We’re doing something a bit different this time, discussing a very strange and strangely compelling British comedy/thriller that Kellywand calls a “What’s going on?” show. It’s technically a six-episode miniseries but if you watch it all at once — which we recommend — it’s just like a three-hour movie! What kind of movie? Well, that’s quite the question.
By the way, I was remiss not to mention this on the podcast, but massive thanks to @RothdaTheTruculent for turning me on to this! I wouldn’t have found it without him!
Thanks Tom! Although the thanks should really go to a friend of mine who forced me to sit down and watch the first episode, and apparently she in turn got the recommendation from a site called “Chortle Digest”. Britain, it is a land of contrasts.
Kelly, I would love to hear more about why you broke up with Yellowjackets. I’ve only seen the first season, but I’ve heard mixed things about season two.
Also, casting my out-of-left-field vote for you guys to review True Detective: Night Country. Though, honestly, it’s mostly just because I think the Kelly opsis would be phenomenal.
I would very much love to hear what they say on it as well, I think the finale just dropped though and we have yet to see it. I have many thoughts about Jodie Foster’s portrayal of the Chief of Police for Ennis, Alaska. I refrain until we have a proper discussion here somewhere.
Ollie says at least make it to the end of the first episode before you bail. Ideally, though, it takes two episodes and then the opening of the third before you know what you’re watching. But if you can’t make it, at least you can say you tried!
For what it’s worth, I had a hard time making it through the first episode as well.
Idk, I don’t think it really landed. It was nice to see Jodie Foster (and John Hawkes!) do a thing, but once again, the supernatural is a fake out, there is no greater threat that swallows everyone, and that made the references to TD season one seem almost desperate.
But back to topic: I binged Am I Being Unreasonable when I saw it in the “up next” field. Not much to say except that I agree with all the praise, especially for Lenny Rush. The second season was greenlit at the end of '22 btw, but so far no news as to when it will come out.
Spoilers follow, don’t read until you watched the show
I do love how it shifts, as Tom put it, so that by the end, I don’t trust any “memory flashback” anymore. That quasi-murder at the end may also be a manifestation of her (survivor’s) guilt, and as you guys pointed out, the Alex we see in that sequence is a very different person, which makes me suspicious.
I do think there’s potential meat for a seson two, but I don’t think it can “dupe” the viewer anymore. Curious to see what that would look like
can’t wait for the They Cloned Tyrone discussion and the opsis!
Avoiding the podcast (and this thread after this) for now until I finish the show, but I am curious to see how you guys coped with all the very British references.
Hah, turns out the Tracy Beaker reference went over my head. Also I had thought the images on Dan’s phone were of Jen, so thanks for spelling that out.
I have to say I disagree with the 3 hour movie comment, though, I just think it’s the nature of short British TV seasons written by one or two people to have a clear structure from the start. obviously there are exceptions and sometimes shows end up being strung out longer than they should (looking at you, Killing Eve), but it’s usually true. Obviously our resident story structure expert can weigh in more authoritatively, but the pacing felt very built around individual episodes, rather than one unbroken narrative.
Two sassy upper class boozy British ladies cracking low-brow jokes says Absolutely Fabulous to me. But keep in mind I’m a dumb American who’s never even seen Absolutely Fabulous. And also keep in mind the point of invoking Absolutely Fabulous is to explain to similarly clueless Americans that it’s not at all like Absolutely Fabulous.
Well, the trick didn’t work on me since I don’t know what Motherland is! I’ll chalk it up to our peoples being separated by an ocean, a common language, and the BBC. :)
There’s a death in the final episode of season two that happens right in front of a side character who hates the obvious murderer, and that side character disappears and their police testimony is totally waved off.
These writers have no idea what they’re doing or where things are going.
I’m only half way through the show, and the unexpected threads that start to emerge between characters–both explicitly and hinted-at–are definitely compelling. But really, I just want to hang out with Ollie, making stop-motion films and fart traps. I want to protect him from the destructiveness of every adult in his world, but I have a feeling that’s a hopeless mission…
Right? Here’s 14-year-old Lenny Rush appearing on a dippy British gameshow, once again showing off his oodles of charm and how easygoing he is with adults:
One of the cruelest early moments in Am I Being Unreasonable – when I started to suspect that Nic isn’t the protagonist I want her to be – is when she raises a chant for “Spa day, spa day!” in the back of the auditorium where the kids are assembled to watch Ollie’s movie. It’s incredibly tone deaf for the character, running roughshod over her son’s moment in the sun. What kind of mother does that?
