Detectorists Series 3

[Old Gold Tooth]

I'm guessing that when Andy returns to work in the morning, that mosaic will be gone.

Yeah I had a sinking feeling when the mosaic photos were gone, reckon Tim swiftly deleted them when Andy handed him his phone. Be interesting to see if he's been specifically told they're not to find anything on the site that might delay the building work.

Toby Jones really is superb isn't he. As mentioned above, his panicked squirrel hunt was great. Also his childish speech about invisible forcefields and the constant mugging he kept giving Simon and Garfunkel as he walked off had me chuckling for ages.

[Serge]

Yeah, Jones walks away with it every week. And that's up against some stiff competition, too.

[olliebean]

Russell's app provided particular amusement this week.

Is that a real app? Because it bloody should be.

[Bobloblawslawbomb]

Yeah, Jones walks away with it every week. And that's up against some stiff competition, too.

The fist bump on the 'mrs robinson' line, doesn't even look. Knows it's going to be there. Topped off with the best reading of the word 'spanners' you'll ever hear.

[SimonJT]

I thought it was interesting that Tim Key's character was directing the archaeologists to that particular area... I wonder if there's a bit of a "Lisa the Skeptic" plot going on? Not sure.

[zomgmouse]

Been really enjoying this series. Pleased that the quality is not dropping at all, still the same cosy feeling and little moments of brilliance. When the theme music started up in the first episode back... good times.

[jobotic]

Only just watched it. Brilliant.

Love that the chinny reckons became full Tutankhamuns as they left.

I could watch the filming of the insects and birds for half an hour, really well done.

[Serge]

"Are you looking for The Plough?"

OK, if I'm honest, that wasn't the greatest episode ever, but it did seem to be setting up things for the rest of the series. Maggie is such a horrible person, you wish that Lance would have the nerve to tell her to fuck off. But then, he doesn't even have the nerve to tell his daughter not to treat his house like a hotel. I did like Kevin Bishop's hopeless estate agent, and the race against Simon & Garfunkel/Wallace & Gromit was great.

[Norton Canes]

The bit where Lance and Maggie were slagging Tony ("He turned out to be a real knob." "A wanker, yes..." "He fooled everyone!") got me laughing the most. Though yeah, "I'm not five, I know what Orion looks like" was a great line.

Let's remind ourselves...

[Old Gold Tooth]

Be interesting to see if he's been specifically told they're not to find anything on the site that might delay the building work.

Ah, shit. Called it. Even though I wish I hadn't. Really felt for Andy as the scales fell from his eyes. In fact between that and the house viewing, the desperation gnawing at the edges to find something in the field before the panels arrive, and Lance struggling to be the man Toni needs, the whole episode felt seething with thwarted ambitions and disappointment.

Luckily there was the greatest car chase ever at the start to bring the laughs. "Are you strapped in...?"

[daf]

Ah, shit. Called it. Even though I wish I hadn't.

Yes, I get quite upset when this sort of stuff happens to characters I identify with.

I had to keep reminding myself it was just fiction, with actors and all that, to keep me from spiralling into a black depression at the injustice, and cultural vandalism of it all.

[buzby]

Luckily there was the greatest car chase ever at the start to bring the laughs. "Are you strapped in...?"

And the great Linda Lusardi cameo in Lance's dream.

[Old Gold Tooth]

And the great Linda Lusardi cameo in Lance's dream.

Yes, lovely callback wasn't it.

Speaking of that bit, I thought the scene steadily getting brighter until it was nearly a white-out was a lovely way of signifying a dream ending and being taken into the waking world. Not sure I've ever seen it done like that before. Great direction from Crook.

[Shit Good Nose]

I did like Kevin Bishop's hopeless estate agent

Me too - nice to see him underplaying for a change.  With the clumsies that part could have so easily felt completely out of place, but it didn't.

[Norton Canes]

The throwaway line about Varde giving a talk was the funniest bit this week. They almost didn't need to milk it later on. The Maggie sub-plot seems to have come and gone for little reason and I don't think Toni came out of it very well - no reason why she couldn't have stood up to her as well as Kate afterwards.

[Old Gold Tooth]

Ahh I dunno, I felt very sorry for Toni - she arrived at Lance's flat after being fobbed off with excuses for what feels must be months and his ex-wife is suddenly in her face. She held it together well and Lance deserved his potato-pasting.

Maggie is such a wonderfully loathsome character. Her "What was your name, Trevor?" cracked me up. Perfect understated cruelty.

And I'm glad Andy came clean to the mother in law in the same ep. Was oddly touched when she respected his principles and he kissed her on the cheek and said sorry for lying. Lovely simple humanity shines through in this series, no matter what idiots they act like. And the Kerplunk coda was heartwarming as the dickens.

[Serge]

Yeah, loved that episode. I was convinced that Kate was going to pack up all of Maggie's stuff while she was out, so she'd come back to the flat and find her bags outside. Ah, well, what actually happened was better. Yeah, Toni had a lot to take in, I think if she'd known about the Maggie situation beforehand, she would have had a proper go at her.

Please please please let them find the gold! I want the series to have a big happy ending.

[non capisco]

Fantastic episode, filled with greatness. The bit where Lance is on about catching a magpie and Andy replies with "What are you going to do if you catch one? Interrogate it?" really made me laugh.

[holyzombiejesus]

What would constitute a happy ending though? I'm not sure if a life changing sum of money is in keeping with the spirit of the programme. Having said that, the talk about what Andy could with his life would kind of point to incoming riches. Oh well, we'll know in less than a fortnight.

I do love this programme but part of me still wishes they'd ended it after series 2. The other part of me tells this part to shut the fuck up and stop being a miserable dick though.

[non capisco]

And I'm glad Andy came clean to the mother in law in the same ep. Was oddly touched when she respected his principles and he kissed her on the cheek and said sorry for lying. Lovely simple humanity shines through in this series, no matter what idiots they act like.

Agree fully. A lovely and entirely believable subversion of the old 'mother-in-law' character.

[Serge]

What would constitute a happy ending though? I'm not sure if a life changing sum of money is in keeping with the spirit of the programme.

Lance has already had a life changing sum of money - he won the lottery. It's not really about money for them - it's the thrill of being the ones who found it.

[BritishHobo]

It's been fun seeing Maggie again. I think it points to an important thing that's also reflected in Andy dragging his feet on flat-hunting, and prioritising his camping trips over finding a decent job. I think it's nice and realistic that in series 3 they're still giving in to the same passive cowardly behaviour. Even when they get something amazing like Lance's gold and finding his daughter, or Andy's excursion to Botswana and his own newborn, it's no magic ending where we know they'll be brave and make the right decisions for the rest of their lives. They'll still mess up and do daft things.

Oh, I hope Andy pulls his finger out and finally does something for his family though, contributes to a place for them to live. I want to throttle him sometimes, shout at him to fucking work with his wife on things!

[zomgmouse]

This Maggie subplot was interesting cause that's exactly what I had (falsely) predicted about Kate in the last series. The way she handled things was pretty great.

Lance's continued avoidance and lying are very frustrating! Though I guess that's the point.

[Enzo]

Have to say, I love the fact that the treasure is above their heads this time rather than under the ground.

[Mr Banlon]

The Maggie/Magpie thing is a bit obvious though.

[Serge]

To be fair, it had never occured to me until I just read your post.....!

Another great episode. I loved Lance taking forever to come up with the idea that Toni and Kate should swap living accomodation, and Andy's repeated sarcastic "I wish I had thought of that." Some great Simon & Garfunkel scenes made up for the fact that the DMDC didn't appear at all (it was great seeing Paul stand up to Art.) Andy finding the cottage surely means this is going to have a happy ending......right?

[Old Gold Tooth]

No, I never noticed the Maggie/Magpie thing either! I'd say that's quite good and subtle myself, but I'm very smitten with this series.

Another lovely episode. Andy walking through the rundown cottage was lovely. One of the things I enjoy most is that the show is firmly in the real world but always seems like it's only a step or two removed from magical realism - it never overdoes these hints, but Andy wandering round the cottage was almost something out of a fairytale. Reminded me of Lance hearing the echo of horses before he found his gold.

Biggest laugh for me was Lance's genuine concern followed by relieved laughter when Andy says he hasn't really let his tools rust, he was just being melodramatic. Jones and Crook inhabit the characters so well.

[Norton Canes]

One more episode to wrap all this up? No!

[SimonJT]

"You've got the auction channel?" was my favourite joke this week. Owed a bit to the "Hammock district", I suppose, but it was a lovely twist on it.

[zomgmouse]

I thought the bats thing was quite sweet, a suitably oddball and countryside thing for the rivals to bond over.