Malcolm’s
chief nemeses all have different forms of the same trait. Malcolm, we know, communicates largely in
profanity- and threat-laden rants, making himself known in a big way wherever
he goes. He’s scary Tucker, of whom
cabinet ministers live in fear. But all
the people who really push his
buttons are the opposite: they rarely
raise their voices and almost never resort to swearing (all of them, however,
have their breaking points, of which Malcolm is usually the cause.) Julius is buttoned-up and decorous. Stewart is easy-going and relies on
“innovative” corporate-speak. And then,
there’s Steve.
Steve
Fleming is the party’s previous spin doctor, forced out by Malcolm a couple
years before the show began. Short and
slightly round, he’s the visual antithesis of the tall, gaunt Malcolm. While Malcolm is all about anger and
intimidation, Steve has a constant smile plastered on his face and speaks in a
syrupy tone. Even when he’s pushed to
anger, his words come out in quietly-restrained bursts peppered by nervous
laughter. It’s unsettling; Ollie
describes him as having “obsessive repulsive disorder.” And he’s back.
As you
might imagine, Malcolm isn’t thrilled about Steve’s return. He’s in full defense-mode, pulling all the
behind-the-scenes strings he can to make himself look indispensable to the
prime minister. But of course,
Spider-Man will tell us what comes with great power, and when the latest DoSAC
crisis occurs, Steve may nonchalantly step back and leaving Malcolm holding the
bag.
I’ve
not mentioned DoSAC much yet. I have to
say, considering how terrified Nicola was of Malcolm early in the season, she’s
made some impressive strides on that front.
She receives a “gang-bollocking” in this episode from Malcolm and Steve
simultaneously, and she manages to keep enough of her wits about her to stick
up for herself and even toss in a few wry remarks. That’s nice to see.
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