Marcus crafts an email (multiple times) asking for her opinion on a book. First, he leads with a joke then he goes for a curter tone. But finally, he opts for a casual email that is definitely anything but casual. He’s stood in his bathroom, having just turned down sex with his wife, and is running the tap to conceal the fact that he’s standing on his phone in the bathroom and not showering.

His multiple message crafting attempts are quickly met with a response from Mia who actually texts him back the exact joke he originally wanted to send. His wide grin says it all: he’s in trouble.

The days go by and he finds comfort in the fact that he knows they’re both in relationships so doesn’t “see the harm” in texting. But friendly text messages don’t leave you avidly checking your phone or smiling cheekily, right? It’s a weird series of events to see unfold on the small screen and harks back to the taboo of shows like BBC’s Cheaters. You know what you’re watching is morally questionable but you can’t help rooting for these characters to find their happiness.

As Marcus says to Mia on their spontaneous evening trip to the MoMA: “This isn’t illicit, you said it yourself, ‘We’re just hanging’.”

Love Life S2 is airing on BBC One and its first episode will leave you in bits – that’s what makes it so great