27 February 2015

TV: Banana vii


This is something of an oddity, even amongst Banana episodes. Unrequited love is a topic that hasn't really been covered - it could be argued it was briefly with Josh and Sophie in episode five, but it was hardly the focus. Here, Frank ends up in a threesome with the more conventionally handsome Ben and Aidan, and pursues the latter the following morning, looking for something more.

The pair flirt with the idea for a morning - we even get to flash forward nine months - but ultimately hunky Aidan ends it. They were clearly never meant to be though, with Frank more invested from the start. At first, you think it will work out, Aidan will drop his prejudices, and they'll live happily ever after, thanks to the general shape of the series so far. But unfortunately, it isn't to be.

Instead this ends up as both a cynical and an optimistic commentary on modern society. Cynical because of its sleight against modern values, and not appreciating the opportunities we're given. Rushing into things without full consideration. Aidan just can't go out with someone that he doesn't find physically attractive, and that's fine. Some people are just like that. But so much prominence is devoted to that topic that I can't help but feel it was an intentional stab by the writer. And to address my second proposition, I find this optimistic because it tells us that any day - every day - could be day one. You might find the person you're supposed to be with any day, and that's a magical notion. 

Luke Snellin's episodes seem to have been those that are slightly off-kilter for me. That's not to say they're bad, but they're certainly the exceptions of the series - if a series as varied as this can have a norm to deviate from. The final episode of the series looks to be a whopper, and I for one can't wait. This has been a very interesting series, one that's dared to push the boundaries in all the right ways, and I'm so grateful we got it. The quality of storytelling we're getting here is pretty much unparalleled in today's television landscape. Trust Davies to be the one to broaden our minds - again. 

Excellently made, but lacking a certain something.


TV: Banana vi


Charlie Covell returns to script her second episode of the series, and also stars as the main protagonist, Amy. Right from the off, we're shown everything we need to know about her. She's performed extremely well by Covell, and it's clear that the writer knows her character inside out, adding little tics to the performance. I really liked the way this was subtly package as a day in the life for Amy as she bounces from home to work to dinner, all the while scared stiff that everyone she sees will drop dead if she doesn't do all she can.

After a few minutes' adjustment, I found Covell to be really quite endearing in the role. This is half an hour of character drama with one of the most likeable characters Banana has presented us with. We've all had the moment where we clam up or gabble at the worst possible moment, and Amy gets for an entire evening when she goes on a date with policewoman Kay. Really, Kay is quite peripheral to the whole thing, which is more concerned with showing us that there's someone out there for everyone.

The entire episode is shot beautifully by Al Mackay, yet another director Banana has introduced me to. From his previous work (largely as a location manager) it seems something of a gamble was taken on him by executive producer Nicola Shindler (who I don't praise nearly enough!) and co. It totally paid off me, and indicates that he should have a bright future in this field. The images broadcast were particularly photogenic, but his command of actors clearly isn't slack either. The moment in the last scene where the buildings around our two leads light up was electric. In the preceding moments, that's exactly what I was imagining I would do. It's a rare occasion when I actually second guess what's coming next, so this was quite pleasing.

Although there wasn't any tangible jeopardy in this episode was as with, for example, Bethany Black's a couple of weeks ago, the will she/won't she of the date (and following it) is made into more than enough of an event. TV focuses on the small moments that mean so much to the individual, making this series especially refreshing. Something of a recurrent theme creator Russell T Davies likes using is asking how bad things can get. Most recently, this has been 'how badly wrong can a date go?'. For Cucumber lead Lance, episodes one and six of the parent show have answered that, one ending with his arrest, and the other with his murder, briefly mentioned here. It's nice to see Amy appear to completely mess things up, only to still get the girl in contrast to the expectation created by Davies.

This is one of the stronger episodes of the series, which is saying something. Covell writes economically and succinctly, but still manages to convey wholesome characters and situations. The closing moment is one of joy and adrenaline in the best sense. The feeling that anything could happen next is positively tangible, and accompanied by a typically pacey and appropriate soundtrack from Ben Foster, it's hard not to be moved. If only we could all have nights like this. Standout drama once again from Team Davies; I love it.


TV: Cucumber/Banana/Tofu vi


reviews by Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog)

I watched this a couple of hours ago, and I’m still shaken by it. It’s a beautiful episode, hardly a tough watch in that regard, but god, it stays with you.

Look, just watch it. If you haven’t already - you don’t even need to see the rest of the series really, it’s pretty stand-alone. And in the context of the rest of the series, this seems to be the big one. So, give it a watch - you won’t regret it.

I’m going to be very vague, even though I don’t need to be. Because the set-up before the opening titles lets us in on its secret just enough to set the tone of what’s to come: poignant, tense, often quite dangerous, true.

I’m amazed that this episode was conceived alongside the others. The bouncy comedy that made up some of the previous episodes was written with this in mind, it was acted and shot and edited too. Though of course, this still has the same bounce. The humour becomes black humour, thanks to that dangerous mood lingering over it all.

God. Leaving aside the perfect, inventive acting (Cyril Nri in particular) and everything else, this is the sort of episode that is defined by its writing. If somebody only recounted the plot, it would miss every point there is (and probably turn some of it into issues that aren’t there). This is impeccably handled. What sets it above is the investment we’ve had in the last five weeks (not knowing a thing - consciously!), plus the investment put in to this episode when recalling somebody’s life history in fifty minutes. And then, dramatic scenes, layers and layers of it. And an ending that will shake you and make you cry.

This is a must-see. And afterwards, read this incredible online interview with Russell T Davies.



This week’s Banana is cannily placed, offering a breezy antidote to what’s just happened on the other channel, but with a darker side that fits with the parent show. The link this week appears more tenuous - I don’t think these characters are even in it, at least not this week - but the theme of sudden death comes up over and over.

Because the main character here has anxiety and OCD (at least, that was my interpretation). After six episodes I’m realising that this is, happily, a character based show rather than relying on plot. Last week’s was blissful even when nothing particularly was happening - this episode feels the same. What’s more it’s striving to put people centre stage that don’t normally get focussed on, like most ‘teen’ dramas really.

Amy (played and written by rapidly rising star Charlie Covell) has a date with Kay (a policewoman with few lines but big impact), but is trying to get over her own problems first. It’s quirky rather than mawkish, cute rather than sexy, and the final scene is absolutely lovely.






Tofu luckily doesn’t fit with the theme here. Although there’s some talk of the episode of Cucumber above - you’d be hard pressed to escape it.

This is the episode that felt more like a behind-the-scenes (mostly cast interviews and a lot of clips of the other two series, admittedly well chosen). Which is fine, but this one goes for the widespread general question of: ‘what’s it like filming sex scenes?’. As well as watching and writing - hey, it’s Russell, hooray!

There’s also clips and discussion of Queer as Folk - not massively, but tying all the series together.




many thanks to
Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog)

TV: Cucumber vi


Bloody hell.

25 February 2015

FILM: Focus



review by Ryan Wigley (Twitter)

Blimey! In my very first piece for Artron Reviews, I've been thrown in the deep end somewhat by being the first to review a film! I was very fortunate enough to attend a preview screening of the upcoming romantic comedy-drama, Focus, last night at my local Cineworld. The new Will Smith flick that is, not the 2001 Meat Loaf film!

Focus begins with us seeing character Nicky Spurgeon, well played by Smith, a seasoned conman dining at a restaurant. It isn’t long before Margot Robbie’s character, Jess Barrett, is introduced and it takes even less time for them to become romantically involved. From here, Nicky quickly introduces Jess to the various tricks and trade of the confidence scam business, and that's where the story begins to unfold.

The weekend of a major football event has arrived and it is time for Nicky, Jess and their group to grab and hustle their way around the airport, casino and stadium where fans would be attending through a variety of different tricks. Directors Glenn Fiacarra and John Requa do a great job of capturing each con effectively and allowing us, as viewers, to see how the characters have gone about obtaining watches, wallets, credit cards and the like. It is especially rewarding given that we see Nicky going to great lengths showing Jess the ropes prior to the weekend of hustling.

Without going into spoiler territory, I will say that there’s a brilliant, lengthy scene during the match involving Smith, Robbie and BD Wong as billionaire Liyuan with an insane amount of money at stake. The end result makes for a tense and intelligent pay-off that you’d expect from any decent hustle and con film.

Leaving the football final a great deal richer, Nicky has decided that Jess is getting far too close to him for comfort, so promptly breaks their relationship off, citing that she had done the job and done it well. This is where my criticisms of the film begin to creep in…

Three years later, we find Nicky reunited with Jess once again in Buenos Aires during a large scale scam involving a billionaire international race car owner. As I noted above, I believe this is where the film starts to fall down as it begins to tail downhill somewhat. Focus goes from being a hustle flick to a full-on romance film without any sort of transition. It is a bizarre change of tone and direction, with the only consistency being the comedic elements and even those are few and far between. On a brighter note, this does introduce us to the  blunt, dry-witted and, despite his loathing of the term, sarcastic Ownes, played impressively by Gerald McRaney. The way McRaney plays Ownes is reminiscent of Mike from smash hit series Breaking Bad, and is a welcome addition to the film.

Focus then undergoes yet another tone change for its final act, becoming rather serious and gritty before transforming unpredictably into a plain old comedy. As with the earlier hustle to romance transition, it comes out of the blue and just makes for an inconsistent film. Jess really comes into her own in this final act, however, and Margot Robbie is brilliant throughout. I will be the first to admit that the trailer and early parts of the film gave off the impression that Robbie just plays Naomi, her character from the excellent The Wolf of Wall Street but fortunately Robbie brings a different take to the role and the script provides Jess with a satisfying closure of the character by staging a con of her own, thus throwing Nicky off his game.

The film as a whole is smart, slick and I cannot fault it for entertainment value. Smith and Robbie are great throughout and are aided by a strong supporting cast. Focus marks the first collaboration between the two leads, but not the last; they are due to appear together in DC’s Suicide Squad sometime in 2017.

Unfortunately, Focus' shifting tone and emphasis means the film doesn't really go anywhere and comes off as a series of scenes without much of a link. The hustle and romance sections of the film are good, and the former is certainly the highlight, but I would have appreciated some consistency, rather than three distinct acts, jumping from one tone to another.

Focus is entertaining enough, but ultimately, and please do forgive the pun, suffers from a lack of focus.





24 February 2015

TV: Broadchurch 2.8 (Newsom)



review by Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog)

To the final episode then. Have we been here before, with the end of the previous series? It certainly has some things in common.

For starters, happily, it explains everything. The Sandbrook case is satisfyingly put to rest, with the actual events well told using flashbacks. There’s a grim sense of foreboding and the actual events feel nasty. The direction and music (especially, I’d imagine) make this as beautifully dangerous as it is compelling, with everything falling into place.

I was impressed with the explanation - a double murder, if that’s not spoiling things I hope - and it’s solid enough to hang a series on. However the cluing throughout the series has been pretty scattershot. It would have been far more fun to watch if there was a definite shape of the events before rather than lots of tiny hints, especially with being on telly rather than written on the page. Unlike the first series, there’s a very small range of suspects so I think there should have been more half-answers and actually piecing it all together (here, Hardy just badgers the suspects for two years until one of them cracks!). But that’s the way with these things: it’s about the feeling when you finally see the past events on screen, rather than a murder mystery style twist. But it explains everything really, including a reason for everyone’s reluctance to actually tell the truth! Clever - but I’d have appreciated it more if they’d drawn attention to it, and damn any armchair sleuths piecing it together after hours.

The second thing that made me think of Series One was that the answer to the big question was revealed - in this case, Joe Miller’s verdict - to make way for scenes showing the impact on the characters. This village storyline doesn’t quite go where you thought it would - there are lots of twists in this hour. But it feels played down a bit, especially the final ‘undramatic’ twist (not that I was expecting another murder mystery to be set up!). And of course, it’s overshadowed by the Sandbrook case. Disappointing or trying to be realistic? 

Actually I wouldn’t say this final episode is unsatisfying - we get answers and closure in this episode, which unfolds in a great way. The third thing that’s similar to last time is the very, very final ending. Everything’s wrapped up, everybody’s happy... so of course they’re making another series!

This must be the only show where you don’t want it to continue, eh? I’m sure it’ll be very watchable, whatever they have planned.





many thanks to
Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog)

20 February 2015

TV: Banana v


Conversely to our other reviewer, Tom Newsom, I felt curiously unmoved by this week's episode of Banana despite it theoretically being more relatable for me. Law student Josh (Luke Newberry) returns home from Manchester to the sleepy countryside where he grew up for his oldest friend Sophie's wedding, but when he meets the groom, he's less than thrilled. Both of these two central characters are only eighteen, so it does seem a little soon for two especially hedonistic characters to want to settle down. 

Despite what Sophie thinks, there is a lot of evidence, even in this episode, that she is impulsive. To name just two instances, she hired the car at Josh's expense without asking, and she doesn't want to get married just as quickly as she did want to get married.

Josh and Sophie never really seemed to hook me in. Their relationship is appreciable and engaging enough, but there's nothing that really excites me, including the arguments. Don't get me wrong, I can still tell it's quality drama, I just wasn't noticeably moved by it. After the high drama of Cucumber, coming to this breezy, sun-filled episode jars a little. One of the themes of the two series is that love is everywhere, and it's nice to have a break from the usual rough structure to show its extent, and how it's not always experienced in a romantic sense.

One of the strengths of Russell T Davies' writing is that actions have consequences. This episode of Banana is pretty carefree, and so goes against the series' tone a little. However, I can appreciate the strength of the writing. Matthew Barry, fresh from helming the Death in Paradise finale, skips channels and genres without too many hiccups. I like that none of the five episodes so far have put a definite end on their stories. Josh and Sophie's is left more ambiguous than most though, as they sit in a lay-by, eating burgers. Rather than the all-encompassing pool of emotion the closing seconds usually dive into, we end on a single, admittedly amusing, line from Josh.

I can't put my finger on what it was that didn't work for me about this episode. Luke Snellin shot the whole thing in a lovely light,  one that Barry Shitpeas would probably label 'Instagrammy'. Ben Foster's music again strikes a chord, punctuating the action perfectly. There's undoubted quality being piled into this series, it just seems that this episode dropped the ball momentarily for me. Still one of the best things on telly at the moment though.


TV: Cucumber v


As funny as Cucumber is - whether its characters realise it or not - it seems to be edging more and more towards a tragedy, in the classical sense, with every episode. The two main characters - Henry and Lance - are forcing their lives to be increasingly separate, even though clearly neither of them really want it. Of the pair, though, it is ironic that Henry, who was initially the one less keen to settle down, is now missing his partner far more than he is missed.

And Henry can't do wrong for right, either. His little foray into internet videos has left his relationship with his sister burned and his mugs smashed. The scene between Cleo and her brother in her kitchen is one of those great Russell T Davies moments of delivering something completely credible, but completely unexpected as she recounts trauma her daughter has gone through as a direct result of his attempted money-spinner. It's just as well Cleo intervenes and shuts the whole thing down when she does, to be honest, as it seems to be spiralling out of hand. More and more boys are showing up to be in the videos, and they're beginning to question why they need Henry. Indirectly, she's saved his bacon.

Speaking of which, Lance's chances of hooking up with Daniel seem to be improving. After spending a very private evening together, the latter's sexuality is surely being called into question. As Anjli Mohindra's Ronnie Chandra (very original!) posits, it does seem likely that Daniel is at least bisexual, but doesn't know it. I'm sure that realising you're gay is one of the biggest moments of your life, and Banana isn't quite long enough to show us that journey. Taking place over a few months, Cucumber provides the right kind of scale, and how interesting to see a man in his thirties undergo that journey. He clearly enjoys his time with Lance, but the confusion in his mind is just as clearly distressing, leading to certain scenes across the series of him refusing to interact with Lance, deciding it's easier to shut it out. 

I continue to be amazed by the production values of this series, too. I don't know whose idea it was, but the imagery of Henry in the forest is stunning, visually and metaphorically. One of the things I've loved about this show since the beginning is how bold it is, and this episode is no different. I love the little supermarket cutaways at the start of each instalment, and the way Alice Troughton shoots her little expansion, which is neatly referenced at the climax of Lance and Henry's lengthy cafe scene, is superb.

Vincent Franklin is once again staggeringly good as Henry, with his strongest scenes being the two handers with Cleo (Julie Hesmondhalgh) and Lance (Cyril Nri), especially that which closes this episode. The shot as his world finally collapses entirely is quite harrowing. No imagination is demanded of the viewer, Franklin puts it all on display. It's clear now that this was merely a phase for Henry, and he did want to move back home. He's blown his chance though, and has to deal with the consequences of his actions - another sophisticated element of Davies' writing. I can't wait to see where this goes next, but I get the distinct feeling something big's just around the corner...


TV: Cucumber iv


Russell T Davies clearly has a very specific vision for this show, and I for one am totally excited about it. Average writers might try to make their stories bigger by building them around cataclysmic external events, but Davies is such a master of his trade that he knows that from a character perspective, the more satisfying option is to explore the things that matter to everyone - namely the first date.

And so this episode concerns itself for the most part, as the first in the series did, with a single night. We follow Henry, Lance, Cleo, Freddie and Dean as they all go on their separate Saturday evenings/Sunday mornings. These are as varied and amusing as you'd expect from a mind as unconventional as Davies'. Even though some of these evenings may seem 'normal' (Freddie, for example, goes for dinner with a girl before taking her home) but it's the personal journeys all our leads go on that makes this so good.

Henry meets with the date arranged for him by Freddie, and it goes very well. Rupert - the date - is very keen to consummate the relationship instantly, but we know from the last couple of episodes that Henry is nowhere near as eager. Instead, he gets him hammered and they go for a takeaway. At a diner, we get one of the most Russell T Davies scenes imaginable, as Henry and Leigh (a friend of Rupert's friend, who happens to show up) discuss the minutiae of their respective relationships in a cafe. An ordinary cafe. Any cafe. They of course end up in Henry's bed, and it's really nice just to see him having fun for once, after all the stress he's usually under. Vincent Franklin is again amazing, and his acting really is all in the eyes. I noticed this first last episode, when he was watching Adam and Tomas, but it's unmissable here.

Lance goes out with a work colleague, but his love for Henry gets the better of him and prevents him from sleeping with them. In a cab home, he phones Daniel, who ends up inviting him over. There's a very brief shot, but it sums up Davies' writing for me. In interviews, he always mentions that life's about the little things that change your future forever. As he notes, he even wrote an entire Doctor Who story about it (Turn Left fact fans). And sure enough, stopped at a t-junction, Lance makes the decision and the cab goes right instead of left. He ends up staying the night at Daniel's, but nothing happens. I like the sly role reversal of the series - while Lance is apparently the one completely up for it to start with, by this point it's Henry who's off having fun with another man. I expect to see more of this before the series is out.

Cleo meets up with an old friend, Brian, for dinner. But as it turns out, they have more than that planned for the night. Even though Brian's engaged, there's clearly history there, but this isn't as simple as cheating. Cleo just wants a man, after all the trauma she's gone through, and he's willing to give it to her once to help her out. She changes her mind though, wanting to wait for the right man who she can be in a proper relationship with. And Freddie learns that there are other people as open-minded as him, and in Anna he's found someone who he might be happy with. After half a series of being portrayed as the ladies' and gentlemen's man, it's nice to see him attempt to settle down a little, no matter how much he's worried about it.

Dean has possibly the strangest storyline in this episode. Apparently kidnapped, he's soon taken to a house out in the country. It turns out his kidnappers are another couple, and making them big burly blokes called Clive and Boris made me hoot. It's lovely to see things turning a corner at the halfway point of the series, but it's equally a tragedy that we're already halfway through. I know Davies has '80s AIDS drama The Boys coming in the future, but after that I'd love a return to the lives of Henry and co.

While this episode sports a great wealth of talent (including Bethany Black, who I know features prominently in this week's Banana), both in front and behind the camera - Murray Gold and Alice Troughton both contribute massively to this - the relationship between Vincent Franklin's acting and Russell's writing is just magic. Each enhances the other, and as such Henry is my favourite TV character for a long time. This really is the perfect series. I can't wait to see where all our characters are taken next.


TV: Cucumber/Banana/Tofu v


reviews by Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog)

Henry is lost in the wilderness. It’s a fab visual concept to bookend the episode with - a wrong turn leading Henry through the trees instead of that same supermarket. But it’s not just a fancy image, there’s a narrative theme: he’s lost the house, the job, the boyfriend and control over the rest of his life. Even Murray Gold’s music is increasingly offbeat and odd (very different to his usual orchestra style of Doctor Who and The Musketeers - and very good!)

Essentially this is the comedown from last week’s one mad night. The mundane, more realistic romantic encounters where the hope has slightly dimmed: Freddie and Henry was rarely going to spark, even if he enjoys it, whilst Daniel and Lance has turned into something cautious, another power imbalance. Daniel in particular is probably an insane character on the page but played so well (played straight!). Casting all round is a dream.

The standout scene this time is Lance and Henry at the end of the episode - a little like the end of episode 2, but everything has changed. Over coffee and Henry’s attempts to express his thoughts, the conversation shifts so fluidly, with subtle points scored over the other. So much is going on in their faces - it’s an acting tour de force.

And Cleo! Oh, Cleo. The moment where she tells Henry about her daughter and the unintended consequences is electrifying and the right kind of unexpected. And all this dovetails into Russell T Davies’s short spinoff, a scene they’ve filmed between Cleo and her son available online. It’s called Screwdriver - it’s heartfelt, scary and surprisingly close to the mark. It merits a place on TV - but online there’s a chance it’s seen by more people.



Banana is a bit plotless, but oh very satisfying.

I fully understand that this could be personal. The world that’s depicted here is one that I recognise more than the others (not that I empathise with the characters any more, but the actual world - the tech, the language, the relationships). I felt engaged in it too - the plot is thin, yes, but it has a clear view and a message. The ‘old vs young’ theme carries over from Cucumber, along with some of the big dramatic life changing decisions.

Luke Newberry (incredibly briefly popping up on the parent show) from the ace In the Flesh plays Josh, but the episode cleverly is more about Chloe Harris (The Village in particular) as bride-to-be Sophie. I’d watch a show with just the two of them, which is what this often feels like. And it all looks gorgeously sunny with a great soundtrack. Though I think that two scenes of characters wanking is probably enough for one night.


And to Tofu - which shouldn’t really be an ‘and’, it’s a breeze to watch. This fifth episode is sparky and cheeky as ever. Titled ‘Teenage Lust’, it’s a well edited, fast paced look at the first experiences of our interviewees.






many thanks to
Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog)

17 February 2015

TV: Broadchurch 2.7 (Newsom)



review by Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog) 

Penultimate episodes always kick up a gear, don’t they?

If anything this episode, there’s a new vigour to the whole episode, including the characters - well, Alec Hardy at least, as he (not so subtly) told Lee Ashworth. But also there’s some amazing camerawork this week, especially in the courtroom, where the big events and the big moments of tension are illustrated by swooping all over the place. It’s gorgeous and offsets the usual suspicious close-ups (still very impressive camerawork) that have become the series’s style.

The writer’s still kept some secrets back for a reveal in this episode - although I’m wondering with this drip-feed of secrets, how much will be revealed next week! Jocelyn and Maggie’s scenes were unexpected (if undermined for me by me wondering all these weeks how they knew each other, and whether I’d missed the fact they were sisters - I hadn’t). Mark Latimer’s plot continues with the sort-of-breakup with his wife continues to be a break from the norm, if not entirely gripping, and he’s definitely not helped by the defence seizing on him as a potential suspect. Lee and Claire come to blows again in a powerful, mad scene on the beach that must have been tough to film. And best of all story-wise, Alec and Ellie actually get round to interviewing a few other people and chasing up more leads about the Sandbrook case (although only one new person - what’s the betting he’s relevant?). If you’ve worked it all out yet then you’re far better at these things than I am, but I’m hoping the answer to it isn’t just one of the four main suspects that we keep seeing.

This episode, where things finally feel like they’re happening or just about to happen, is the best we’ve had in a while. I think overall the series - this one, not the last - is too long for this particular story. A six part series would have had more effect, less of a lull in the parts where there’s no investigation and no trial business. Which has been quite often, really...

The ending of this episode - seven episodes culmination remember! - will have you either have you howling or groaning depending if the magic has worn off yet - or both, as I did. Next time, then...





many thanks to
Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog)

13 February 2015

TV: Banana iv



It feels staggering that this story hasn't been done before. Transexual Helen is plagued by obsessive ex-boyfriend Eddie as she tries to move on with her life. He clearly feels some kind of entitlement and ownership over Helen. He might feel because she isn't 'ordinary' he feels that he is owed for treating her like she was. The dismissal of this idea is the concept at the heart of this episode of Banana, and I'm very pleased by this.

The first act concerns Eddie, Helen and potential new flame Ross. On Helen's birthday, Eddie shows up at her flat bearing a second-hand DVD and a whole heap of trouble. Later, he shows up at the restaurant where she works before gatecrashing her date with Ross, whose defiance is really heartwarming. Following a fight, Eddie posts a sex tape of him and Helen online. 

The second act is an entirely different beast and features only Helen and her parents and brother. It's no wornder newcomer Charlie Covell was commissioned for two episodes of this series. In half an hour, she encapsulates twenty-first century values as they should be. Helen's parents are without judgement and there are some particularly touching conversations between our lead and various family members. The chaos as the tape spreads is tense and palpable thanks to Lewis Arnold's strong direction, in what I believe is his last episode of the series. He's helmed the first half of Banana, and given it its own identity, whilst linking closely to the parent series.

Bethany Black is superb in the role of Helen, and it's shocking that this is the first time a transexual person has played a transexual character on British television. It's right that Russell T Davies be there at this landmark though. Hopefully more light will be shone on such characters in future, without giving it such prominence that it smacks of trying to be 'different'. I can't begin to understand the trauma people must go through in this situation, but Covell's writing and Black's performance successfully convey its enormity.

When it comes down to it, the plot at the heart of the episode has nothing to do with Helen (formerly Ken)'s gender though. It's just a heartwarming tale of a family pulling together. I look forward to Covell's next episode greatly. There's some neat little tricks in this script, such as the ongoing passive-aggressive feud between Helen and slack waitress Grace, that complete the realism of the piece and give it immeasurable depth. There's some really strong performances too - Dean Andrews and Christine Mackie as Helen's parents spring to mind. Another incredibly strong episode, and it seems that Cucumber and Banana really can do no wrong by me.





TV: Cucumber/Banana/Tofu iv


reviews by Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog)


Stand down other TV shows - you’d be hard pressed to beat this. For an episode halfway through a drama, with a delicious concept, this is bold and ever so interesting. This episode could only come from Cucumber: four (or five) stories, all about the characters, also all about sex at the same time. It’s often outrageous as you might expect, but tinged with melancholy and humanity.

The premise is our main characters going on individual dates over the course of one night, with the episode cutting between them. It’s the fourth episode, we know and care about them now, but half of the date is a new character we haven’t met before. And since the whole episode is set on the one night, it feels self contained and accessible almost as a jumping-on point for viewers.

So, to the dates. Some are, as you’d expect, disastrous. The rest are even more so. In other shows, we might be in danger of repeating ourselves but not here - characters get pushed further out of their comfort zones, especially Henry here on his date with the lively, ‘nice’ Rufus Hound (who’s never not convincing).

It feels less like a collection of individual stories and much more like a whole - helped by some clever intercutting at the start - notably set to ‘Some Nights’ by Fun, nicely chosen - I said it’s about sex - both gay and straight, both doing it and not being able do it - and that’s reflected by the dinner part of the dates being quite short and suitably mad! But each has questions with no easy answers. Cleo’s situation (remarkably real ‘backstory’ for a character in a telly drama), relationships like Freddie’s and how it reflects on him, how Lance is affected by his relationship with Henry too, and where Henry wants to go from here. But it balances all this with a lot of light relief - in all the stories, but especially Dean’s.

As a standout highlight, the cafe scene halfway through, with Henry almost giving a monologue, is so so good. Not only is it very funny and true, it felt to me very close to the writer’s voice, if I can guess at that. Certainly it underlines more of the themes of the series, which is determined to get under Henry’s skin.




Some people - I hope you’re watching both of these shows - are preferring Banana to the parent series, which is fine. They’re both great telly, and Banana offers the closure every week that you get with an anthology rather than something continuing over eight weeks. Shorter stories can be much sweeter.

This nicely links in with Cucumber, even having its own disastrous date. Main character Helen is a brilliant focus for the events that follow - former goth Bethany Black is so good in the role, likeable and strong willed. That said, the whole thing is pretty much stolen near the end by her mum, played by Christine Mackie, showing you where she gets it from. Both the characters and the plot are gripping, with the production full of neat touches, making this a really well rounded, classy episode of the series.

I said before that this is the first proper trans representation in a drama, in 2015. But now the episode has come around, it doesn’t feel worth mentioning. It’s a drama that has its cake and eats it, with both not making it central to the drama (this horrible act could have happened to anyone, though Helen’s more affected than some), but still very much touching on ‘issues’ - in a positive light. It’s representation without needing it stated all the time. You wouldn’t want some of these scenes - family acceptance ones - all the time, certainly if they weren’t as well written as they were in this. But there’s still such a need for these stories to be even mentioned at all on TV, let alone foregrounded like this.



And this week’s Tofu goes a bit serious (more serious) and tackles a big subject: everything to do with coming out. Its tone is incredibly fresh, it’s built around somebody going through it, and the overall documentary is probably one of the best things there is on the subject.

The surprising thing for me that I’d never considered, was that many young people now have grown up with Youtube, which is quite scary and quite wonderful when you consider all the possibilities for self expression that’s been out there for the last eight to ten years. Although actually the most surprising thing about this was that Fisayo Akinade is 27! 





many thanks to
Tom Newsom (Twitter | Flickr | Blog)