This Country series 2

[chocolate teapot]

I loved the exploration of folklore in this episode. The red hooded man was probably the missing poster man and/or ghost. But it doesn't feel hokey. It's just adds a natural dimension of weirdness to an already off kilter show.

I don't have many personal This Country experiences to tell except, yes Mr Perkins is real and my mum once wrote a letter to him because he misspelled a word and she thought it's not on for a teacher not to know how to spell. I saw Kurtan the other day in town and my niece bumped into Kerry. Duck races, scarecrow competitions, steam fairs, these all happen annually.

[chocolate teapot]

Something my sister pointed out to me about this latest episode I missed first time - you know Stan Mucklowe on Kerry's facebook page when she's checking for Happy Birthday messages? He was in the the same Slimming World group as me and my sister. Every group session he'd gain a pound or two and it was because he loved his roasts on a Sunday, group leader was like you can make a roast Slimming World friendly. I reckon it was more than the roast that was doing it. I mean 3500 calories in one meal. Stan what you on about mate. Slimming World can be very toxic don't do it is my advice.

[Blue Jam]

Double dinners?

On that subject- another deleted scene:

https://mobile.twitter.com/bbcthree/status/979689709768028160/video/1

Kerry justifying her behaviour by accusing other people of being manipulative and making her do it, again... brilliant.

Also here are Charlie Cooper's Premier League predictions, as explained to Lawro:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/football/43489873

[Dannyhood91]

Jesus Christ I FUCKING hate Kerrys dad. One of the most loathsome telly characters I've seen in a while.

[Blue Jam]

That was utterly heartbreaking... but I hope that cliffhanger ending means we'll be getting a third series, opening with Kerry grassing up Martin.

[pancreas]

That was utterly heartbreaking... but I hope that cliffhanger ending means we'll be getting a third series, opening with Kerry grassing up Kurtan.

is my guess.

[Blue Jam]

:-O

[Utter Shit]

Bleak, bleak, bleak. Some brilliant moments - Kurtan's Friends comparison was great - but it just left me a bit sad. Brilliant as always though, Kurtan's stuff with his new job was great.

Could have done without the bit about Len hoarding his own shit though, felt like that came from a cheaper show.

[holyzombiejesus]

Thought that was atrocious. Worst episode so far, even worse than the first of this series. Schmaltzy nonsense with some Derek sad piano. The plot was silly and there's no way that Kerry would ever get prosecuted for nicking the Dysons.

Over the series as a whole, it struck me that even though Daisy was the one who went to RADA, Charlie is the better actor. I thought Kurtan also had the better storylines too, although I did prefer the more pernicious Kurtan of the first series. It's hard to imagine the Kurtan of this series committing arson or fighting Martin with his shirt off.

Daisy and Charlie's dad/ Martin/ Paul Cooper/ the brother of the actor who plays Len/ @Itsmygameblog works for Hoarding Disorders UK...

[Wayman C. McCreery]

Yeah, the only duff episode in 12 for me. It was, yep, all a bit too Derek.

I'm one for suspending my disbelief but it really stretched the rules of the fly-on-the-wall doc - unless they pull it back in the first episode of series three with Kerry telling the police that the BBC have got footage of her dad forcing her to make a confession.

I hope Kurtan keeps his job for series three - I'd happily have six episodes of him dealing with squabbles at the bowls club.

Series two's definitely been weaker than the first, but it's still a terrific show.

[Blue Jam]

I wasn't keen on the sad piano either...

Thinking about the episode afterwards, I think the mockumentary format was used well at first but went out the window halfway through the episode. Why didn't Martin insist on talking to Kerry off-camera? Why was the police interview filmed? Surely Kerry can just tell the police that the BBC have a stack of footage proving her innocence/stupidity? In any case I really hope Kerry gets a break next series.

I'm not sure where Kerry's relationship with her dad can go after this- then again, there was a similar situation at the end of Peeping Tom where she briefly accepted that her dad was a selfish git who didn't care about her, so she could just go running to him again. I have some experience of uncaring family members who are like that (and one who once got me into some legal bother) so it seemed quite believable even up to the prison stuff

Kurtan was at his chirpy and obsessive best though. In the series 1 thread I think I said something about how I could see him as a Spongebob Squarepants type- doing a menial job but loving it and giving it his all- and I think that's what we saw in this episode. I loved him over-thinking everything, like telling the vicar about the "no bowling shoes in the dining room" rule and explaining that he's a role model who should strive to set a good example, and the stuff about "going the extra mile" with the dishwasher and being really proud of his sparkling glassware "like it's off a Finish advert". The club itself was a nice setting too- I liked Len and Angry Arthur continuing their petty rivalry with the argument over the window seat.

I was hoping Kurtan would keep his job and really hoping the Dysons didn't get found... Nice bit of local detail there too- as Mr Jam pointed out to me, Dysons are made in Malmesbury, near Cirencester.

[pigamus]

Bleak, bleak, bleak. Some brilliant moments - Kurtan's Friends comparison was great - but it just left me a bit sad. Brilliant as always though, Kurtan's stuff with his new job was great.

Could have done without the bit about Len hoarding his own shit though, felt like that came from a cheaper show.

But notice how Kerry reacted? She wasn't disgusted at all, was she? Just like, 'Yeah, that's Len. That's what he does.'

[derek stitt]

But notice how Kerry reacted? She wasn't disgusted at all, was she? Just like, 'Yeah, that's Len. That's what he does.'

It's the same with the way she described the man who put an action man up his bum, totally accepted it. These sort of things are bang on observations about village life, there is only so much you can say about a man sticking an action man up his bum isn't there. Same around here, you cannot dine out many times on saying, that blokes dead son used to feed apples to pigs to keep em quiet while he fucked em or she used to let chickens into the house and shit on the table. Btw, that later story is mentioned in a Dennis Potter Book and is no fabrication, my gran lived next door to her in a now demolished set of ex forestry commission houses and would often shudder when telling the story.  Back on point, stories as gross as this become so well known in the local community they almost become cliche.

I have a nasty suspicion that Martin Mucklowe and his daughters relationship  is based on a real life situation as well. I hope the telly is exaggerating the callousness of the dad a bit but, I doubt it.

I also watched Cunk on iPlayer just after, a rare day for good fresh comedy. Huzzah.

Living in the countryside is like being punched in the face, really hard, by your best mate while he his simultaneously being hyper vigilante in protecting you from others doing you harm.

[Jockice]

I wasn't keen on the sad piano either...

Thinking about the episode afterwards, I think the mockumentary format was used well at first but went out the window halfway through the episode. Why didn't Martin insist on talking to Kerry off-camera? Why was the police interview filmed? Surely Kerry can just tell the police that the BBC have a stack of footage proving her innocence/stupidity? In any case I really hope Kerry gets a break next series.

Got to admit I found it a bit irritating too. Not as irritating as the total non-reaction to David Brent's motivational speech in The Office, but still irritating.

I was out with some mates at the weekend and we started talking about sitcoms. A couple of them mentioned Derry Girls but none had seen This Country. So I recommended it to them. I just hope if any of them had watched it that it was the birthday episode that was on TV last night and not this one on i-player.

[Virgo76]

Great episode. Great series.
Increasingly moving towards the end and unlike Mum, still remembered to be funny.
I'd rather it hadn't ended on a cliffhanger though. Emotionally involved as I am now, I doubt I'll remember exactly where they left it in a year's time.

[jobotic]

Got to watch the fifth one, then I plan to leave the last one until it's no longer on i-player, like I did with the last ever Detectorists, for fuck's sake.

[Alberon]

The cutback to Len saying "I ain't never done it with a fox".

The shifty look away and back to the interviewer after that line is just magnificent.

The last episode had some good stuff. Martin's story as a way of demonstrating he has zero compassion plus refusing to take Kerry to the station as it is out of his way even though she's going there to help him is funny but the rest of it was laid on far too thickly and over the top.

A more effective 'sad' ending is Kerry showing that underneath it all she realises she has been used up and then thrown away again before denying it, burying those thoughts and going back to thinking Martin is great.

[chocolate teapot]

In the context of it being a documentary the sad piano music makes sense, it's something docu makers would do. I loved the episode it was very funny up until the massive downer of an ending but I didn't mind that. I don't know where they'll go for the fourth series, more Kurtan at the bowling club would be great, more vicar/Kerry/Kurtan hijinks. Yeah. It's got an interesting future but I worry that it will all go downhill.

[non capisco]

Why didn't Martin insist on talking to Kerry off-camera?

It was filmed surreptitiously from a distance, wasn't it? The camera zooms way back across the field at the end after he kicks her out of the van. The police interview bit was daft though, yeah.

Overall maybe just a shade weaker than series 1 but with some stunning standouts, I don't think I will ever tire of watching Kurtan's attempt to unload bricks into a skip, and more people seem to be watching now. Loads of people have been asking me "Do you watch This Country?" in the last couple of weeks.

[Ghost Dad]

I might have imagined it but I could have swore I saw a tiny swell of pride on Kurtan's face as he resolved the seating argument, fully loving his new sense of responsibility. If I didn't imagine it it's an amazing piece of acting.

[jobotic]

Just watched episode 5

"I always see them banners above the motorway and I always thought, "Who the fuck does them?".

Well now I know.

People like me.

Kurtan"

Looking all pleased with himself. Wonderful.

[Utter Shit]

No surprise, but a third series has been confirmed.

[Blue Jam]

Is that definite? Got a link? All I can find is this:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/online/news/3040/this_country_series_3/

If so- WOO-HOO!

[Blue Jam]

New series and special CONFIRMED!

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-04-20/this-country-gets-a-third-series-and-a-one-off-special/

[Blue Jam]

A few things:

1. It won that Best Breakthrough BAFTA:

https://twitter.com/BAFTA/status/988113476785553408

2. At the ceremony Charlie Cooper finally met his dad:



3. People Just Do Nothing is moving to BBC2 for series 5, and the move may be partly down to the success of This Country (though Grindah clearly regards the show as the Kold FM to their Kurupt FM):

https://twitter.com/bbcthree/status/991044519788347392

[Blue Jam]

They've well and truly made it:

https://www.anglingtimes.co.uk/news-2017/interview-star-of-bbcs-this-country-is-angling-fanatic?rq=Charlie cooper

[olliebean]

It's won a BAFTA for Best Scripted Comedy. Also Daisy May Cooper won best female performance in a comedy.

[Blue Jam]

...and Daisy May Cooper is an absolute ledge:

[Utter Shit]

That was great. So glad they did well too.

[Virgo76]

Brilliant. Well deserved. Great dress too.