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Oct. 12th, 2010 10:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caz963Okay, so it's a couple of days later, but at least I'm awake!
I knew I'd have a few things to add to what I wrote Sunday night about the first episode of Single Father, so here they are, in no particular order.
I've seen a couple of comments here and there about it being rather irresponsible of Dave to go haring off on his bike on the night of the accident. But I don't see it as his having a death wish, I see it as the only means of escape available to him at that time. Any parent will know how hard it is to have a row, or a good cry, or anything similar in the house when the kids are in - and in this case, Dave had had to be strong all day - for his kids, and then when faced with more grieving relatives. I think that writing in Rita's diary was the last straw for him and he just had to get out. I've done it myself - not under the same circumstances, thankfully, but there have been times I've had to get out of the house in order to let rip, as it were.
What I found incongruous about that scene was the fact that the coppers left a clearly distraught man just sitting by the side of the road! I can understand that, knowing who he was, they probably wanted to keep their distance, but still, it seems odd that they wouldn't have tried to take him home or something.
David as a goalie. My old man had a good snigger at that one, with several remarks about how such a skinny git would be useless in goal!
SWEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!
Boy is such an ingenious name for a dog. Not. Pigsnatch was at least more imaginative.
But ouch! The end of that with the "half-sisters only get half a vote" remark. I know kids can be mean, but that really was below the belt.
The actress who played Lucy was excellent. Even I almost believed her story about not wanting to go to registration at school because everyone kept asking how she was. And the scene where she spoke about not being part of anyone any more, was really heartbreaking. I didn't really know what to make of Dave's reaction there - or rather, his non-reaction. I suppose all I can put it down to is his not knowing what to do - and thinking that if it's what Lucy wants and needs to help her through such a terrible time, then he'll support her. I don't have any experience of this at all, but I've always thought that your parents are the people who bring you up, regardless of whether you share the same DNA, and so I'd imagine he's a bit shocked by it, too.
I've also seen a few comments about how we're not supposed to have liked Rita. I don't think that's the case at all. We meet her at a stressful time - she's got a big exam coming up (presumably GCSE maths or something if she wants to get onto a teacher training course!) - and she's panicking. From what we saw, she was a loving mum and partner. Sure, she got pissed off because the old man went out to play footie when she wanted him to stay at home, but we've all done that, haven't we? I know I've cursed mine for his 'insensitivity' in the past! Of course, given what's coming, perhaps I've got it wrong and we're meant to hate her breathing guts.
Bathroom. Painful to watch, partly because DT makes Dave's suffering so real - and because you think that it's probably the first time in the ten weeks that have passed (other than the bike incident) that he's let himself go, and that it happens because he's so relieved that Lucy is safe. Yes, the snogging is inappropriate, but it was supposed to be - but the problem I sort of have with it isn't that, or the fact that it was so hot (!) - it's that we haven't yet seen enough of Suranne Jones' character to work out why either of them would act that way. She's present very much as a friend and there's nothing to suggest there's anything more, and then, BAM! Snot and snogging!
But I'm sure that will be ironed out in future episodes. We can all do inappropriate things at times of stress and I guess that's probably the point.
Massively looking forward to the next episode - and I think that even Mr Caz was compelled by it, despite the odd grumble in the direction of Mr Tennant!
I'll end with the best quote of the day, from a not particularly positive review of the programme from The Arts Desk:
I reckon that if that happened, even![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hooloovoo_42 might consider it worth the price of her license fee alone!
Where do we sign up?
I knew I'd have a few things to add to what I wrote Sunday night about the first episode of Single Father, so here they are, in no particular order.
I've seen a couple of comments here and there about it being rather irresponsible of Dave to go haring off on his bike on the night of the accident. But I don't see it as his having a death wish, I see it as the only means of escape available to him at that time. Any parent will know how hard it is to have a row, or a good cry, or anything similar in the house when the kids are in - and in this case, Dave had had to be strong all day - for his kids, and then when faced with more grieving relatives. I think that writing in Rita's diary was the last straw for him and he just had to get out. I've done it myself - not under the same circumstances, thankfully, but there have been times I've had to get out of the house in order to let rip, as it were.
What I found incongruous about that scene was the fact that the coppers left a clearly distraught man just sitting by the side of the road! I can understand that, knowing who he was, they probably wanted to keep their distance, but still, it seems odd that they wouldn't have tried to take him home or something.
David as a goalie. My old man had a good snigger at that one, with several remarks about how such a skinny git would be useless in goal!
SWEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!
Boy is such an ingenious name for a dog. Not. Pigsnatch was at least more imaginative.
But ouch! The end of that with the "half-sisters only get half a vote" remark. I know kids can be mean, but that really was below the belt.
The actress who played Lucy was excellent. Even I almost believed her story about not wanting to go to registration at school because everyone kept asking how she was. And the scene where she spoke about not being part of anyone any more, was really heartbreaking. I didn't really know what to make of Dave's reaction there - or rather, his non-reaction. I suppose all I can put it down to is his not knowing what to do - and thinking that if it's what Lucy wants and needs to help her through such a terrible time, then he'll support her. I don't have any experience of this at all, but I've always thought that your parents are the people who bring you up, regardless of whether you share the same DNA, and so I'd imagine he's a bit shocked by it, too.
I've also seen a few comments about how we're not supposed to have liked Rita. I don't think that's the case at all. We meet her at a stressful time - she's got a big exam coming up (presumably GCSE maths or something if she wants to get onto a teacher training course!) - and she's panicking. From what we saw, she was a loving mum and partner. Sure, she got pissed off because the old man went out to play footie when she wanted him to stay at home, but we've all done that, haven't we? I know I've cursed mine for his 'insensitivity' in the past! Of course, given what's coming, perhaps I've got it wrong and we're meant to hate her breathing guts.
Bathroom. Painful to watch, partly because DT makes Dave's suffering so real - and because you think that it's probably the first time in the ten weeks that have passed (other than the bike incident) that he's let himself go, and that it happens because he's so relieved that Lucy is safe. Yes, the snogging is inappropriate, but it was supposed to be - but the problem I sort of have with it isn't that, or the fact that it was so hot (!) - it's that we haven't yet seen enough of Suranne Jones' character to work out why either of them would act that way. She's present very much as a friend and there's nothing to suggest there's anything more, and then, BAM! Snot and snogging!
But I'm sure that will be ironed out in future episodes. We can all do inappropriate things at times of stress and I guess that's probably the point.
Massively looking forward to the next episode - and I think that even Mr Caz was compelled by it, despite the odd grumble in the direction of Mr Tennant!
I'll end with the best quote of the day, from a not particularly positive review of the programme from The Arts Desk:
The American networks have so far been able to resist the stick-insectish charms of David Tennant, but the BBC would probably start up a new channel just for him if he asked them.
I reckon that if that happened, even
hooloovoo_42 might consider it worth the price of her license fee alone!Where do we sign up?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-10-12 11:25 pm (UTC)Hmmm! A DT only channel. Dunno. Maybe if it was DT, Brad and RDA, I might think about it. But it would have to have stuff I don't already have access to.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-13 08:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-13 04:46 am (UTC)Heh. A new channel devoted to filming and airing new work by him. I could get behind this idea!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-13 07:53 pm (UTC)Hm... Tennantvision!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-13 08:56 am (UTC)I found that entirely believable. Sometimes you just have to get away from everybody when dealing with something like that.
And the scene where she spoke about not being part of anyone any more, was really heartbreaking. I didn't really know what to make of Dave's reaction there - or rather, his non-reaction.
I thought he didn't know what to say because it was true. He may be her father in an upbringing sense, but he isn't her biological father. Great scene.
She's present very much as a friend and there's nothing to suggest there's anything more, and then, BAM! Snot and snogging
I presumed it was the heat of the moment and the intense feelings that caused, but I agree it was confusing.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-13 08:02 pm (UTC)But it's a minor quibble :-)
no subject
Date: 2010-10-13 10:31 am (UTC)I won't say I wasn't lamenting him for doing it, but people hardly act perfectly in the face of such things, and it was all the more powerful for the lack of perfection.
Although I was getting very irate at him not telling Lucy that regardless of DNA he (and her siblings) loved her just the same.
This is the only show that has ever had me actually full on crying, and I only watched it because I couldn't sleep and it had DT!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-13 07:57 pm (UTC)Yes, me too. Sure, none of us are perfect and we don't always say the right thing at the right time, but something along the lines of what you've said should surely have jumped to his mind?
I wasn't bawling at this episode although I'm sure that's to come...
no subject
Date: 2010-10-14 06:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-14 07:02 pm (UTC)Sarah's not the ex-wife, she's Rita's best friend. The ex- is called Michelle (I think) -
I think it's always awkward when a parent asks one of their childless friends when they're going to have kids - especially as I think we're meant to infer that Sarah and Matt don't have kids because he doesn't want them.
What I meant about the kissing not making much sense was rather because there had been nothing so far to indicate that the two characters were attracted to each other. But people do stupid things at times of extreme stress - and I'm sure that will be remedied soon!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-15 01:09 am (UTC)One can only hope that situation will be remedied soon!