Plum, ABC review: sporting pain and poetry

Plum is the story of a man – Peter ‘the Plum’ Lum (Brendan Cowell) – who, having conquered the sporting world and reaped the rewards for decades, discovers those rewards have come at a price. He was never sensitive and poetic and thoughtful because he never needed to be; now that his life is falling apart, it’s time to pick up the pen.

Plum is a legend in the world of rugby league, even a decade after his playing career ended. He might make a low-key living driving an aircraft tug down at Sydney airport, but on the streets of Cronulla – and in the media – he’s still a big wheel.

It’s the best of both worlds: he’s still got the fame and adulation if he wants it, and when he doesn’t he’s always got girlfriend Charmayne (María Dupláa) waiting for him at home with some new salads to try out. He might have been repeatedly pummelled into unconsciousness on the field back in 2001, but in 2018 he’s still out there doing training montages with teen son Gavin (Vincent Miller) and taking photos with fans. For Plum, things are looking good.

Until suddenly, they aren’t. His vision’s getting blurry, his back’s gone, he’s losing time, he’s seeing people who aren’t there on the bus. He zones out and forgets the answers at a rugby quiz night then falls off the stage. Soon after, he has a seizure at work; maybe it’s time to consider things might not be as perfect as he thought.

Watch the trailer for Plum

Meanwhile his ex (and Gavin’s mother) Renee (Asher Keddie) is trying to come back into their lives after throwing Gavin out years ago. She’s not great at reading the room, but they had a real connection once. And as Plum’s past becomes increasingly relevant to his future, with his string of past concussions leading to a probable case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), he’s going to need a lot of help from those around him. If only he can ask for it.

Plum: up front

Plum is up front about being about something. And not just the topical issue of long-term injuries in sport, though that’s definitely a part of it. In his creator’s statement, Cowell – who is series creator, writer (it’s also based on his novel), executive producer and star – writes: ‘The notion of the two choices we have as males; to be the effeminate poet, or in turn [into] the thug, brute sports guy … Why don’t we celebrate men being sensitive and poetic and thoughtful as well as physically strong?’

The idea that a well-rounded life is essential for happiness is hardly controversial in theory, though as Plum points out, in practice Australian culture is somewhat different. And Plum isn’t exactly free of those assumptions: after all, the central premise here is that a popular and successful sportsman develops an interest in poetry as a direct consequence of an acquired brain injury.

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Fortunately, his path to the arts isn’t a long hard slog involving years of practice; instead, he starts having encounters with history’s most famous poets, happy to stop by and give him advice on expressing himself. If you’ve ever wanted to know what tips Sylvia Plath (Charlotte Friels) and Charles Bukowski (Matthew Sunderland) (sorry, no TS Eliot or Maya Angelou here) would give a former rugby player, this is the series for you.

Having the focus turn inwards – it’s clear that once Plum sorts himself out, he’ll be able to tackle his wider problems – puts a lot of pressure on Plum the character to carry the drama. The big plus here is Cowell himself. He’s a charismatic, commanding presence, utterly convincing as a man previously untroubled by self-doubt now fumbling the ball.

It helps his performance that, while this is a drama that’s all about a man confronting his weaknesses, Plum never loses his agency. It’s not that his illness will take away his strength and status – it’s that doing what’s required to retain those things (you know, expressing feelings) is seen as a challenge to his idea of masculinity. People don’t help Plum; Plum decides to let them help him.

Cowell’s been writing about how blokey life (and the grog) leaves successful Sydney men adrift and unsatisfied spiritually since his days contributing to Love My Way. Society sells his characters a bill of goods, promising them that if they play hard and by the rules they’ll be winners in life. In previous works, it’s at times been hard to sympathise with his leads. Here Plum is suffering though no fault of his own, and the look at the damage caused by repeat concussions is easily the strongest part of this series.

That said, this is called Plum for a reason. You really do need to be on board with the main character because he’s in just about every scene. He’s not quite a saint, but everyone around him loves him (except for the fans, who can be dickheads), the women in his life are flawed (but trying to do better by him), and while his life hasn’t always been a bed of roses he’s done his best, and by his standards he’s come out on top.

It’s just that while sport in Australia is a multi-billion dollar industry that dominates the local media and enjoys massive government funding while giving athletes like Plum fame and social standing, it doesn’t prepare you for death. That’s what poetry is for.

Plum premieres on ABC at 8.30pm on 20 October, with all episodes available to stream on ABC iview.