Line #15 Series/ThePoliticiansHusband


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_politicians_husband.jpg]]
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3	''The Politician's Husband'' is a 2013 political drama written by Paula Milne (a SpiritualSuccessor to 1995's ''Series/ThePoliticiansWife'', also written by Milne) and starring Creator/DavidTennant and Creator/EmilyWatson as political power couple Aiden Hoynes and Freya Gardner. Aiden resigns from his front bench ministry, stating that he wants to take a stand against the Prime Minister's draconian position on immigration when he is actually trying to start a campaign for the Party leadership position. Things start going south when his colleague and now-former best friend Bruce Babbish denounces him in the press. Freya is then offered Aiden's old job, provided that she speaks in favour of the PM and against Aiden. Aiden sees this as a great opportunity for Freya to act as his mole to allow him to get his foot back in the door, but Freya, tired of playing second fiddle to her husband, has other ideas...
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5	!!Provides examples of:
6	* ActorAllusion: David Tennant once again [[Series/DoctorWho uses the alias John Smith.]]
7	* DistantFinale: [[spoiler:Aiden and Freya enter Number 10 after winning the general election, one of them as Prime Minister and the other as their deputy. It's not until they enter the cabinet room that [[BaitAndSwitch Freya is revealed to be Prime Minister.]]]]
8	* KarmaHoudini: Aiden never gets punished for the rape.
9	* IronLady: Freya.
10	* ManlyTears: Aiden has tears in his eyes in the first episode, cries [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone in the second]], and even more in the third.
11	* MaritalRapeLicense: Aiden gets revenge on Freya for betraying him by publicly opposing his stance on immigration by raping her.
12	* ManipulativeBastard: Aiden, just like a politician should be.
13	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Aiden's reaction to the rape. It doesn't stick for long though - one backhanded apology to Freya the next morning and he's back to plotting her demise.
14	* NewscasterCameo: Kirsty Wark pops up as host of Series/{{Newsnight}}.
15	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Aiden and Freya are very roughly based on RealLife shadow Labour ministers Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper, in so much as they are two political high-flyers who are married to each other. Given what happens in the series, it's just as well the similarities end there.
16	** The whole "moussaka" schtick they have going with the journalist who interviews them at their house is a nod to Balls and Cooper's now infamous plot to seize the Party leadership using [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/shortcuts/2012/jan/30/ed-balls-yvette-cooper-lasagne lasagne]].
17	* RapeAndRevenge: Freya's actions following the assault could be construed as this. Going to the police would probably have ended up destroying her career as well as Aiden's (that's assuming that she thought the police would believe her), which is what he ultimately wants, so resolving to get ahead at his expense becomes her only means of retribution.
18	* RapeDiscretionShot: Averted. Very, very much averted.
19	* SpiritualSuccessor: To 1995's ''Series/ThePoliticiansWife'', also written by Milne. The plots are unconnected, but follow many of the same themes, and the overall story of each work follows a similar structure: Politician has spouse. Spouse resents politician. Spouse sets out to covertly ruin politician's life. [[spoiler:Marriage falls apart. The woman becomes a Minister, the man becomes a joke]].

Context Series / ThePoliticiansHusband