Post by rhort on Jun 1, 2012 3:09:22 GMT -5
This episode opens to more doom and gloom with the car crash that is the façade of Gary and Yvonne’s relationship, but Gary has very definitely brought it upon himself this time, getting into trouble for drink driving, and Yvonne’s disparaging remarks are certainly justified on this occasion. The appearance of Ron offers some flashes of a slightly brighter mood, and his contribution to this scene is vital, as it leads to the amusing way they handle breaking the news of Gary losing his driving licence. I like the fact that, whilst I very much enjoy Ron’s amusing contributions, he’s used for something more than comic relief in these scenes.
Back to the house, and Ron again lightening the mood for the scene in the kitchen. I remember quite clearly the first time I saw this episode, and I felt that this would surely have been the point where you'd expect Yvonne to have finally thrown in the towel and kicked Gary into touch, so Yvonne’s ultimate reaction to events, shown in the bedroom scene comes as no real surprise. What I was surprised about was the way in which Gary reacts, as I wondered if he was thinking about leaving Yvonne by now, and this would have been his perfect ‘get out of jail free’ card, however, the plot rolls on, and we’re still left with the ‘Will Gary end up with Yvonne or Phoebe’ question hanging.
Gary returns to the 40s, but on this occasion, he’s looking for a bit of escapism on a different level to the one he normally comes for, as now he has another thing to escape from, rather than simply the boredom of his humdrum middle class 90s existence. I think this is then instrumental in leading to him finding that the cheering up he needs isn’t forthcoming, and so he basically runs back to Ron, who tries valiantly, as ever, to do his bit, but once again, Gary is shown the stark reality of his impending decision as to which of the great loves of his life he will finally end up with.
Yvonne’s involvement of the councillor shows, I think, that she's making a very concerted effort to try and sort things out, however Gary’s attitude seems to show he really doesn't care as much as she does, which brings me back to my earlier comment about Gary’s reaction to Yvonne’s suggestion that they should part. I think Gary has largely made up his mind at this point, but there’s something sitting in the back of his head that’s keeping him with Yvonne, and I think it may even be irritating him. The bedroom scene afterwards show that there is still something there between Gary and Yvonne, even if it’s only physical, and perhaps this is something of what Gary likes about Yvonne.
The ping-pong nature of this episode continues, as Gary returns to Phoebe to find that she's also looking for something of a commitment from him, albeit in a slightly different way from Yvonne, leading into another, quite subtle, indicator of the difference between the two women in Gary’s life.
The look on Gary’s face at the arrival of “Yvonne” is priceless, and finishes off the episode nicely.
I’d give this episode a 65% rating. Not my favourite episode by a long way.
Back to the house, and Ron again lightening the mood for the scene in the kitchen. I remember quite clearly the first time I saw this episode, and I felt that this would surely have been the point where you'd expect Yvonne to have finally thrown in the towel and kicked Gary into touch, so Yvonne’s ultimate reaction to events, shown in the bedroom scene comes as no real surprise. What I was surprised about was the way in which Gary reacts, as I wondered if he was thinking about leaving Yvonne by now, and this would have been his perfect ‘get out of jail free’ card, however, the plot rolls on, and we’re still left with the ‘Will Gary end up with Yvonne or Phoebe’ question hanging.
Gary returns to the 40s, but on this occasion, he’s looking for a bit of escapism on a different level to the one he normally comes for, as now he has another thing to escape from, rather than simply the boredom of his humdrum middle class 90s existence. I think this is then instrumental in leading to him finding that the cheering up he needs isn’t forthcoming, and so he basically runs back to Ron, who tries valiantly, as ever, to do his bit, but once again, Gary is shown the stark reality of his impending decision as to which of the great loves of his life he will finally end up with.
Yvonne’s involvement of the councillor shows, I think, that she's making a very concerted effort to try and sort things out, however Gary’s attitude seems to show he really doesn't care as much as she does, which brings me back to my earlier comment about Gary’s reaction to Yvonne’s suggestion that they should part. I think Gary has largely made up his mind at this point, but there’s something sitting in the back of his head that’s keeping him with Yvonne, and I think it may even be irritating him. The bedroom scene afterwards show that there is still something there between Gary and Yvonne, even if it’s only physical, and perhaps this is something of what Gary likes about Yvonne.
The ping-pong nature of this episode continues, as Gary returns to Phoebe to find that she's also looking for something of a commitment from him, albeit in a slightly different way from Yvonne, leading into another, quite subtle, indicator of the difference between the two women in Gary’s life.
The look on Gary’s face at the arrival of “Yvonne” is priceless, and finishes off the episode nicely.
I’d give this episode a 65% rating. Not my favourite episode by a long way.