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

Saturday, November 23, 2013

The Hour: Series 2, Episode 6 (2012)

 
As predicted, the season ends with a gripping, bang-up conclusion.  (Regrettably, the season finale doubles as an unplanned series finale; the show wasn’t renewed.)  While State of Play remains the U.K. journalism show closest to my heart, The Hour has certainly proved to be no televisual slouch itself.
 
The stakes, naturally, go as high as they can go when it comes to bringing the story to light.  I like the way this show really demonstrates the power and reach that news can have.  It’s like a living force.  It can make lives or ruin them.  It can move the people’s perceptions.  It can drive those like Bel or Freddie to a sort of wild, determined greatness.  The Hour understands that power; as Randall says, a truly excellent news broadcast can make you “hear the tick” of each second of the broadcast as you watch from the edge of your seat.
 
As for Randall… all I can say is wow.  PC is absolutely stunning in the finale.  There’s a tremendous scene with Lix that simply has to be seen to be believed.  Almost difficult to watch, it’s so intense.  PC was nominated for a BAFTA for this role, and even if he’d been total garbage for every other moment of the season, he still would’ve been nominated on the strength of this scene. 
 
If this description has made you maddeningly curious, you can find the scene in question on youtube, but I wouldn’t recommend it.  Though I’m sure it’d still be affecting on its own, it’s so much more powerful in the context of the story, knowing who Randall is and why this is going on.  See, I’m so adamant about this that I’m not even giving you a link!  If you can’t resist, you can seek it out yourself.
 
Wrapping things up for The Hour:
 
Accent Watch
 
Scottish.
 
Recommend?
 
In General – Definitely.  Strong characters, an engaging story, fantastic acting, and luscious production design.  Home run all around.
 
PC-wise – Frankly, I’m wondering why you’re still wasting time reading this review when you could be watching PC as Randall.  Yes!
 
Warnings
 
A scene of violence.

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