Dirty Lines, consensual Sex is really No Crime

This dutch comedy series Dirty Lines left me positively surprised. I did not know what to expect from title and trailer, but then 2 episodes in I am so hooked. I binged it all.

Since this is really worth it, I suggest you to go watch it, if you haven’t already. If you want some background story and introduction keep reading. If you want some plot twist and story line details, read until the end.

Main Characters in Dirty Lines:

Marly (Joy Delima), protagonist and narrator

Frank (Minne Koole), founder of sex line

Ramon (Chris Peters), co founder of sex line

Janna (Julia Akkermans), best friend of Marlys

Natasja (Charlie Chan Dagelet), Ramons wife

Leon (Benja Bruijning), Marlys Professor

Anoek (Abbey Hoes), Franks wife

Mischa (Joes Brauers), House Dj

The story is set during the 80s in Amsterdam. We see the growth of many new ideas and movements in politics, technology, psychology, music and styles in general. It is a bliss to see how Amsterdam was in the 80s, the series is also good for who did not live yet in the 80s.

What do you think about the 80s?

The series Dirty Lines is a narrated by Marly. She will be giving a lot of input to understand how it was different in the 80s compared to now.

She is narrating it from our time, but the whole setting will be her life, her upbringing and her lessons, finding her way and growing as a young dark skinned woman in the 80s.

Marly is a psychology student, studying to become a therapist. Her interest is in particular in sexual therapy and it stems from the fact that she is innocent and quite unacknowledged about sex. That is why she is so interested in finding new information about female arousal. It is also an amazing time to study sex, in a more liberated environment than decades before.

At the beginning of the series she lives with her parents, because it is the most economic option and her protective parents do not want her living on her own, especially not in a city with a “bad reputation” such as Amsterdam.

Frank and Ramon are two brothers. Frank is the entrepreneur that has been trying various failing businesses ideas, but eventually ended up creating a revolutionary project at the time: A sex telephone line.

This is an era in which telephone just became a commodity and everyone had one at home, in the office, on the streets. You remember telephone boxes?

The lines were national property and it was still newly built. Especially the sector of the commercial telephone lines were just implemented when Frank jumped onto the business opportunity.

The series Dutch Lines is based on a book, which is based on the real story of this Teledutch company who made headlines as the first sex line in Europe. This series is full of sexual encounters, every episodes has its spicy sex scene. However it is really comical and funny. So it is a beautiful mix of funny sex jokes and sexual encounters. Do you think sex is funny? Then you will love this show.

How does Marly fit in all of this?

The company Teledutch is searching for new telephone girls. These girls will be paid to make sexual audiotape recordings for the company. These recordings are then used for the Telephone line, for which the customer can pay 50 cent a minute, to listen in. The women gets paid 50 gilders a tape, that will be used multiple times by the company.

This business is thriving and searching for new content all the time. Marly goes there to make a trial audiotape, but she will not be cast. She is too uncomfortable talking sex and does not transmit the “enthusiasm” they are searching for.

Do you feel you are yourself a dirty talker? The audio component makes everything very detached and quite liberating. If you don’t want to be touched, this is not a bad opportunity to still work in the sex industry, without having to deal with the client directly. It makes a lot easier for who does not want to be a physical to enter the sex work. What do you think?

Exactly during Marlys trial audio tape, the dutch tv station is making a reportage on this very lucrative new venture and they film her while on the microphone in the studio. She did not see being filmed and they did not ask her the permission. So it is a scandal when the reportage will is aired on national television.

At that time, there was nothing like going viral, but is was just like it: in the 80s the dutch had only 2 TV Channels. That means that Marly was recognized everywhere she went. Marlys parents are so angry at her, they are outraged and kick her out of the house. Everyone has seen her on TV.

For Marly this situation is very embarrassing, her parent do not let her explain the situation. So she goes to live with her best friend, Janna. Who already wanted to live with Marly and is very happy about it.

Janna is a real firecracker, always showing her exuberance in direct comments and having fun and partying. They are both undergrads in psychology. Since Marly did not get the job at Teledutch she has to find a job to support herself and she needs to pay three months rent before being able to live officially at Janna place. The Landlord tells her she has time until the end of the month. Still Marly is broke and doesn’t have any money.

How awful being rejected by her parents like that. There is no more pain, than that of a rejected child. What do you think about kicking out your own daughter? They only drive her further away, right?

Marlys sexual psychology teacher Leon, is making a research about female arousal and asks in the class who wants to participate. Janna offers Marlys, who really needs the money. This is how Leon and Marlys get to know each other better. Marlys is not aroused by the porn he shows her to understand female arousal, she is extremely aroused while talking to him, her professor. Did you ever have a professor towards who you felt sexual attraction? She seems really into him, but he is married.

Janna is working at a vintage store, really iconic in the Netherlands until this day. Marlys is visiting her there, when they hear a bumping from the wall of the closet. Someone is behind there. A handsome young mens face pops up from behind the closet, asking where he ended up.

It is Mischa (Joes Brauers), a DJ who is trying to open his own club, by renovating the old sex theater next door to a night club. He invites them to see the location. They go through the closet inside this old dusty theater.

Janna is very outgoing and she ends up in a sexual relationship with the DJ next door. Janna’s efforts to get Marlys a job, are successful. Mischa offers them a bar gig in one of the raves he is organizing with friends and Dj-ing.

At the time Mischa saw the future of house music, the fusion of disco with electronic music. The musical revolution started in Chicago spread to the whole world. At this moment only the underground ravers understood this new music style. When Mischa is playing in more commercial settings, he is often refused and not appreciated by the public. People would leave the dance floor. Marlys Janna and their friend from uni Eva (Ayla Satijn) continue dancing with their whole body and soul supporting their friend!

Anyhow at this event everyone is loving Mischa Dj-ing. Janna also offered to work the bar at the event. Despite not knowing and having any experience at bars the girls do their best to get the beers flowing.

At this event also Frank is present. He actually has an important meeting with the national telephone line company the next morning. Their lines have been shut down because of a technical issue. After the reportage on the news, their company and the line itself was overwhelmed by the amount of calls to their dirty lines. And that day a submarine even caught fire and their company was totally shut down. Crazy to think how this can happen, right?

Ramon is furious with Frank, because it was Franks idea to make the reportage on tv and honestly Frank is the risk taker of the company. Ramon helped as the technician since he is an electrician, but he is not the business man with the ideas. He is more conservative and doubtful when Frank comes up with something new.

That night Ramon is so angry at Frank, because he has an idea for the meeting the next day, but Frank is unavailable on the telephone, he can’t reach him at home or at the bar the Rijk, where they are usually having some drinks after work.

Ramon was right, Frank was out at the bar, but instead of going home and being fit for the next day he went out with the colleagues. One important colleague and actually first investor in the company, Jonny (Andre Dongelmanns) told them they should go have fun. They all take their first ecstasy pill that night, which apparently at the time was legal? Or is this only something Jonny said?

This will be one of the wildes nights out. Ramon does knows, that they have left the bar and went to the party, since he called the bar. Ramon goes to the party, to get his brother and business partner out and ready for the next day. Furious about the fact that Frank went to this rave, he sees him, they fight and he punches him in the face. Tomorrow is one of the most important days, why doesn’t Frank understand that?

Ramon has a big secret, which will be revealed in the series dirty lines. He is gay. He has wife and kids and has always been loyal and devoted to her. Unfortunately he can’t totally be himself and is always hiding his sexual preference from everyone. The clues are everywhere for the viewer, and I guess you also noticed right away, how he looks at men more then women. He has a beautiful wife, named Natasja but she is often complaining how he does not touch her enough.

At this party, the sexual liberation is in the air. After his fight with Frank and he has the attention of a handsome man Alexander (Micheal Muller). Alexander indicates him he is going to a private place, and Ramon follows him. Alexander gives Ramon some ecstasy while seducing him with a kiss. It is very clear how Ramon is enjoying this moment. Eventually they will all have a wild night and he will discover feelings he had been pushing away for a long time.

Marly helps Franks with his bleeding nose, because he comes to the bar and asks for a beer, but instead Marly helps him with his bleeding nose. He and his colleagues recognise her. So Marly gathers her voice and tells him how she is in deep trouble because she has been thrown out her house because of the reportage he made of the company. He did not ask her permission to film her.

At this point in the series Dirty Lines, a very high Frank pulls out a stack of money, 1000 gilders notes and he gives her a pack telling her he hopes this covers her troubles and she can work with them at teledutch. She says she doesn’t want to be a tape girl recording audio, but if he has a serious job she is all in. Frank confirms her he has a office job. Marly is so happy she quits the bar evening gig and dances the night away.

The day afterwards she goes to Teledutch, thinking she will be starting to work there. Frank still in his underwear tells her he was not sober the day before and he does not have a job right away, but they are expanding and she will be contacted in the future. Meanwhiles she can record tapes. Marly says no tapes. She is really not good at recording them and she does not want to either.

Why are they expanding? Well, because the meeting with the telephone state company actually went well. They were really happy about the profits of this business and actually apologised for the incident with the unavailable telephone lines. They will provide more lines to them in the future. 300 commercial lines. Frank and Ramon did not think this is how the meeting would be. They thought they were getting scolded for making advertisement for their dirty lines and having such a big exposure. But at the contrary they now have more business. Frank saying to Ramon, capitalism is winning.

One night Janna is really mad at her boyfriend Mischa and they end up going to the bar, the Rijk. Here they meet the teledutch people, also Frank, Ramon and Jonny. In this occasion they have a few drinks together and Marly asks why they don’t have other dirty lines, men are aroused by many different scenarios and fetishes. They also should have a gay line. It is 30% of men sexual preference.

I have to say this series is also a bit of a sex ed, since you find out interesting aspects of arousal, mental and physical attraction.

Frank is very interested in Marlys knowledge and asks her if she still in need of a job. If she wants she can write stories for them, 20 gilders each.

That is how Marly starts her career as content creator in teledutch for the dirty lines. She will grow enormously from the experience, letting us audience in to her own sexual fantasies and ideas. She will grow as a more confident and louder woman. It is beautiful to see her find her voice, and express her thoughts.

With the teledutch company expanding, there is a lot space for of new ideas for the plenty dirty lines. They start a gay line and also a women line. The gay line being a better success then the woman line. They explore different fantasies and fetishes. As well as simple, not so sexual, group calls between people who want to talk and get to know each other. You call a black box, which is moderated by someone who helps you and coordinates the group calls. Would you call into an anonymous group chat?

They tried even a snooze line for people to sleep. These people actually fall asleep during the call and end up with a very large telephone bill. They end up suing the company for the lost money.

Unfortunately her relationship with her parents will not get better. However Marly seems happy and content exploring her new found independence. She is earning well, they call her the sexpert of the company. Which she is very happy about and regards as a great honour!

During the series dirty lines, I loved most the music, and also the episode when the Berlin wall falls. It is an epic moment in history, which I dearly hold close to my heart. Janna brings Marly a piece of the Berlin wall. Which is such a great symbol of the end of oppression, new world, oneness and peace!

Who is your favourite character?