Over the past six weeks I have had the pleasure of witnessing some of the finest and most talented acting that Irish TV has to offer. As season five of RAW draws to a close, I will be dedicating this blog to the outstanding cast, production team and crew of Ireland's finest culinary drama.
In most cases it's safe to say the best is saved until last, but the finale of RAW was just as consistent and superb as the previous five episodes.
I had the pleasure of catching up with Keith McErlean ahead of the final show, in which I used the opportunity to ask him a question that RAW fans are frequently posting underneath my blogs -Will there ever be more than six episodes in a series?
A modest Keith replied, saying: "There would be room for ten episodes. I think it’s just down to budgetary constraints. The fact that we have two dramas (Love/Hate) going now makes it difficult. But it’s fantastic to have two dramas going rather than ten episodes of one. It's terrific to see such varied content on RTÉ."
I enjoyed watching Shane’s character development this series. Long gone are the days were he pines over Kate and hopes to settle down and start a family. It was refreshing to see his character coming into his own and starting to make something of himself. He will always be a sweet-natured and hopeless romantic kind of guy, but it looks like his newfound go-get-them attitude and determination is also here to stay!
I really do hope Shane and Zoe's relationship works out. I was initially sceptical about their romance and assumed that Zoe was just being used as a filler to distract from the Kate/Shane plot. But it proved to be an extremely worthwhile and rewarding storyline. Zoe, played by the lovely Amy Manson, acted the part of the loving girlfriend to perfection. I look forward to her return in season 7 (which is yet to be confirmed).
Zoe (Amy Manson) and Shane (Keith McErlean) remained strong throughout the series. Maybe their relationship is the real deal?
Aisling O’Sullivan as Fiona was as endearing and likeable as ever this season. The mammy of RAW really does make the place seem like one happy family. Usually her on/off again relationships with nearly every man that glances her way can be irritating and extremely predictable. But I really did enjoy watching her friendship with Max (Cristian Solimeno) play out – and he wasn’t so bad to look at either.
Kate was without a doubt the star of season five. The pop-up bar storyline was one of the most worthwhile and enjoyable plots to date. It was refreshing to see Kate becoming a leading lady for once. A star in the making! I expect huge things for Kelly Gough in the future. Watch this space.
The highlight of the series was of course Geoff's return to the kitchen, with a cameo from Summer Bay's Rhys Sutherland coming in close second place. I'm extremely disappointed that he's decided to go back home to Sydney, but I'm equally thrilled that Max is staying in the show. Hopefully Geoff won't regret selling his shares.
The best supporting award has to go to Michael Malarkey who played the part of Jojo's controlling hubby to perfection. He really set the tone for a lot of episodes and almost overshadowed Jojo (Charlene McKenna) in the process.
Despite not being in the running for any IFTAs at this year's award ceremony, RAW still remains to be in a league of its own.
Laura Delaney
