The Thick of It: Series 1, Episode 3 (2005)

Things go predictably pear-shaped in the series 1 finale (yes, you heard that right – complain all you want about Sherlock’s short seasons, the entire first season of The Thick of It was as long as a single Sherlock episode.)  Hugh, who’s been successfully pushing a housing bill through Parliament, hits a snag of personal scandal.  When you’re trying to reform housing, it turns out that having a second, largely unused property is a no-no.  Everyone as DoSA waits with baited breath to see if a conspiracy “to not sell a two-bedroom flat” will be deemed a sackable offense.

 

What can I say?  There’s an utterly ludicrous mega-scandal, patented The Thick of It panicking at its best, and a low-key scene of nervous biscuit-eating that shouldn’t be nearly as funny as it is.  We also get our first glimpse of Sam, Malcolm’s PA.  Sam is a character used sparingly throughout the series, but I really like her inclusion, because Malcolm seems to genuinely like her and vice versa.  It’s weird to see someone that he’s never tried to reduce to tears.

 

Speaking of Malcolm, PC has some fine material here.  He’s upped the ante from the pilot – rather than simply inform a minister that they’ve resigned, he’s here tasked with convincing a minister why it’d be a good career move to resign.  It reminds me a bit of the scene from Fortysomething where Pilfrey tells a deceased patient’s grieving loved one that dying was the most cost-effective option.  But while Pilfrey is a snake, Malcolm is a crocodile:  keeping even-keeled and quiet just long enough that you’re off your guard when he goes in for the kill.

 

Episode 3 also showcases PC’s great physical comedy with his patented Malcolm Tucker Run.  When he finds out Hugh is in the middle of a potentially-disastrous interview, Malcolm races full pelt from Number 10 to DoSA, careening around corners and demanding to know where Hugh has disappeared to.  It’s a gloriously funny scene to watch, and it should neatly allay any concerns that PC isn’t up to the physical demands of playing the Doctor; the man has energy in spades.

 

I highlighted Hugh yesterday, so I’ll spend a little time on another character today – since we’ll be on The Thick of It for a while, you might as well get to know who the non-Malcolms are.  Ollie Reeder is one of Hugh’s advisors, a young, standard-issue Oxbridge politico.  He’s fresh-faced, prone to ill-timed/awkward jokes, and not nearly as on top of things as he thinks he is.  Ollie is also probably the most opportunistic person at DoSA, maybe on the show entirely.  He’s quick to cozy up to anyone he thinks could help him get ahead, and he doesn’t have too many qualms about throwing others under the bus.