"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Fortysomething: Series 1, Episode 2 (2003)



 
In episode 2, Paul continues to be something of a sad-sack who can't get anything right.  His youngest son has brought a box of explicit paraphernalia online, his middle son thinks he can sleep with his brother's girlfriend in addition to his own, and Paul’s own attempts to cook a romantic meal for his wife don't exactly go as planned.  It's all a bit “sad trombone.”
 
Quite a bit of Pilfrey in this one.  He plays hooky from work in the hopes of being headhunted by a pharmaceutical corporation.  Since Paul's wife Estelle is with the company that would handle the deal, Pilfrey thinks he can take care of another important piece of business:  seducing Estelle.  Estelle, attempting to please her client, has to hide her blatant disdain for him, but his increasingly outrageous behavior makes that a tall order.
 
Again, it's pretty broad, but PC's Pilfrey is quite funny in a smug, slimy way.  I'd of course loathe Pilfrey in real life, but on TV, he's fun to hate.  I like the way that almost every other character can't stand him and he seems genuinely oblivious to it.
 
Also, Stephen Fry guest-stars in this episode as the eccentric (I know, imagine that!) purveyor of fish.
 
Warnings
 
In addition to the previous warnings for Fortysomething, episode 2's sexual content includes a variety of sex toys and erotic cooking, and there's also a sighting of Hugh Laurie's bottom.

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