WRITERS & DIRECTORS: Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
CAST: Ricky Gervais (Andy Millman), Ashley Jensen (Maggie Jacobs), Daniel Radcliffe (Himself), Warwick Davies (Himself), Stephen Merchant (Agent), Shaun Williamson (Barry/Shaun) & Dame Diana Rigg (Herself)
Andy’s small-scale fame has landed him a role in a fantasy film, where star Daniel Radcliffe takes a shine to Maggie, and lunch at an expensive restaurant has serious repercussions for Andy’s career when he accidentally offends a boy with Down’s Syndrome...Episode 3 is a mixed bag of highs and lows, but further evidence for the argument that Gervais and Merchant are resting on their laurels somewhat. There are some beautifully played scenes sprinkled throughout, and a deliciously un-PC attitude, but it’s all becoming rather predictable.
Ashley Jensen is once again superfluous to the meat of the story, yet the object of a celebrity’s affections (here, Daniel Radcliffe, star of the Harry Potter films). Last year Maggie was an integral part of the show and her storyline had some variety to it, but this year she’s been very underwritten and badly handled by Gervais and Merchant.
Ricky Gervais is always a dependable performer and can probably act out the carefully constructed moments of embarrassment in his sleep. He’s always worth watching and can elevate the material with an awkward grin of simple expression. It’s just a shame that, for the first time, his performance is no longer edgy and unpredictable; you can see exactly where the embarrassment is going to come from and is just undercuts the comedy.
Daniel Radcliffe is the “celebrity of the week” for Episode 3, playing an unashamedly horny version of himself. He’s actually very good, certainly better than you’d expect at self parody, and the “condom scene” in particular is a highlight of the series so far.
The story is the usual assortment of embarrassing scenes and wrong-end-of-the-stick comedy. Stephen Merchant’s Agent yet again makes Andy’s life a nightmare (posing the question why Andy doesn’t just get difference representation!), and Andy himself doesn’t help matters by accidentally offending a boy with Down’s Syndrome. The emphasis of series 2 is the effects of celebrity on normal people, and here Andy tastes the cruelty of the media who are quick to label him a cruel monster and exaggerate the misunderstanding.
There are some strong moments of comedy, thankfully more than last week, but again there are also some scenes that just fall flat (Merchant asking if he could fit inside the diminutive Warwick Davies’ house being a prime example). In their quest to offend, the writers are falling into the trap of believing any politically incorrect comment of gag will get a laugh just for its audacity. But that’s not the case; more often than not it just comes across as desperate.
Overall, Episode 3 is solid stuff and has something to say about how celebs are mistreated by the media (no earth-shattering revelations, but still) and there are enough laughs to justify its occasionally heavy-handed approach to bad taste comedy. This second series is still nowhere near as mannered and well-written as last year, but it can still pack a few solid laughs and remains a highlight of the viewing week...
