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Mum - Series 3

Started by jsgibble, May 14, 2019, 11:02:59 PM

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jsgibble

The new and last series of the Lesley Manville sitcom Mum starts tomorrow on BBC Two at 10.

I've seen it already and it's brilliant as ever. I found it to be a very satisfying final series, with all the charm and pathos of the first two

Twed

Yeah, it's brilliant. I have cried the shit out of myself watching this. It holds up on rewatches, too.

Everybody in it is amazing, but Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan deserve all the accolades in the world for this. Lisa McGrillis is brilliant too. I think they do a good job of writing a ditzy "thicko" character with complexity and heart.

There was one scene towards the end of the second series where Peter Mullan made a face that was so impressively sad that it became a bit of a meme for me and a couple of other people. Absolutely brilliant.

Credit to Stefan Golaszewski (of Cowards) for writing this, also. He's got the touch of Alan Bennett when it comes to pathos, but far more realistic, less playlike.

neveragain

Him & Her was also excellent.

Twed

Also thumbs-up for being one of the last remaining things where the "kids" are played by actors older than me.

What I love about it is the way it can set a character up as one thing and then pull the rug out from you. I can't remember the character's name but he's the boyfriend of a friend of Kelly's, appears in s1 for one episode and you think he's a tit, appears in s2 for another episode and they give him one line of dialogue that flips the character into something else and floors the viewer.

jsgibble

Quote from: neveragain on May 14, 2019, 11:13:36 PM
Him & Her was also excellent.

One of the greatest things not only on BBC Three but TV in general

holyzombiejesus

I watched the whole of the third series over the last day and really enjoyed it, much more so than the second one which I found really exasperating. I actually found parts of this quite frustrating too but maybe the fact that it was set over a week rather than a year(?) meant that the lack of any action by most of the characters was more understandable and bearable. Only quibble was the cartoonish cuntishness of Pauline. I found her really funny in the first series but as the episodes and time went by, I'm amazed that no-one tore a fucking strip off her. That smiling 'go fuck yourself' was good though. Also, Kelly is so lovely.

Twed

I thought it was lovely, especially Kelly of course. Didn't expect it to be heart-wrenching so early on, and I didn't expect the tear-jerker moments to come from the characters they did.

Pauline's behaviour doesn't seem all that cartoonish if you've ever met somebody with a cluster B personality disorder, which I think was the idea here. This season explained the character to me. She isn't Hyacinth Bucket, she's somebody who has lost her identity and is trying to cling to one she thinks she should have. She fucking hates herself, hates her own actions, and is completely out of control. She loves Derek because he is devoted and caring towards her, even if her treatment of him contradicts that.

And I don't think there's anybody who really would tear a strip off her. Jason and Kelly are too oblivious, Derek too scared of losing her, with Cathy it feels like Pauline's attitude is similar to her mother's and there's been statements to suggest that Cathy and Derek's childhood wasn't ideal. Would actually explain Derek chasing someone like his mother. I did want a touch of the 'My Name Is Joe' to surface in Michael and for him to fucking glass Jason at one point though.

neveragain

A thoroughly wonderful series (in both senses of the word) with a multitude of moments I can't wait to revisit. My favourite characters this time round were the old parents; very funny but also believably tender.

Brilliant acting all round. I agree Jason really needed a slap.

jsgibble

Quote from: neveragain on May 20, 2019, 05:56:30 PMBrilliant acting all round. I agree Jason really needed a slap.

Seconded

There's a really touching scene between him and Cathy in the fourth episode though. One of many highlights in this series

Twed

Yeah. A lesser programme would have made him entirely agreeable after that amazing scene, but nope.

neveragain

Exactly. Great display of intelligence from the writer.

Unrelated to that, my favourite line was Derek's "I could cry for a hundred years!" delivered with his beaming, strained smile.


Twed

Yes! That was brilliant. And his absolutely pure friendship with Kelly.

neveragain


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

That scene is so powerful. People are, quite rightly, praising the Shane Meadows drama, The Virtues, at the moment for its emotional impact, but Mum - this 'little' comedy - is just as heartbreaking.

Its reputation will hopefully grow as the years go by.

holyzombiejesus

Quote from: jsgibble on May 20, 2019, 07:01:26 PM
There's a really touching scene between him and Cathy in the fourth episode though. One of many highlights in this series

Why didn't she fucking hug him?!

fatguyranting

I said the same thing when I was watching it. Felt a little 'off' to me in an otherwise stunning series.

neveragain

I think because she's not that sort of mum, perhaps she's never been overly affectionate.

holyzombiejesus

"Overly affectionate" doesn't come in to it. Her son is sat on her bed, sobbing his heart out over the death of his father and she just lies there like she's watching a sad bit on Supervet.

neveragain

Well, it's obciously been put in as a discussion point but that's the only way I could justify it. Does seem surprisingly cold of Cathy.

I've got three adult children, I noted that she didn't hug him but it didn't feel unnatural to me. It's hard to explain, sometimes you give them space like that.

Such a great show this, works on so many levels. I loved the daft bit when the grandad took the burnt toast out of the toaster, looked at it then put it back in.

Yeah, in that moment I'd say space is exactly what he needed. He's crying over his dad for the first time and it's come just after a speech about how men have to be the strong ones. If she'd hugged him then it would have risked interrupting him and making him close off again. In that moment he needed to cry.

Virgo76

Was wary of this for a long time. Annoyed me how so many of the characters seemed to treat her (Mum) like dirt, but she always put up with it.
Have been completely won over now. Great.

sevendaughters

Quote from: Virgo76 on May 23, 2019, 07:48:03 AM
Was wary of this for a long time. Annoyed me how so many of the characters seemed to treat her (Mum) like dirt, but she always put up with it.
Have been completely won over now. Great.

Am watching s1 now and episode 3 is nearly driving me to switch it off; I've enjoyed the two before it but the introduction of Kelly's mum on top of Pauline, Kelly, and then the nan, it's ALLLLLMOST like this writer has a problem with women. I'll stick it out.

sevendaughters

episode 4, here's another stupid woman

Twed

Everybody in it is stupid apart from Cathy and Michael. The most complex characters in this are women, and all but one of the men have rocks for brains. If you think Kelly is just a stupid woman character than you haven't clicked with the programme yet.

sevendaughters

Quote from: Twed on May 27, 2019, 08:12:12 PM
Everybody in it is stupid apart from Cathy and Michael. The most complex characters in this are women, and all but one of the men have rocks for brains. If you think Kelly is just a stupid woman character than you haven't clicked with the programme yet.

oh i mean there's a little more to it than just a dimboid but it's a high thicko/hateful count for a domestic sitcom

jsgibble

I once saw someone who gave Motherland a five star review say that Mum's just a bunch of middle class stereotypes. Wish I was joking

Mr Banlon