It’s always interesting to see how an ensemble show like In the Club will balance storylines for such a large cast and what priority the characters, and indeed the actors playing them, will have as the stories develop.

Luckily, Episode 2 does a fine, and in some cases surprising job, of serving the whole cast, and providing us with some brilliant drama as a result.

From the opening moments its clear that drama will be at the forefront of the episode as Neil (Jonathan Kerrigan) and Kim (Katherine Parkinson) discuss the specifics of their complicated romantic entanglement. Parkinson shines as the conflicted Kim, trying to figure out what she truly wants while dealing with the pregnancy. This is further complicated by the home life problems as her partner Susie (Tara Fitzgerald) deals with her biological son Jude and we see how Kim tries to figure out her place in all this.

Fitzgerald, for such a recognised name, doesn’t feature much here, but you do get the sense that theirs is a slow burn to an eventual confrontation, and I cannot wait for the fall out from that. Similarly, Hermione Norris’ Roanna character is somewhat secondary here, but the skill of great writing is playing the long game with certain characters storylines and it’s clear they are doing the same with her.

Of course, an actress as skilled as Norris provides depth and she shines with heartfelt sympathy, sentiment and notable comedy skill in her scenes. This is also true of the character of maternity ward nurse Vicky (Christine Bottomley) who despite the least screen time so far, delivers some great lines with empathy, passion and warmth. It’ll be lovely to see how her story develops in future episodes, given her sterling performance here.

The repercussions of Rick’s (Will Mellor) actions from last week have a strong rippling effect for all concerned, as Diane is forced to cope on her own, the stress of which brings on the labour of her twins. Halfpenny is amazing in these scenes as Diane, delivering a heart-warming performance that highlights her skills as a dramatic actress.

Mellor is also given more gravitas with the rooftop scene, but I personally liked his quieter moments, such as the post-pregnancy scenes with Halfpenny, or his scenes with best mate Dev (Sacha Dhawan), who we learn housed him after he went AWOL last week. One of the obvious things about this show is how strongly it handles modern friendships and relationships, and that equal focus is being put on the men as well as the women is really refreshing.

Dhawan and Taj Atwal (who plays Jasmine) were my surprise this week. Painted as something of a comedy duo in the first episode with their humourous dialogue, they are proving to be a coupling with real depth, and indeed real problems, as we learn of the conflict created from Dev housing Rick, but more importantly of the ‘Jack’ situation and we see the first signs of genuine tension in their marriage, particularly with Jasmine.

Atwal is brilliant here, portraying a lovely blend of frustration, emotion and sadness as she wrestles with the idea of being a mother to a baby she possibly does not want, and a life with a man she doesn’t appear to want either. The fact that Dev seems to realise this in the episode’s last moments will no doubt provide more drama next week.

Great casting and chemistry is key to a show like In the Club, especially one centred around pregnancy, but all aspects of the show are weaving together nicely and it more than maintains its audience attention throughout with its insightful and relatable comedy and human drama.

Aired at 9pm on Tuesday 12 August 2014 on BBC One.

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