Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama Run, which absolutely captivated me with its unique blend of romantic tension, thrilling escapades, and the intoxicating idea of dropping everything for a second chance at love.
Created by Vicky Jones and premiered on April 12, 2020 on HBO, Run is a comedy-thriller series that ran for one season with 7 episodes, each approximately 30 minutes long. From the producers of Fleabag and Killing Eve, this cross-country adventure follows Ruby Richardson, a suburban housewife who receives a life-changing text from her college boyfriend Billy Johnson. The simple word “RUN” activates a pact they made 17 years earlier, setting them on a spontaneous journey that threatens to upend both their lives.
The series masterfully combines elements of romantic comedy with genuine thriller tension, creating a unique viewing experience that keeps you guessing at every turn. Run explores themes of mid-life crisis, unfulfilled dreams, and the dangerous allure of escaping your responsibilities for a chance at rediscovering who you used to be.
A Pact That Changes Everything
The central premise revolves around Ruby and Billy’s college agreement: if either one texts “RUN” and the other responds the same way, they’ll drop everything and meet at Grand Central Station to embark on a week-long cross-country train journey. Ruby, trapped in suburban monotony with her family, receives this text at the perfect moment of crisis. What begins as an impulsive decision to escape her ordinary life quickly escalates into something far more complex and dangerous. The show brilliantly uses the confined space of train travel to create intimate moments while building suspense about what drove Billy to activate their pact after all these years.
Merritt Wever as Ruby: The Suburban Escape Artist
Merritt Wever delivers a powerhouse performance as Ruby Richardson, perfectly capturing the desperation of a woman who feels invisible in her own life. Ruby’s transformation from dutiful suburban wife to someone rediscovering her sense of adventure and sexuality is both thrilling and terrifying to watch. Wever masterfully balances Ruby’s impulsiveness with her underlying intelligence, showing how someone can make seemingly reckless decisions while still maintaining their core identity. Her portrayal makes Ruby’s journey feel authentic and relatable, even as the situations become increasingly surreal and dangerous.
Domhnall Gleeson as Billy: Mystery Man with Hidden Agendas
Domhnall Gleeson brings magnetic charm and underlying menace to Billy Johnson, the aspiring British writer whose motivations remain tantalizingly unclear throughout the series. Billy represents both salvation and potential destruction for Ruby, embodying the romantic fantasy of escape while harboring secrets that could destroy everything. Gleeson’s performance keeps viewers constantly guessing about Billy’s true intentions, creating a character who is simultaneously irresistible and deeply suspicious. His chemistry with Wever drives the entire series, making their connection feel both inevitable and potentially catastrophic.
Secrets Unravel: When the Past Catches Up
The series reaches its most intense moments when the truth about why Billy activated their pact begins to emerge, revealing connections to his troubled past and current dangerous circumstances. What started as a romantic escape becomes a genuine thriller as their journey attracts unwanted attention from both law enforcement and more sinister forces. The show expertly ratchets up tension while maintaining the romantic core of their relationship, forcing viewers to question whether love is worth the potentially deadly consequences of their spontaneous decision.
Supporting Players: Complications at Every Stop
Rich Sommer and Tamara Podemski add depth to the series as characters whose lives become entangled with Ruby and Billy’s escape. Detective Fiona Bit and Ruby’s husband Laurence represent the different worlds they’re trying to escape and the consequences of their actions on the people left behind. These supporting characters aren’t just obstacles; they ground the fantastical elements of the story in real-world consequences, reminding viewers that every escape has a cost for those left in its wake.
Short-Lived Success on HBO
Run earned critical praise for its unique concept and strong performances from Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson, receiving a 6.2 rating on IMDb. The series was described as an energetic hybrid of romantic comedy and action thriller, with episodes that moved as swiftly as the train setting. Despite positive reception and the involvement of acclaimed producers Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Vicky Jones, HBO chose not to renew Run for a second season, leaving the story incomplete after its seven-episode run concluded on May 24, 2020.
A Journey Worth Taking Despite Its Destination
If you love romantic thrillers with complex characters and moral ambiguity, Run is the perfect series to binge on HBO Max. The show manages to be both a fantasy about escaping your ordinary life and a cautionary tale about the consequences of impulsive decisions. With its perfect blend of romance, suspense, and character-driven storytelling, this cross-country adventure proves that sometimes the most compelling journeys are those with uncertain destinations.
A Ride That Ends Too Soon
Run delivers a thrilling exploration of mid-life romance and the dangerous allure of second chances, wrapped in beautiful cinematography and anchored by two exceptional lead performances. While its premature cancellation leaves questions unanswered, the series succeeds in creating an unforgettable journey that examines what happens when we choose to run toward our desires instead of away from our problems.
Series Details
Number of Episodes: 7
Platform: HBO Max
Release Year: 2020 (Cancelled after one season)
Current IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Thriller
Status: Cancelled after one season
Protagonists: Merritt Wever (Ruby Richardson), Domhnall Gleeson (Billy Johnson)
Antagonist: Detective Fiona Bit (Archie Panjabi) and various past complications