This episode was originally based on a play during their league of gentlemen days, before even the Fringe, when Steve and Reece were sharing a flat together while unemployed. It has evolved into a brilliant TV play that strives to trick the audience into believing they see the ending coming. It's cleverly inter-laced throughout, keeping Migg away from the other people in Tom's life, it implies that Migg may only be a figment of Tom's imagination.
It is naturalistic for the most part, mundane conversations add depth to the world and furthers the atmosphere of normality. Tom's character develops as we learn little by little, usually through the characters of Migg and Gerri (potential voices in his head). He is a school teacher, hates his job, wishes to be a writer (or Charles Bukowski). The various characters that interact with him act as his conscience, rays of hope, corrupters, disrupters and betrayers. It's an interesting exploration of depression.
The way Migg begins to look better and Tom worse, feels like Migg is a sort of vampire, sucking the life force out of Tom until he is a shell of a man. Once Migg is out of the picture and Gerri is back, his appearance changes for the better. This is just surface level, however, as Gerri is the real delusion and his coping mechanism. It's a clever episode for trying to trick the audience and woven symbolism. Brilliant episode, one of my favourites, a great study of naturalistic dialogue.
It is naturalistic for the most part, mundane conversations add depth to the world and furthers the atmosphere of normality. Tom's character develops as we learn little by little, usually through the characters of Migg and Gerri (potential voices in his head). He is a school teacher, hates his job, wishes to be a writer (or Charles Bukowski). The various characters that interact with him act as his conscience, rays of hope, corrupters, disrupters and betrayers. It's an interesting exploration of depression.
The way Migg begins to look better and Tom worse, feels like Migg is a sort of vampire, sucking the life force out of Tom until he is a shell of a man. Once Migg is out of the picture and Gerri is back, his appearance changes for the better. This is just surface level, however, as Gerri is the real delusion and his coping mechanism. It's a clever episode for trying to trick the audience and woven symbolism. Brilliant episode, one of my favourites, a great study of naturalistic dialogue.
