Sense of self, Sense of Place The Landscape of Urban Violence in "Love/Hate"

Abstract

The Irish TV series Love/Hate (RTE one, 2010-present) is set in Dublin, and its violent “gangland” plotline inspired Guardian reviewer Marc Lawson to call it the “Irish The Wire”, placing it firmly within an American tradition of television production. Like The Wire (HBO, 2002-2008), Love/Hate raises issues of place, space, and identity in a post-industrialised, globalised city. The series is rooted in the specific place of Dublin and part of a broader tradition concerned with urban narratives in the late capitalist era. Love/Hate focuses on a small group of characters and differs in that regard from its American counterpart: The Wire is an explicit portrait of Baltimore in which the proliferating characters constitute the social, economic and political landscape of the city. Love/Hate writer Stuart Carolan, on the other hand, cites his fascination with “gangland”, rather than an interest in the city, as his inspiration. Nevertheless, the series offers a striking portrait of Dublin, urban space and nature woven into its story of gang violence.