Post by rhort on Apr 6, 2012 4:18:01 GMT -5
I think this is a much better episode than the first one, and I think that this episode should have been merged with the first to create a double episode to start the series off.
I always felt the opening scene shows that Gary and Yvonne don’t really seem to get on, which is something that’s backed up by the fact that she doesn’t appear to be able to be honest with him about the job interview. Yvonne constantly seems to want to have the upper hand, which puts me in mind of the maxim, ‘The one who has the upper hand in a relationship is the one who cares about it the least’. The dancehall scene later on gives the impression that Gary has a much better rapport with Phoebe, and this helps to flesh out a lot of the reasoning as to why Gary proceeds with Phoebe in the way that he does as the series develops. I’d highlight this as a key point in the debate about why Gary cheats on Yvonne.
One thing I wasn’t too keen on was the fact that Gary already seems very much into WWII, despite the fact he’s only been there once by this point, however, it’s been a week or so since he went back. In the excitement of it all, one might think he’d have gone back to check things out at least a couple of times, if for no other reason than to see if it was actually real. I’m sure if this happened to me, the first morning I woke up after returning to my own time frame, I’d have gone straight back to see if I’d dreamt it.
Ron’s appearance in this episode is brief, but crucial to the entire series’ plot, as it shows his obvious interest in what Gary is up to, even if it is only in a ‘what if?’ capacity at this juncture. The way he questions Gary suggested to me that he already believes that Gary may be time travelling. He seems to display a certain amount of tempered excitement about the prospect, and I think this explains a lot about why he goes on to help Gary in the way he does, despite the poor manner in which Gary regularly treats him. I like Ron, and I pretty much enjoy every scene he’s in, and I think his scene in this particular episode, whilst short, develops his character immensely, essentially giving him a reason to be part of the plot, other than as the comedy sidekick.
I also see that Eric’s character undergoes a huge amount of development in the short space of time that he’s in this episode, as he hasn’t really changed in his inherent distrust of Gary, although his tolerance of him has increased exponentially given the fact that Gary saved his life the week before, and I like the way that this is handled. I’ve always thought that David Ryall is great at playing these bluff, no-nonsense characters, and it makes him perfect for the role of the over protective WWII-era father. The playoff between Gary and Eric always made me wonder if Gary had a similar kind of relationship with Yvonne’s parents back in the day.
The final scene shows a bit more tenderness between Gary and Yvonne, giving credence to the idea that Gary wouldn’t just leave her all together and start a new life with Phoebe, and the way that this scene then bookends the episode works really well for me, plus the ‘Satellite Dish’ joke at the end is a corker!
I’d give this episode a 75% rating.
I always felt the opening scene shows that Gary and Yvonne don’t really seem to get on, which is something that’s backed up by the fact that she doesn’t appear to be able to be honest with him about the job interview. Yvonne constantly seems to want to have the upper hand, which puts me in mind of the maxim, ‘The one who has the upper hand in a relationship is the one who cares about it the least’. The dancehall scene later on gives the impression that Gary has a much better rapport with Phoebe, and this helps to flesh out a lot of the reasoning as to why Gary proceeds with Phoebe in the way that he does as the series develops. I’d highlight this as a key point in the debate about why Gary cheats on Yvonne.
One thing I wasn’t too keen on was the fact that Gary already seems very much into WWII, despite the fact he’s only been there once by this point, however, it’s been a week or so since he went back. In the excitement of it all, one might think he’d have gone back to check things out at least a couple of times, if for no other reason than to see if it was actually real. I’m sure if this happened to me, the first morning I woke up after returning to my own time frame, I’d have gone straight back to see if I’d dreamt it.
Ron’s appearance in this episode is brief, but crucial to the entire series’ plot, as it shows his obvious interest in what Gary is up to, even if it is only in a ‘what if?’ capacity at this juncture. The way he questions Gary suggested to me that he already believes that Gary may be time travelling. He seems to display a certain amount of tempered excitement about the prospect, and I think this explains a lot about why he goes on to help Gary in the way he does, despite the poor manner in which Gary regularly treats him. I like Ron, and I pretty much enjoy every scene he’s in, and I think his scene in this particular episode, whilst short, develops his character immensely, essentially giving him a reason to be part of the plot, other than as the comedy sidekick.
I also see that Eric’s character undergoes a huge amount of development in the short space of time that he’s in this episode, as he hasn’t really changed in his inherent distrust of Gary, although his tolerance of him has increased exponentially given the fact that Gary saved his life the week before, and I like the way that this is handled. I’ve always thought that David Ryall is great at playing these bluff, no-nonsense characters, and it makes him perfect for the role of the over protective WWII-era father. The playoff between Gary and Eric always made me wonder if Gary had a similar kind of relationship with Yvonne’s parents back in the day.
The final scene shows a bit more tenderness between Gary and Yvonne, giving credence to the idea that Gary wouldn’t just leave her all together and start a new life with Phoebe, and the way that this scene then bookends the episode works really well for me, plus the ‘Satellite Dish’ joke at the end is a corker!
I’d give this episode a 75% rating.
