What I’m Watching: Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season 4, Episode 2 (C+)

There comes a point in the run of some shows where suddenly things just don’t feel like they used to anymore. I often wonder whether the show actually used to be that much better or if I simply remembered it more fondly for whatever reason. I do think that there has been a noticeable shift in how this show operates, and it saddens me. What seems to be the problem is an inflation of ego. This show was surprisingly unassuming when it first started, and part of what made it appealing was the fact that Belle really is very sweet and likeable. She now seems completely self-centered and it’s as if Billie Piper is playing an entirely different character. It’s a huge disappointment because she used to be so great, and now I find her character off-putting, and not in an intriguing way. Her session with the virgin is a particularly strong example for an unexplained personality shift since she used to always be supportive of her clients, no matter what they did or didn’t want to do. I don’t like her new associates, and one of them is particularly prickly and unfriendly. I want to see more of Stephanie’s daughter and have her get involved with everything, because I think she’s an intriguing character, and may be the last best thing on this show that could make this final season, so far removed already from what came before, worth watching. I would hate for this show to go out on a negative note.