My impression of the series is that Russell was just given carte blanche to write what he wanted, so went right ahead and did exactly that, and that lack of oversight meant that every flaw in his writing was magnified.
He's always had issues with writing likeable characters, speechifying, and storylines that don't really make that much sense. We look at Queer As Folk with rose-tinted glasses, but all of his flaws were there too, though far more limited presumably through his being at the time less of a "name" and not yet enjoying that curious aspect of British TV where a writer that's established can write any old shite and still get millions of pounds and a prime time slot lavished on it (see also Jennifer Saunders).
Some of it was good though. Episode 6 obviously was very good, and there were occasional good scenes elsewhere - usually the ones that didn't end up in either an embarassing situation or a long, drawn out soliloquy on the relative merits of cock your bum. Which constituted at least half of every episode.
Julie Hesmondhalgh and Con O'Neill were a joy throughout, and there were numerous enjoyable side characters, many of who shone in their own Banana episodes. Curiously though none of the supposedly "hot" males were either particularly hot or engaging (Freddie, the nephew, Lukas, Aiden, the Geordie that Dean shagged, etc). The thought that a not particularly attractive blond himbo, who was basically Nathan from QAF driven around the gay block enough times to turn him into a rather sad bitter old queen prototype, could inspire a man who's only interactions with him were negative to throw his life away in his pursuit was ridiculous. And don't get me started on the nephew storyline, which was both ridiculous and skeezy. Ugh.
I thought some of the criticism was unfair though. I have no idea why a show about gays needs to be any more identifiable than the average show about straight people, and I thought that pretty much a lot of the side characters were actually relatively true to scene archetypes that many of us are familiar with, and to be fair to Russell his experience of gays is largely scene-inspired (as was Queer As Folk). And the same goes for its emphasis on sex. It was always going to be a show about a sexually frustrated middle-aged man's mid life crisis, it's quite undertstandable that he's going to spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about it. That doesn't mean all gays spend all the time thinking about it, or that gays who do shouldn't be on TV.
BIB - it's rather more complicated than that …
Cucumber has existed for about ten years. It was originally in development at the BBC (under the working title More Gay Men), but was never made because Doctor Who took up so much of RTD's time.
It went with him to the US when he relocated there and was about to go ahead with Showtime, but that was nixed when his partner became ill and they moved back to the UK. Enter Channel 4, who wanted to pick up the project.
So it was in development for a long time - but clearly C4 did not have the nerve to point out which elements of Cucmber just didn't work, because they just wanted anything they could emblazon with RTD's name. No quality control = big mistake.
Like you, I don't expect any gay character to represent the gay community. However, I do expect any character, regardless of their sexuality, to be well drawn, have depth, complexity and flaws and, despite those flaws, for those characters to be engaging (if not likeable). And that's where Cucumber was such an epic fail.
The punchline that Henry couldn't cope with being gay was the most ridiculous cop-out. So that made him behaving appallingly alright somehow? Daniel couldn't cope with his sexuality, either - so why give the series central character essentially the same flaw (even if it was expressed differently)?
Yes, Episode 6 was impressive - but more for the way the story was told than the story itself, which we've seen many times before. And it made Henry look even more of a twisted control freak - who'd stay in a relationship with anyone who's stock response to anything was 'No'? (And I'm not just referring to sex)
Cucumber's biggest problem was that it had no heart, and nothing to say. There are many gay stories still to be told in the UK which don't draw on overfamiliar stereotypes and could shed light on what it's like outside any gay village (e.g. Northern Ireland) - yet RTD just went back to Canal Street to tell a story about characters it was impossible to care about.
No, it doesn't. That not only has complex characters you can invest in (even if they don't behave well all the time) but also isn't afraid to address current issues in the gay community (PrEP).
Apologies again for my rants on this! I promise this is the last!
No need to apologise! I've found your posts eye-opening, especially the treatment you've received from medical professionals. It's really shocking that you still face such discrimination. I totally get why Cucumber enraged you so much.
I love Looking too. It has a warmth and a real feeling that Cucumber was lacking (but then I think that RTD intended Cucumber to feel exaggerated).
The thing I like most about Looking is that we can root for all the main characters (well, apart from Russell Tovey, who I dislike in everything he does. Kevin's not good enough for the lovely Patrick!!! ).
No need to apologise! I've found your posts eye-opening, especially the treatment you've received from medical professionals. It's really shocking that you still face such discrimination. I totally get why Cucumber enraged you so much.
I love Looking too. It has a warmth and a real feeling that Cucumber was lacking (but then I think that RTD intended Cucumber to feel exaggerated).
The thing I like most about Looking is that we can root for all the main characters (well, apart from Russell Tovey, who I dislike in everything he does. Kevin's not good enough for the lovely Patrick!!! ).
I just had to quote this because it made an interesting read. I'm not gay (or even male) so can't comment on representation from that perspective but I totally agree with your comments on RTD and his elevated status. I watched with irritation that someone hadn't taken a red pen to certain bits of it and thought it was unfortunate that RTD's status now means that there don't seem to be any checks and balances on his work.
I don't watch much drama on TV and I only watched Cucumber on catchup because I was ill over a weekend and I was interested to see some of the actors, having watched them in other things over the years. I didn't find the series to be quite as terrible as most of the comments on this thread, but I just took it as a piece of fiction, not as a representation of anything and I also thought it was obvious from the start that Henry was uncomfortable with his sexuality so the end was not a surprise.
Overall it was just pass the time midweek telly. The problem is that it was built up into something groundbreaking before it hit the screens and then wholly failed to live up to the hype. If I remember rightly, QAF didn't have a great build up. It just hit the screen and took off because it was good. Casanova did the same thing from the same production company a few years later. Perhaps they'll do it again - but Cucumber/Banana/Tofu was not it.
Thank you for putting this more eloquently than I ever could. The bit I've bolded was the thing I really took exception to. A gang of toadying 'Yes Men' have created this edified version of RTD than is beyond censure, crticism or copy-editing-and then hype the hack written, cack handed dramatic vomit so as to justify their own poorly formed judgements.
I knew RTD had been planning this series for a while (which made it's totally lightweight attempts at plotting even more of a sick joke) but 10 YEARS!!!!!!
MY God-let him forever be banned from ever writing about Gay Issues EVER AGAIN!!! LOL! (Apart from anything else that he has made it his 'pension' and his representations are in no way accurate.)
He Should be glad that Russel Tovey (wasn't that one of RTDs Crushes) and his opinions on effeminacy- and Dolce and Gabanna seem to have angered 'Gay Crusaders' (Like Superman, with with no cape-they learned by Madonna's mishaps!) more than RTDs flop of a show. I feel sorry for the writers of Banana who created good drama living in the shadow of the Cucumber Catastrophe.
I just can't help myself folks- I keep vowing I've said it all-but then I think about it and get myself all angry again!!!!!!
(and the one thing that I haven't mentioned yet-was the Nervous game-and Henry's part in it.... and the Pay Off about the Lad becoming a Right WIng Figure in the States. Yeah-I'd love to see what would be made of a 50 year old man having footage of an underage child in sexually provocative material... Just because 'he' didn't like what the young lad had become!!!! VILE VILE VILE plot thread.....)
ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! No wonder the 'promotion' of Homosexuality has been (and still remains) illegal in so many countries, if this is the kind of stuff we get. We've been spared!!!
The slamming I heard at the end of this series was the sound of a million closets doors being slammed shut of people so put off by this tacky representation to ever feel comfortable to come out! LOL!
Maybe it's just because I'm biased against Russell Tovey, but I fear that Kevin's going to break Patrick's heart.
I'll put the following in spoilers because I'm not sure how far behind Looking UK pace is:
When Patrick told Kevin he loved him, there was a pause before the latter reciprocated. We also don't know what happened between him and John. Did Kevin dump John for Patrick, or did John dump Kevin?
The scene between the three of them on the steps of Patrick's apartment during the Halloween party was very awkward and it was pretty obvious that something had happened between Patrick and Kevin. John may have picked up on it and guessed about the affair (subsequently dumping Kevin - who then went running to Patrick).
He Should be glad that Russel Tovey (wasn't that one of RTDs Crushes) and his opinions on effeminacy- and Dolce and Gabanna seem to have angered 'Gay Crusaders' (Like Superman, with with no cape-they learned by Madonna's mishaps!) more than RTDs flop of a show. I feel sorry for the writers of Banana who created good drama living in the shadow of the Cucumber Catastrophe.
Dean was just as good looking as Freddie, but he had a personality. Freddie had zero charm, or wit. I suppose he had charisma in that the actor has screen presense, but I found the character to have as much personality as a damp cloth
Please believe that I'm not universally praising Cucumber or denying it had some deep flaws but I think some of Henry's behaviour has been misinterpreted.
People seem very quick to ridicule Henry, but I think his behaviour represents what can happen to someone who feels shamed by a lifetime of being told he's still a virgin and not a "true" gay man simply because he doesn't like anal sex. I'm still confused about the "one more cock" aspect though.
Freddie was more manipulative than Henry: telling him NO, but then teasing him mercilessly by seductive activity. He had his own problems as we discover at the end, when he is still pretty much in the same situation, years later, just like Henry.
Similarly, Lance could have left or had a shag outside the relationship, but he chose to stay and accept the lack of his own fulfilment: that represents its own issues. Even so, I noticed that Lance was beginning to discover that the grass wasn't necessarily greener on the other side, out of the relationship and he was still trying to develop a relationship instead of a quick shag to break the drought. It was Lance's own actions that resulted in his situation: Henry was not ultimately to blame. People think Henry was manipulative, but wasn't Lance equally so by depriving him of his share of the money in the joint account? I thought the point was that there is generally no point in blaming because our own actions contribute as much as anyone elses.
Banana had a very powerful episode with Aiden and the "ugly guy" which represents an aspect that is rarely talked about: what is life like for those who are not acceptable because of their appearance or behaviour? It's easy to accept that people have a right to discriminate who they wish to interact with, when you are good looking, because it's relatively easy to find someone else if rejected and there are no real negative consequences, but for someone considered "ugly"? Not saying we shouldn't discriminate, just that we rarely think about what it is like for those who get the short end of the stick and are disadvantaged in life and have additional hurdles to deal with, through no fault of their own. Aiden's monologue about the facts of life was very interesting, but again it begs the question about what life is like for the less gifted who have to deal with that reality.
I thought the "Nervous" episode in Cucumber missed the point that it is the combination of pervasive communication tools, cruel human nature yet the need to be social and socially accepted that resulted in the situation: Henry was simply the catalyst and not to blame. We can see this reflected in the "Helen" transsexual episode in Banana where a different catalyst creates the same sort of result through similar vectors. I think people misjudge the damage the inconsiderate can do with tools that give them great power, if they don't have the maturity to manage them. It's a commentary on how mankind's reach exceeds his grasp at many levels with attendant consequences.
The "Cop and OCD" episode in Banana reminded me that whilst eccentric behaviour might initially seem attractive to opposites, it can soon become boring and a bone of contention. Unfortunately the episode only addressed the first part, yet it still seemed to highlight the question of how "different" people manage to survive in a society where success and perfection are king. Perhaps they are tolerated for a short time, but ultimately rejected as being too difficult.
Perhaps I took something different from Cucumber and Banana than most people.
I did wonder if it was supposed to be representative of gay life, but perhaps the point was more to highlight those who don't fit in with the stereotypes and the impact it has on them: the hidden minority that no-one talks about or considers.
Cucumber has existed for about ten years. It was originally in development at the BBC (under the working title More Gay Men), but was never made because Doctor Who took up so much of RTD's time.
It went with him to the US when he relocated there and was about to go ahead with Showtime, but that was nixed when his partner became ill and they moved back to the UK. Enter Channel 4, who wanted to pick up the project.
So it was in development for a long time - but clearly C4 did not have the nerve to point out which elements of Cucmber just didn't work, because they just wanted anything they could emblazon with RTD's name. No quality control = big mistake.
Like you, I don't expect any gay character to represent the gay community. However, I do expect any character, regardless of their sexuality, to be well drawn, have depth, complexity and flaws and, despite those flaws, for those characters to be engaging (if not likeable). And that's where Cucumber was such an epic fail.
The punchline that Henry couldn't cope with being gay was the most ridiculous cop-out. So that made him behaving appallingly alright somehow? Daniel couldn't cope with his sexuality, either - so why give the series central character essentially the same flaw (even if it was expressed differently)?
Yes, Episode 6 was impressive - but more for the way the story was told than the story itself, which we've seen many times before. And it made Henry look even more of a twisted control freak - who'd stay in a relationship with anyone who's stock response to anything was 'No'? (And I'm not just referring to sex)
Cucumber's biggest problem was that it had no heart, and nothing to say. There are many gay stories still to be told in the UK which don't draw on overfamiliar stereotypes and could shed light on what it's like outside any gay village (e.g. Northern Ireland) - yet RTD just went back to Canal Street to tell a story about characters it was impossible to care about.
I apologise because I'm a bit late coming to this party, but I'm currently living abroad and we've just downloaded these three series to watch. There's so much good writing in this thread that I didn't know who to quote, to get my ball rolling - you, Servalan, were the lucky winner - partly because you knew the interesting back story and partly because I just agree with you!
I first heard about this in the UK, when my best friend texted me and said, "Have you seen the new gay thing on C4? It's really good and really REAL!" I texted back, "Real how?" She said, "Well, you see a cock and someone just said 'rimming'!" Groan..... I resolved not to watch it! But then my gay hairdresser started raving about it - but I still didn't watch it. Then I came here and mentioned it to my partner, and we decided to download it. (PS. We've watched QAF many times over, and enjoyed it to a point - it was the rubbish acting that let it down for me. We actually watched Series 1 before watching these, just to place ourselves back in Canal St etc. - although we were there only recently. )
Firstly - we've only really watched Cucumber. My brain doesn't really cope with flitting about between series, so I thought it would be less confusing to watch Cucumber, then Banana, then Tofu (if we got that far).
Secondly - most things have been said (in many cases very eloquently), so I'm only going to do a short capsule review of the whole thing. I didn't like Henry from the get-go. He was instantly creepy, peevish and superficial. This never improved! I liked Lance, but got frustrated when he went sailing off in obviously wrong directions - but then he'd been putting up with Henry for years, waiting for something that was never going to happen (that's enough to drive anyone to total distraction). They should have sorted out their sexual issues before they moved in together really - however in love you are, if the physical side is a problem, it will always be a problem until you fix it (to the mutual satisfaction of both parties). Their problem was massive - like a festering boil, which finally went pop - hence the series. (It should really have been called Splat rather than Cucumber......) By the time we got to the end, I saw Henry as a pathetic manipulator and a destroyer of lives. He knew full well about the first, but was unable to recognise the second in himself. He was initially good at drawing people into his sad little needy web, but was unable to hang onto his prey when they finally managed to escape.
Lance's back story was fascinating. His life story was one of the best bits in the show. I agree that much of the show was glaringly unrepresentative of gay life, but this must have struck many chords with watchers - the inability of the father to let him in with a boyfriend, but the willingness when he was alone. And the boyfriend's death - I'm glad RD nudged us with that one, because it should never be forgotten - so many lives have been affected by it. The fact that Lance 'escaped' changed the course of his life (and I think young people needed to be reminded of how awful it was then). His sweet beaming face when he was bouncing around on various dancefloors was lovely to see - he was so overjoyed to be alive, yet it made him all too vulnerable (as his heart-rending end proved).
Other characters - Chloe was brilliant of course. (I hope Julie gets lots more work!) I liked the older gay friends (I loved the scene in the loo - just wish it hadn't been at a funeral!), I could really relate to them. And the kidnap scene, with the two guys muttering about Eastenders - that was a total joy. ;-) But the younger ones just left me cold, virtually all of them. The sight of Henry living in the warehouse with them just seemed so jarring somehow - I couldn't imagine those friendships ever really happening, or those boys having any time for him at all. I know Freddie was meant to have been pivotal, but apart from his last speech to Henry before moving out, I just thought he was a waste of space. (It's obvious why he was there, but he seemed to be more of a symbolic object rather than a real person.)
The end - awful, awful and a total cop-out. Henry giggling about 'being gay'? Give me strength. That scene devalued the entire series and everything that had gone before - turning it into light comedy was an epic fail for me. Almost like, "gosh, we lead such turbulent lives - but it all comes right in the end!". I think I hated him more at that moment than I had throughout the series. (But fair play to the actor for creating such a monster, and making us all loathe him so deeply!)
Thirdly - Bananas. We watched the first one, but as soon as we saw that it concentrated on the younger characters, we got bored. I just don't think I can be bothered with their trials and tribulations - all too superficial and tedious really. Dean is so lacking in personality, that I can't believe he's been featured so strongly. I Just Don't Care.......
(Tofu - watched half the first one, zzzzz...... I'm just not interested in watching actors and 'Joe Public' banging on about their sex lives, sorry.)
Watched this on all 4 last week. Haven't read the thread back so don't know if it was well received or not, although looking at the last few posts on this page it seems that the feedback was rather indifferent.
Overall I'd say it was OK. My biggest issue with it was none of the characters were particularly likeable or engaging in any way. Henry was awful, and it was great to see him finally get called out for his poor behaviour in the final episode. I thought Freddie was even worse, and his depiction as this kind of irresistible player who could attract any kind of guy or girl was hilarious.
Lance was obviously lovely, and of course we all know what thanks he got for that. I'm not sure a another homophobic murder is what viewers needed to see either. Henry didn't even seem particularly bothered about his death, and didn't seem to have learnt any lessons about what happened. Overall it was a fine filler show to watch when there's nothing else on, but not much beyond that. It's A Sin was infinitely better than this.
Comments
BIB - it's rather more complicated than that …
Cucumber has existed for about ten years. It was originally in development at the BBC (under the working title More Gay Men), but was never made because Doctor Who took up so much of RTD's time.
It went with him to the US when he relocated there and was about to go ahead with Showtime, but that was nixed when his partner became ill and they moved back to the UK. Enter Channel 4, who wanted to pick up the project.
So it was in development for a long time - but clearly C4 did not have the nerve to point out which elements of Cucmber just didn't work, because they just wanted anything they could emblazon with RTD's name. No quality control = big mistake.
Like you, I don't expect any gay character to represent the gay community. However, I do expect any character, regardless of their sexuality, to be well drawn, have depth, complexity and flaws and, despite those flaws, for those characters to be engaging (if not likeable). And that's where Cucumber was such an epic fail.
The punchline that Henry couldn't cope with being gay was the most ridiculous cop-out. So that made him behaving appallingly alright somehow? Daniel couldn't cope with his sexuality, either - so why give the series central character essentially the same flaw (even if it was expressed differently)?
Yes, Episode 6 was impressive - but more for the way the story was told than the story itself, which we've seen many times before. And it made Henry look even more of a twisted control freak - who'd stay in a relationship with anyone who's stock response to anything was 'No'? (And I'm not just referring to sex)
Cucumber's biggest problem was that it had no heart, and nothing to say. There are many gay stories still to be told in the UK which don't draw on overfamiliar stereotypes and could shed light on what it's like outside any gay village (e.g. Northern Ireland) - yet RTD just went back to Canal Street to tell a story about characters it was impossible to care about.
No, it doesn't. That not only has complex characters you can invest in (even if they don't behave well all the time) but also isn't afraid to address current issues in the gay community (PrEP).
It also helps that the sex scenes are sexy … ;-)
No need to apologise! I've found your posts eye-opening, especially the treatment you've received from medical professionals. It's really shocking that you still face such discrimination. I totally get why Cucumber enraged you so much.
I love Looking too. It has a warmth and a real feeling that Cucumber was lacking (but then I think that RTD intended Cucumber to feel exaggerated).
The thing I like most about Looking is that we can root for all the main characters (well, apart from Russell Tovey, who I dislike in everything he does. Kevin's not good enough for the lovely Patrick!!!
I adore Kevin and Patrick together!
Thank you for that!
Thank you for putting this more eloquently than I ever could. The bit I've bolded was the thing I really took exception to. A gang of toadying 'Yes Men' have created this edified version of RTD than is beyond censure, crticism or copy-editing-and then hype the hack written, cack handed dramatic vomit so as to justify their own poorly formed judgements.
I knew RTD had been planning this series for a while (which made it's totally lightweight attempts at plotting even more of a sick joke) but 10 YEARS!!!!!!
MY God-let him forever be banned from ever writing about Gay Issues EVER AGAIN!!! LOL! (Apart from anything else that he has made it his 'pension' and his representations are in no way accurate.)
He Should be glad that Russel Tovey (wasn't that one of RTDs Crushes) and his opinions on effeminacy- and Dolce and Gabanna seem to have angered 'Gay Crusaders' (Like Superman, with with no cape-they learned by Madonna's mishaps!) more than RTDs flop of a show. I feel sorry for the writers of Banana who created good drama living in the shadow of the Cucumber Catastrophe.
I just can't help myself folks- I keep vowing I've said it all-but then I think about it and get myself all angry again!!!!!!
(and the one thing that I haven't mentioned yet-was the Nervous game-and Henry's part in it.... and the Pay Off about the Lad becoming a Right WIng Figure in the States. Yeah-I'd love to see what would be made of a 50 year old man having footage of an underage child in sexually provocative material... Just because 'he' didn't like what the young lad had become!!!! VILE VILE VILE plot thread.....)
ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! No wonder the 'promotion' of Homosexuality has been (and still remains) illegal in so many countries, if this is the kind of stuff we get. We've been spared!!!
The slamming I heard at the end of this series was the sound of a million closets doors being slammed shut of people so put off by this tacky representation to ever feel comfortable to come out! LOL!
Maybe it's just because I'm biased against Russell Tovey, but I fear that Kevin's going to break Patrick's heart.
I'll put the following in spoilers because I'm not sure how far behind Looking UK pace is:
The scene between the three of them on the steps of Patrick's apartment during the Halloween party was very awkward and it was pretty obvious that something had happened between Patrick and Kevin. John may have picked up on it and guessed about the affair (subsequently dumping Kevin - who then went running to Patrick).
I just don't trust Kevin and fear for Patrick!
BIB: that made me laugh!
People seem very quick to ridicule Henry, but I think his behaviour represents what can happen to someone who feels shamed by a lifetime of being told he's still a virgin and not a "true" gay man simply because he doesn't like anal sex. I'm still confused about the "one more cock" aspect though.
Freddie was more manipulative than Henry: telling him NO, but then teasing him mercilessly by seductive activity. He had his own problems as we discover at the end, when he is still pretty much in the same situation, years later, just like Henry.
Similarly, Lance could have left or had a shag outside the relationship, but he chose to stay and accept the lack of his own fulfilment: that represents its own issues. Even so, I noticed that Lance was beginning to discover that the grass wasn't necessarily greener on the other side, out of the relationship and he was still trying to develop a relationship instead of a quick shag to break the drought. It was Lance's own actions that resulted in his situation: Henry was not ultimately to blame. People think Henry was manipulative, but wasn't Lance equally so by depriving him of his share of the money in the joint account? I thought the point was that there is generally no point in blaming because our own actions contribute as much as anyone elses.
Banana had a very powerful episode with Aiden and the "ugly guy" which represents an aspect that is rarely talked about: what is life like for those who are not acceptable because of their appearance or behaviour? It's easy to accept that people have a right to discriminate who they wish to interact with, when you are good looking, because it's relatively easy to find someone else if rejected and there are no real negative consequences, but for someone considered "ugly"? Not saying we shouldn't discriminate, just that we rarely think about what it is like for those who get the short end of the stick and are disadvantaged in life and have additional hurdles to deal with, through no fault of their own. Aiden's monologue about the facts of life was very interesting, but again it begs the question about what life is like for the less gifted who have to deal with that reality.
I thought the "Nervous" episode in Cucumber missed the point that it is the combination of pervasive communication tools, cruel human nature yet the need to be social and socially accepted that resulted in the situation: Henry was simply the catalyst and not to blame. We can see this reflected in the "Helen" transsexual episode in Banana where a different catalyst creates the same sort of result through similar vectors. I think people misjudge the damage the inconsiderate can do with tools that give them great power, if they don't have the maturity to manage them. It's a commentary on how mankind's reach exceeds his grasp at many levels with attendant consequences.
The "Cop and OCD" episode in Banana reminded me that whilst eccentric behaviour might initially seem attractive to opposites, it can soon become boring and a bone of contention. Unfortunately the episode only addressed the first part, yet it still seemed to highlight the question of how "different" people manage to survive in a society where success and perfection are king. Perhaps they are tolerated for a short time, but ultimately rejected as being too difficult.
Perhaps I took something different from Cucumber and Banana than most people.
I did wonder if it was supposed to be representative of gay life, but perhaps the point was more to highlight those who don't fit in with the stereotypes and the impact it has on them: the hidden minority that no-one talks about or considers.
I apologise because I'm a bit late coming to this party, but I'm currently living abroad and we've just downloaded these three series to watch. There's so much good writing in this thread that I didn't know who to quote, to get my ball rolling - you, Servalan, were the lucky winner - partly because you knew the interesting back story and partly because I just agree with you!
I first heard about this in the UK, when my best friend texted me and said, "Have you seen the new gay thing on C4? It's really good and really REAL!" I texted back, "Real how?" She said, "Well, you see a cock and someone just said 'rimming'!"
Firstly - we've only really watched Cucumber. My brain doesn't really cope with flitting about between series, so I thought it would be less confusing to watch Cucumber, then Banana, then Tofu (if we got that far).
Secondly - most things have been said (in many cases very eloquently), so I'm only going to do a short capsule review of the whole thing. I didn't like Henry from the get-go. He was instantly creepy, peevish and superficial. This never improved! I liked Lance, but got frustrated when he went sailing off in obviously wrong directions - but then he'd been putting up with Henry for years, waiting for something that was never going to happen (that's enough to drive anyone to total distraction). They should have sorted out their sexual issues before they moved in together really - however in love you are, if the physical side is a problem, it will always be a problem until you fix it (to the mutual satisfaction of both parties). Their problem was massive - like a festering boil, which finally went pop - hence the series. (It should really have been called Splat rather than Cucumber......) By the time we got to the end, I saw Henry as a pathetic manipulator and a destroyer of lives. He knew full well about the first, but was unable to recognise the second in himself. He was initially good at drawing people into his sad little needy web, but was unable to hang onto his prey when they finally managed to escape.
Lance's back story was fascinating. His life story was one of the best bits in the show. I agree that much of the show was glaringly unrepresentative of gay life, but this must have struck many chords with watchers - the inability of the father to let him in with a boyfriend, but the willingness when he was alone. And the boyfriend's death - I'm glad RD nudged us with that one, because it should never be forgotten - so many lives have been affected by it. The fact that Lance 'escaped' changed the course of his life (and I think young people needed to be reminded of how awful it was then). His sweet beaming face when he was bouncing around on various dancefloors was lovely to see - he was so overjoyed to be alive, yet it made him all too vulnerable (as his heart-rending end proved).
Other characters - Chloe was brilliant of course. (I hope Julie gets lots more work!) I liked the older gay friends (I loved the scene in the loo - just wish it hadn't been at a funeral!), I could really relate to them. And the kidnap scene, with the two guys muttering about Eastenders - that was a total joy. ;-) But the younger ones just left me cold, virtually all of them. The sight of Henry living in the warehouse with them just seemed so jarring somehow - I couldn't imagine those friendships ever really happening, or those boys having any time for him at all. I know Freddie was meant to have been pivotal, but apart from his last speech to Henry before moving out, I just thought he was a waste of space. (It's obvious why he was there, but he seemed to be more of a symbolic object rather than a real person.)
The end - awful, awful and a total cop-out. Henry giggling about 'being gay'? Give me strength. That scene devalued the entire series and everything that had gone before - turning it into light comedy was an epic fail for me. Almost like, "gosh, we lead such turbulent lives - but it all comes right in the end!". I think I hated him more at that moment than I had throughout the series. (But fair play to the actor for creating such a monster, and making us all loathe him so deeply!)
Thirdly - Bananas. We watched the first one, but as soon as we saw that it concentrated on the younger characters, we got bored. I just don't think I can be bothered with their trials and tribulations - all too superficial and tedious really. Dean is so lacking in personality, that I can't believe he's been featured so strongly. I Just Don't Care.......
(Tofu - watched half the first one, zzzzz...... I'm just not interested in watching actors and 'Joe Public' banging on about their sex lives, sorry.)
Overall I'd say it was OK. My biggest issue with it was none of the characters were particularly likeable or engaging in any way. Henry was awful, and it was great to see him finally get called out for his poor behaviour in the final episode. I thought Freddie was even worse, and his depiction as this kind of irresistible player who could attract any kind of guy or girl was hilarious.
Lance was obviously lovely, and of course we all know what thanks he got for that. I'm not sure a another homophobic murder is what viewers needed to see either. Henry didn't even seem particularly bothered about his death, and didn't seem to have learnt any lessons about what happened. Overall it was a fine filler show to watch when there's nothing else on, but not much beyond that. It's A Sin was infinitely better than this.