T for Two

T for Two is a West Ariddian "crime fiction" television series. Set in Aqeyr, West Ariddia, the series stars Jack Michaelson and Aline Wiel as police officers Thomas Robin and Tricia Eshau, who work as a team.

Television crime fiction is popular in West Ariddia, but "T for Two", currently in its sixth season, tops the ratings. It is seen as an accurate reflection of the country's social problems, exploring a variety of issues while remaining entertaining, and without ever positioning itself on the nation's sensitive and divided political spectrum. West Ariddia has virtually no government, and economic ultra-liberalism has led to extreme income inequality, a wretchedly poor underclass and high levels of crime. Firearms are widespread and contribute to high rates of homicide and accidents. There is no publicly funded police force; the "police" is privately employed by businesses or wealthy individuals. Robin and Eshau work for a consortium of big businesses who effectively control a large part of the capital city.

"T for Two" is an in-joke between the two main characters, and a sort of team motto. Both their given names begin with 'T' (when one abridges "Patricia" to "Tricia"), as does the word "team". It is of course a play on the song "Tea for Two", as well as on the motto "One for all, and all for one", expressing their professional commitment and friendship for each other.

Thomas Robin (43 at the beginning of the series) is a tall, Caucasian, anglophone man with dark blond hair and a somewhat scruffy appearance. He is Eshau's direct superior. His style is casual and his speech often blunt; he is a man of principles and of action, although he rarely loses his temper. He has a "gut instinct" approach to his job, and does not hesitate to bend the rules in this quasi-lawless society. He comes from a relatively poor, working class background.

Tricia Eshau (29 at the beginning of the series), by contrast, comes from a wealthy family, and was brought up on upper middle-class, almost aristocratic values. Her class accent is very different to Robin's. She is an Indigenous West Ariddian, although she is of partly mixed ethnic descent. A stickler for the rules, she nonetheless shares Robin's strong principles. She is generally more cool-headed, taking time to think problems through, and wary of jumping to conclusions on the basis of instinct. Eshau and Robin balance each other in their work.

Both characters are single, and the series has played with the possibility of romantic relations, keeping viewers guessing and speculating.

Viewers were told that the final episode of season five, "In the Line of Duty", would contain a "massive shock". As a result, viewing figures were higher for that episode than for any until that point. In the episode, Eshau was shot, and the episode (and season) ended without the viewers being told whether or not she was alive. Producers hinted that Robin might be given a new partner for the following season, but kept Eshau's fate very tightly under wraps. In the first four episodes of season six, Wiel's character did not appear at all, except unconscious in hospital - but it was confirmed that she was alive, for now. She remained in critical condition, and Robin was given a new working partner. The credits sequence of each of the season's first five episodes listed Michaelson and not Wiel... but neither did it list the actress playing Robin's new colleague. Fans speculated wildly as to whether Eshau would regain consciousness.

She did, in the fifth episode of the season, and by the sixth episode Wiel's name was back in the opening credits. The producers had kept fans on edge for months on end before finally revealing that Eshau would live, and remain a main character... and, in the process, they had strengthened and increased the series' fan base.

Season six is currently airing.

Marketing

Capitalising on the series' success, producers have marketed a whole range of related products, including action figures, non-canon novels, and alarm clocks playing the series' famous theme tune. "T for Two" has become a household name in West Ariddia, with viewers of all ages admitting they are fans. The series is also exported to a number of foreign countries.