Fortysomething is a show I saw a
few years prior to Capaldi Fall. By the
time I did, I was familiar enough with PC that he'd become Peter Capaldi rather
than Hey!-It's-That-Guy (from In the Loop.) Watching the show again, I'm still not
entirely sure what I think of it.
At the
center of Fortysomething is Paul Slippery, a put-upon husband, father,
and doctor. Feckless in all aspects of
his life, Paul is constantly beset by various doubts and sinking feelings. He's worried that his wife has “become” a
lesbian, his three sons won't do a thing he tells them to, and he's afraid of
being edged out at work. Oh, and he
suspects that he's starting to go mad.
PC is a
regular on Fortysomething, playing a fellow doctor at Paul's
practice. Dr. Ronnie Pilfrey considers
himself to be a highly self-assured, cutting-edge doctor of the 21st
century. Episode 1 finds him lecturing
Paul on alternative healing and the benefits of digital medicine.
Pilfrey
is an amusing, if broad, character. He
drips with cockiness, and everything about him screams “snot-nosed prick.” His best scene in this episode comes in his
laughable attempt to console a deceased patient's loved one, insisting that
death, in this case, was the ideal option.
Hugh Laurie, pictured above, was my original reason for watching Fortysomething.
Just a year before he played House, he starred in this show as a doctor
of a very different sort. Also, Paul's
oldest son is played by none other than a young Benedict Cumberbatch. As if the red hair wasn't enough to make him
seem like a completely different person, I was shocked at hearing his voice
this time around. Nowhere near as
low as the Rickman-esque tones I've grown accustomed to (I saw Fortysomething
before Sherlock.) I wonder if it
was for the character, of if he genuinely used to sound like that.
Accent
Watch
Scottish
doc!
Recommend?
In
General
– So far, I'd be hesitant to say yes. My
opinion might improve as I continue in my rewatch, but it feels to me like a
number of excellent actors doing what they can to sell shaky material. Check back in when I finish the season.
PC-wise – Eh, maybe. He was pretty funny in this episode. Just be aware that Pilfrey isn't what you'd
call a likeable character by any stretch of the imagination.
Warnings
Lots of sexual content
and references, although nothing was physically shown on-camera. A little swearing.
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