Absolutely amazing start to the new season. I love the challenge they gave themselves by setting the entire story in a very tight, limiting space. As well as this, there is constant movement, sound and lack of privacy. What is first introduced as a series of clown couplets, the characters each have a good amount of depth to them. Their relationships offer moments of tenderness and softness to, for the most part, a ridiculous, slap-stick comedy.
They do an excellent job with Jorg and Maxwell's characters. Jorg is portrayed as a disgusting, inconsiderate, rude, lecherous and unintelligent man. This is made even more evident by the other character's view of him and the fact he cannot speak English; elements of xenophobia and lost in translation. We (the British) are automatically suspicious of people we don't understand. Maxwell on the other hand is well-spoken, well-educated, neat and tidy. He is uptight but we don't immediately see him as a threat. These pre-judgements are ultimately proven completely wrong. Jorg is a jolly intelligent man that happens to be suffering from an illness and Maxwell is a ruthless, ambition-obsessed murderer.
What I find satisfying is that this was all caused by someone not in their allocated bunk. Feels like a very British problem. It is comical for the most part, some moments of tenderness, a few of Whitehall's jokes felt a bit cliché and fell flat for me. Didn't really mind too much though.
They do an excellent job with Jorg and Maxwell's characters. Jorg is portrayed as a disgusting, inconsiderate, rude, lecherous and unintelligent man. This is made even more evident by the other character's view of him and the fact he cannot speak English; elements of xenophobia and lost in translation. We (the British) are automatically suspicious of people we don't understand. Maxwell on the other hand is well-spoken, well-educated, neat and tidy. He is uptight but we don't immediately see him as a threat. These pre-judgements are ultimately proven completely wrong. Jorg is a jolly intelligent man that happens to be suffering from an illness and Maxwell is a ruthless, ambition-obsessed murderer.
What I find satisfying is that this was all caused by someone not in their allocated bunk. Feels like a very British problem. It is comical for the most part, some moments of tenderness, a few of Whitehall's jokes felt a bit cliché and fell flat for me. Didn't really mind too much though.
