Max and Ivan: The Reunion

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Phew. Having made the big move to the Queen Dome, Max and Ivan introduce The Reunion with an opening section soggier than, well, one of the wetter soups. Tepid wordplay and unpromising characters, it augers ill for a show that's supposed to catapult them, if not into the big leagues, then certainly somewhere near the play-offs. 

Be warned though, if you're one of those grim-faced types who takes against a show early on and steadfastly sticks to first impressions—we've all seen them—then you may be in for a titanic struggle later on. This affable duo grow on you like the sort of worrying symptoms that bedevil their main protagonist, Brian (Ivan), a well-meaning chap whose prodigious array of ailments has rather held him back confidence-wise, particularly regarding his longterm crush, Jessica (Max). It all comes to a head at their school reunion.

So far, so pedestrian, but the pace builds rapidly and some inspired set-pieces loom on the horizon. Perhaps they need the low-key start to maintain a month's momentum—they are wrestling a few days later—but somewhere around the midway point The Reunion kicks into a mighty groove, and keeps on going: a deluded musical duo feeds into an inspired bit of crowd participation, random glove puppetry, geography-based seduction, and one bizarrely neglected classmate with something ominous in his pocket.

By the lovely ending, those characters that seemed dull early on will be all you care about in the world. And yes, that means you too, sir.