what a magnificent drama.
‘I’m fully for assisted dying, but seeing it from the other side, theoved one being left behind, I can see how tough it must be. Amazing acting and writing.’
Another spoke of how impressed they were: ‘#Mayflies is one of the most moving programmes I have seen.
‘Tears in my eyes’: One fan wrote of the emotional second part of the two-part series: ‘Pheww that was some watch, two hours of silence here and a sad glance at each other at the end’
‘Production, the flashbacks, the music, and more importantly, the storyline of a taboo subject.
‘Hug that person closest to you a little more this evening. Thank you @martin_compston @TonyCurran69.’
Set against the backdrop of 1980s Britain, Mayflies sees Martin portray one of two young men who forge a close bond over their shared love of music, film and rebellion.
Doting wife: Tully is pictured with his wife Anna who finds it difficult to watch him sign his life away before going ahead with euthanasia
Best of friends: Jimmy watches on to the moment where Tully agrees to death by euthanasia with the support of his wife Iona
Key cultural moments, among them Manchester’s burgeoning late ’80s and early ’90s indie scene, will be highlighted as the two friends make a shared vow to live life on their own individual terms.
But three decades later their bond becomes strained when Jimmy’s old friend calls with some devastating news ‘that will test their friendship, love and loyalty to the limit’.
Martin recently told Radio Times that he hopes the hard-hitting drama will raise conversations about assisted dying, saying people have ‘very strong’ opinions on it.
He said: ‘I think, the thing with the assisted dying – I mean it’s a BBC show so it has to be neutral and I believe we are neutral – there’s very strong opinions on both sides.
‘You know, from my own point of view, I’m a patron of a hospice, I think their end of life care is wonderful.
‘But there are situations when we do our research and we see these heartbreaking stories of people who feel they have no option but to take the ending of their life into their own hands and are forced to do it away from their home and a lot of times with one relative or something.
‘So I just think we really want to add to that conversation, and make it sort of more mainstream.’
The show also stars Ashley Jensen – best known for her performances in Ricky Gervais comedies Extras and After Life – it was developed by Scottish production company Synchronicity Films for the BBC.
Emotional: For Tully and Noodles (Tony Curran and Martin Compston), it seems no time at all since they were schoolmates, clubbing to the sounds of Frankie Goes To Hollywood and New Order in the 1980s
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