|
||||||||
Inside No. 9 New BBC 2 Comedy Starts 5th February at 10pm |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#251 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 65,752
|
Quote:
I didn't understand the time frame. Did he kill the tramp at the beginning of his hallucination in which case he would be all decomposed and smelly. Ig he killed him just before Steve got there then why would you hallucinate about someone you don't know. Whatever in confused. There needed a bit more explanation for my liking. I do y like wondering.
So therefore he would have no qualms whatsoever killing somebody if he didn't believe them to be real. |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#252 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 65,752
|
Quote:
Roald Dahl can rest easy. His "Tales of the Unexpected" were far better than this.
The latest episode was a variation on the hackneyed: "and I woke up - it had all been a dream". I like many others was wrongfooted. As I imagine that we all thought that we had worked out what the twist was going to be. That is good writing if it can lead people off into the wrong direction and put them off the scent. However as I mentioned in a post above I think it was guilty of terrible writing in the scene where Miggs hid from Tom's 'hallucinated' partner in the bathroom. That was a serious oversight which I'm surprised that they didn't notice when they were planning the story out. |
|
|
|
|
|
#253 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 65,752
|
Quote:
I think it's still as dark as previous work, just in a very different way. It could be called 'Steve and Reece: All Grown Up' as I think that's exactly what it is a reflection of.
But as far as I'm concerned this was seriously dark. A man suffering from a nervous breakdown after the death of his wife and accidentally committing murder. That to me is what 'dark' is all about, and you don't get much darker than that. I don't understand how some can't see that as such. There are some people however who think 'dark' is about style. Perhaps filmed in dimly lit noirish settings, or lots of blood and gore, or a slasher killer on the loose? As far as I'm concerned 'dark' is about those horrific personal human experiences which are more about what resides within us and which we are sometimes unfortunate enough to experience in our lives. Episodes 1 and 3 especially certainly delivered in that respect. |
|
|
|
|
|
#254 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 65,752
|
Quote:
I think Migg was exactly what he appeared to be, a homeless guy who took advantage of a severely mentally ill guy he stumbled across by happenstance.
Unfortunately for Migg, Tom's hallucinations of Gerri proved to be stronger than reality. Alternatively Tom recognised what was happening on a subconscious level and his subconscious performed an act of self preservation by creating further hallucinations of Gerri to spur Tom into action against Migg. Either way pretty chilling stuff and very watchable TV. You could well be right there. That he used his hallucination of Gerri as an excuse to do something terrible. On a subconscious level of course. I'm not sure if it that was the intention but it could certainly be read that way and it would fit perfectly. I just read it in a straight way. That he killed Miggs because he simply believed him to be not real after a hallucinated Gerri told him so and told him to get Miggs out of his life. Something is usually good to me if it can be read in different ways. I agree that the ending certainly put a chill down my spine. More so than the previous two episodes. Although the end of episode 1 was quite chilling. When it dawned on me that Tom was a man having a nervous breakdown after the death of his wife, that really moved me. That what we saw was a man suffering from mental illness who had accidentally killed somebody. Horrible tragic stuff. |
|
|
|
|
|
#255 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 5,262
|
Quote:
However as I mentioned in a post above I think it was guilty of terrible writing in the scene where Miggs hid from Tom's 'hallucinated' partner in the bathroom.
That was a serious oversight which I'm surprised that they didn't notice when they were planning the story out. Of course this backfired when Tom killed him. However for this to be true you have to take Miggs character at face value of what was presented, which isn't necessarily the case. |
|
|
|
|
|
#256 |
|
Guest
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,516
|
I am absolutely loving this series. It's everything I was expecting from their previous work although I have seen darker comedy from them.
The first episode was a bit ropey but episodes 2 and 3 were a delight. I thought the compete lack of dialogue in ep2 with it's comedy moments made this a very clever episode and had me gripped the whole way through. I don't know why people keep trying to equate this to Tales Of The Unexpected. This is a black comedy. Tales wasn't funny. They were a collection of short stories with a dark twist at the end but they were actually quite serious. If I was going to compare this to anything I'd say it was more along the lines of Murder Most Horrid. With regards to last night's episode, I got the impression at the end that Migg was his social worker/care worker who he'd somehow imagined as this tramp but actually turned out to be a normal bloke who his imaginary dead wife had told him to get rid of. |
|
|
|
|
|
#257 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,588
|
This episode was really weirdly good. I enjoyed the first two eps immensely, episode 1 more then two as I prefer comedy along with dramas. I'm a massive suckers for sl twists so I really got into this series.
The episode is meant to have a bit of ambiguity and darkness to it. I think a very simple explanation is that Tom was so affected by Gerri's death that he mentally couldn't differ what was reality and what was imaginary. However we know Migg is a real person but if he was genuinely a tramp who took advantage or a councillor type person I don't know. I have to say this episode was amazing. Great stuff and I cannot wait till next week episode. 8 1/2-10 |
|
|
|
|
|
#258 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,828
|
Quote:
I thoroughly enjoyed last night's episode. After watching I felt it was my favourite of the three.
But...it just occurred to me while in this thread that I think there was a lapse in the writing in one particular scene. It looks like a serious plothole to me. The scene I'm talking about is in the bathroom. Why would Miggs be hiding behind the bathroom door if the partner of Reece Shearsmith's character isn't even real? Why would he be hiding behind that door? That part to me looks like extremely sloppy writing. However I did really enjoy it, as I have all three of them. In response to the BIB, I assumed ( I know we are all having a different take on this, which is the sign of a good show, in my eyes) that Migg had heard Tom taking to himself and heard that he was trying to prove that Migg was real, and Migg, trying to push Tom further into his depression, deliberately hid. I assuming that Migg knew all along that Tom was hallucinating Gerri and was pushing him further into his depression at each stage. The hiding, knowing that Tom was hallucinating Gerri, was just one in a long line of actions designed to push him closer to the edge. |
|
|
|
|
|
#259 |
|
Guest
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,516
|
Quote:
I know recently an insurance advert that started with a comment about a missing cat needed to add that the cat was ok at the end for the same reason
|
|
|
|
|
|
#260 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,773
|
Quote:
I loved it - brilliant stuff.
In response to the BIB, I assumed ( I know we are all having a different take on this, which is the sign of a good show, in my eyes) that Migg had heard Tom taking to himself and heard that he was trying to prove that Migg was real, and Migg, trying to push Tom further into his depression, deliberately hid. I assuming that Migg knew all along that Tom was hallucinating Gerri and was pushing him further into his depression at each stage. The hiding, knowing that Tom was hallucinating Gerri, was just one in a long line of actions designed to push him closer to the edge. It's also possible that Migg wasn't hiding, that him being behind the door was simply part of the hallucination. |
|
|
|
|
|
#261 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 17,643
|
Quote:
I don't think that's a given. I think they were hit and miss. If you watch some of them now they don't look so good.
There was one episode where a character played by Timothy West turns into a bee. I watched it again about a year ago and it was bloody awful. Seriously stupid. If that was pitched today the writer would be laughed out of the office. However I understand that Roald Dahl didn't write for later series. Is this correct? |
|
|
|
|
|
#262 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,329
|
Quote:
Migg knew Tom was having a breakdown and had obviously heard Tom having conversations with imaginary Geri before. He wanted to ensure Tom's breakdown continued so he could continue to take advantage of him, so when he heard the conversation about Migg himself being imaginary, he hid behind the door to further push Tom even further into his breakdown. It was just an extension of what he had been doing by hiding his post, etc.
Of course this backfired when Tom killed him. However for this to be true you have to take Miggs character at face value of what was presented, which isn't necessarily the case. |
|
|
|
|
|
#263 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,017
|
well that was really good and a clever double twist .
but - can anyone remember where they've 'borrowed' this plot from , it was very familiar , I can remember a very similar story where a guy meets a tramp and slowly the tramp takes over his life and takes his place and the guy ends up a tramp , but I can't recall specifically where I saw it , maybe an Amicus film or a tales of the unexpected ... ? |
|
|
|
|
|
#264 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 17,643
|
Quote:
well that was really good and a clever double twist .
but - can anyone remember where they've 'borrowed' this plot from , it was very familiar , I can remember a very similar story where a guy meets a tramp and slowly the tramp takes over his life and takes his place and the guy ends up a tramp , but I can't recall specifically where I saw it , maybe an Amicus film or a tales of the unexpected ... ? |
|
|
|
|
|
#265 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,828
|
Quote:
I think as well involving himself in the conversation between Tom and the imaginary Gerri would have been fatal for Migg's plans. He couldn't possibly maintain the fiction that Gerri was really there so he would probably be forced to tell Tom that Gerri was a figment of his imagination. Tom would believe Gerri over Migg and would probably therefore become hostile to Migg. Makes more sense for Migg to lie low until the episode was over and then reassert control.
It's also possible that Migg wasn't hiding, that him being behind the door was simply part of the hallucination. |
|
|
|
|
|
#266 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,828
|
Quote:
When I was watching I half recalled a plot with someone's life being taken over until the last shot is of them having become a tramp! Is it Down and Out in Beverly Hills?
|
|
|
|
|
|
#267 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4
|
Great episode of an enthralling series, as many have said.
having just rewatched it I notice that the mirrors in the apartment may be subtle indicators of who's presence is real and who's is imagined: - in the opening scene of the episode Gerri is standing infront of a mirror holding up dresses and walks past it several times without appearing. - Gerri's reflection also doesn't appear in the bathroom cabinet mirror towards the end of the episode while Tom's does. - Migg's reflection appears in the mirror above the living room cabinet while lighting candles towards the end of the episode. |
|
|
|
|
|
#268 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 65,752
|
Quote:
Yes excellent point - although I don't think the last bit is the case, or at least I hope not. For it to work ( for me, anyway) Migg always needs to be real.
What's more Gerri (A hallucination) opened the bathroom door, went in, looked around, before Tom entered the bathroom. Which seems to preclude Miggs hiding from being from Tom's perspective. Like you say I think if Miggs was real, which he was, they have to be consistent. |
|
|
|
|
|
#269 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 65,752
|
Quote:
Great episode of an enthralling series, as many have said.
having just rewatched it I notice that the mirrors in the apartment may be subtle indicators of who's presence is real and who's is imagined: - in the opening scene of the episode Gerri is standing infront of a mirror holding up dresses and walks past it several times without appearing. - Gerri's reflection also doesn't appear in the bathroom cabinet mirror towards the end of the episode while Tom's does. - Migg's reflection appears in the mirror above the living room cabinet while lighting candles towards the end of the episode. |
|
|
|
|
|
#270 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
Quote:
Loved this one, also my favourite so far. I love how the two main actors look and act completely different in every episode.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#271 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
Quote:
That episode was amazing. Really didn't see any of that coming.
My only grumble was they nicked a sketch from Ricky Gervais with giving the tramp money. Naughty. But totally loving these gems.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#272 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
For what it's worth I think the tramp was his imagination the same as Gerri. It was only the professional Migg who was real, but him behind the bathroom door was also imaginary.
I said this earlier but there was a series on not too long back called Crackanory which also tackled dark & quirky stories. I think ep1 and ep3 of No.9 could have been 15-20 minutes instead of a full half hour. I still think ep2 was great though and I do like the limited cast they are using - only 4 or so characters. |
|
|
|
|
|
#273 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 508
|
Like many here I felt it was very well written material.
Loved Conleth Hill's turn as Stevie. Hilarious. Full marks for the English accent. When he first came on the intercom I thought there is no way that's Conleth! Roll on the next episode. Well done to Shearsmith and Pemberton. Always watchable. |
|
|
|
|
|
#274 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
Quote:
Loved Conleth Hill's turn as Stevie. Hilarious.
Full marks for the English accent. When he first came on the intercom I thought there is no way that's Conleth! |
|
|
|
|
|
#275 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,043
|
Quote:
Ricky Gervais made up the concept of giving a tramp money?
![]() |
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 12:10.



