The Hour: Series 2, Episode 2 (2012)

 

Episode 2 gets off to a dramatic start when Hector is arrested for his alleged involvement in a scandal.  While he is stuck in a holding cell, Bel searches for proof of his innocence and tries to hide the situation from Randall.  (It seems there’s a history between Bel and Hector as well.  From what I can gather, in series 1 she was in love with Freddie and involved with Hector?  The connection with Hector definitely seems shallower.  Oh, what a tangled, sexy web.)

 

Meanwhile, Freddie is back to what appears to be his old habit of making waves.  It’s what Randall rehired him for; though Freddie isn’t as charismatic or traditionally handsome a presenter as Hector, he lives for risky stories and has a knack for making the news exciting.  This time, he wants to go against BBC policy and interview a young fascist, on the grounds that ignoring hatred doesn’t make it away.  He wants to shine a light on fascism to expose its ugliness.  Unfortunately, he’s adamant about doing so on the same day BBC executives are coming around to kick the tires and decide how much of its budget to give to The Hour.

 

Randall doesn’t have a huge amount to do here – he largely reacts to the aforementioned goings-on.  He does, however, have an excellent scene where he meets with the producer of a competing program on ITV.  ITV has expressed interest in poaching Hector, and Randall tells the producer in no uncertain terms what he thinks of that idea.  He maintains a zen-like calm throughout (except for his restless hands,) but he still exudes force and authority.  Having so recently watched The Thick of It, the difference is remarkable.

 

The scene also highlights Randall’s particular talent for sizing people up.  There was some evidence of it in episode 1, but here, his insights into Hector fascinate me.  Randall zeroes in on Hector’s corruptibility, brilliance, and self-destructive tendencies, seeking to protect Hector from both the best and worst parts of himself.  It’s not clear exactly how much time has passed between episodes, but it can’t have been long, and Randall already has a very clear idea of who Hector is and what makes him tick.

 

It’s interesting.  For being rather blunt and dispassionate, Randall seems to be highly empathetic.  In two episodes, I’ve seen him relate deeply to Hector, Freddie, and others.  It think he tends to see his own demons, past and present, in other people’s darkness.

 

Yesterday, I was so excited about the superb cast that I completely left off two other familiar faces.  Tom Burke, who I first saw in the wonderful State of Play, has a supporting role, and Oona Chaplin (yes, as in that Chaplin – granddaughter,) lately of Game of Thrones, is highly effective as Hector’s on-the-breaking-point wife.

 

Warnings

 

A few shots of pornographic pictures.  Also, the fascist rhetoric is very troubling and includes some nasty racial slurs.