The Thick of It

[argumentativefeminist]

Please tell me theres other people out there also still overly invested in TTOI who want to swap theories/swear a lot/discuss trivia? 🤞🤞

bychoice As far as I know, we never see Malcolm drink alcohol, even when everyone else is. He conspicuously has a Red Bull in stressful situations. He does have whiskey and wine in his office and house, but it seems to be for other people. Lots of people think that the man who comes to his house after he's been fired to ask if he wants to do Children in Need or write The Angry Spider could be his AA mentor, Peter himself started this theory so there might have been more to it in the original script. Also Malcoms "you will become a host to this parasitic job" speech to Ollie has a lot of very specific detail which could suggest a past battle with substance abuse. We'll obviously never know and I'm wary of minimising peoples real life struggles when talking about fictional characters on this way, but I do think it's so interesting how TTOI deals with mental health/gender in politics/race whilst also being absolutely hilarious and not seeming that serious most of the time.

Talith I think of that line everytime I find myself staring at some nonsense politics essay I'm trying to write late into the night 😂

I wondered if that man who comes to his house is Malcolm's partner.

They definitely don't shy away from things but always (IMO) strike the balance... when they dealt with Mr Tick-el and his mental health issues as well as the issue of housing etc., it always seemed to be with empathy for the 'civilians' and showing how despicable the politicos were in their treatment of him.

Interested in thoughts on this. In series 4, episode 2, when Malcolm and Ollie are in the cafe (before they have the epic Star Wars moment; my fave!), Malcolm states his desire to get the party back into power so they can help people. It’s a sort of rushed sentiment, but I honestly wonder if he doesn’t mean that. I mean saying you want your party in government so you can help people, it’s got to be one of the oldest lines in the book, surely… if you are at a press conference, or speaking to journos. But at this moment, Ollie is the only one Malcolm is talking to, and Malcolm has always been open within the party about his Malchiavellian-ness and whatnot. Plus, Ollie is not someone that is going to be appalled if Malcolm said he wanted power solely for power’s sake, so Malcolm would have no need to throw those lines in there for his benefit. So I am coming round to thinking that Malcolm actually does want to be able to see real positive change happening for the country, even if that is not his main focus, it’s still there somewhere in his icy heart.

Could be Talith! I wish we knew more about Malcolms home life.

I think being in power to enable positive change is definitely one of Malcolms motivations bychoice, we just don't see it very often! I agree that he could have just admitted to Ollie that he wants the power - just before this line is his rant to Nicola about how she doesnt have any fire in her eyes and she needs to be hungrier for power - but I think what he actually means is that she needs to grab more power in order to actually enact the social mobility policies she's always wanted to do. I think he likes her ideas, but the delivery of them with Nicola is just too slow and wishy washy.

Definitely, he speaks about his loyalty to his party and I think that's there at the core, it's just that some members of his party are 'fucking useless'!

I always thought that the 'Angry Spider' guy (brilliant book title, by the way, I can see the writers having a lot of fun coming up with the ideas for Malcolm post-resignation) was the same one who was with him when he was arrested and read the statement at the end for the cameras. I am probably wrong here, will go and re-look, but I think I always assumed that.

I think the guy at the end is his lawyer. I think he says to Sam (? could be wrong on that) get me so-and-so on the phone, when he knows it's all going tits up.

Don't think it is bychoice, SpideyGuy is kinda ginger blonde I think and the statement guy is dark haired and looks a little different but it is pretty close! I hardly ever watch the end episodes so don't quote me either 😂

Was just thinking - Malcom is immensely loyal to his party, Jamie is immensely loyal to people? At the beginning of Rise of the Nutters, he implies that Malcolm is turning Nutter, to which Malc replies "yeah, like you've never thought of that" 🙄

And Jamie says something like "nah. That's how they get you, all that logic, reason, talking...". He's being blindly loyal to the current PM on an emotional rather than a rational level, then gets stuck with Cliff as his awful alternative when it all goes to shit, and thankfully eventually ends up still being "in the loop" when it turns out that none of his options worked out. Malcolm seems like the smarter one and the more in control one in this episode, and it maybe highlights a difference between Malcolm being in it for the good of the party and the people, and Jamie having slightly more egotistical motivations. Just thought it was interesting how they're both so similar and yet also subtly so different! It brings a new level to their fractious but loving relationship I think 😂

You are right I'm sure... to be honest I'm a little distracted from everyone else onscreen when there is Malcolm up there! Plus I find those last couple of episodes so sad to watch so tend to now see them as often as the others.

I think that's some very good analysis of The Sweary Scots and their loyalties there too. And I think despite their bust ups, Malcolm still knows he has Jamie's loyalty, like when he calls him to arms in Spinner and Losers.

That moment in Spinners and Losers when Jamie bursts in and accuses Julius of being the leak, I’m honestly never sure which of the Caledonian Mafia Bosses I find scarier; Jamie is on fine form with his shouting, swearing and jump leads, but then there’s that one terrifying shot of Malcolm just sat there silently with THAT look on his face, glaring at Julius. It’s chilling! And then cue the food fight.

*Not, not now!

Eat the prawn Nicholson!! 😂😂 I find Malcolm scarier personally - I feel like I could hold my own against Jamie because it's mostly sweary shouting - whereas Malcolm just does this look where it's clear immediately that he could ruin the rest of your life irreversibly 😳

Loved the quiet batpeople scene from TTOI . Just heard about and started watching the American spin off 'Veep' (written by Armando Iannucci and I think Chris Addison and a few TTOI people had a hand in it). Obviously there's no character to rival Malcolm Tucker, but it still has some great sweary humour and similar parallels with current American politics.

Quiet Batpeople!!

I've not seen VEEP, but am fairly tempted. I downloaded In The Loop on iTunes yesterday, so have got that gem still to come. I know people are a little iffy about it, but it's more Malcolm for me, so I'm happy!

argumentative You are very right, the quiet fury of Malcolm is much more sinister and scary in the long run, although Jamie when he calls Terri and tells her he has gaffer tape in his boot and will kidnap her if necessary... somehow I totally believe him.

bychoice I always presumed the gaffer tape and balaclava in Jamie's boot, whilst useful for kidnapping threats, might have also been for some of his more unorthodox personal encounters 😳😏 he just always seemed the type to me! And him and Malcolm have a fair amount of slightly darker sexual banter 😂

Enjoy In The Loop though! I don't love it but Malcolms as good as ever.

I can well imagine that of Jamie. He's a resourceful man, no need to double up on equipment then!

I'm making my way through the DVD set I got the other day, and loving the extras. On the Spinners and Losers deleted scenes, there's a fab moment between Peter/Malcolm and Paul/Jamie, ending with them both breaking into laughs after Malcolm talks Jamie down and they both become extra Scottish.

Malcolm is based on Alastair Campbell who is a recovered alcoholic (and self-confessed "dry drunk") so I'm sure that's right.

I've only watched clips of in the loop, but I love it when Jamie smashes the fax machine and shouts IT'S JUST VOWELS (at the opera). SUBSIDISED FUCKING VOWELS!!

Also yes Malcolm is hot. I love it in series 4 when he wears that Armani coat and puts his glasses on in the Remembrance Sunday episode.

Also "it's not a baby horse, it's a fuckin foal!"

I love that they still argue and swear about the most pointless of things.

Also yes Malcolm is hot. I love it in series 4 when he wears that Armani coat and puts his glasses on in the Remembrance Sunday episode. You and me both! The tux too, is a particularly nice look.

The way they get fixated on the foal vs. pony thing always makes me laugh. I sort of hope that in the real world of politics, they get het up about such silly things too.

I just saw the Opposition Extra bit on the DVD, with the short episode focused on what Peter, Emma, Phil and Stuart got up to the night of the PM's resignation, and I was delighted to see Ollie turn up trumps in his wild cheese hunt that Malcolm sent him on!

Just re-watched the brain in crisp packets episode, love it so much. Does anyone else think that the whole Terri being useless thing is a running joke? She's actually the only one who really seems to understand what's going on- she's always warning them that their ideas are completely mad and she's always right! Her rant at Malcolm was bang on and needed saying, he'd been getting more and more erratic through the series and in that episode was getting pretty much everything wrong. Another top quote also- 'it's like the Shawshank Redemption, but with more tunnelling through shit and no fucking redemption.'

I felt so much for Malcolm there, but the first time I watched it, I was fully expecting him to bollock her like crazy for speaking up in front of everyone. She was absolutely right, and I love how he just finally spilled to her... although again the first time I saw it, I kept thinking 'any minute now, he's gonna blow!'

Love her little offer of a hug at the end too

I think she's pretty good at her job, she just doesn't want to be, and certainly by series 4 she's just desperate to be made redundant so she can start living her life.

Bless baby burnout Malc. I do feel for him. I wish I could just give him a big cuddle.

You're right about Terri though! She is good at what she does, she just wants to have a tea room instead 😂 I noticed today the sincere look of respect for Malcolm on Terris face when Nicola says to Malcom "I'll do whatever you want from now on because you know what you're talking about" in the Marianne/on and off the record/immigration fuckup episode. I love that there's something totally new to spot every time!

That's it, I mean despite everything, Malcolm's (usually) very good at his job - and when he makes mistakes, like in that one episode, it shows, so much so that Terri herself does her job as well as she knows how, and steps in. I hope she eventually managed to get her beloved tea room.

Conference episode - are we supposing that the bathroom Malcolm and John have their heated discussion in ("this is no good for pacing!") is Malcolms room? It seems to have a fair amount of what looks like ladies toiletries... and he calls Sam to tell her to sort out the health stats cock up? Is it inconceivable she could be there? 😏

Oooh good theory!

I like that theory a lot ;)

Listening to the commentary on one of the series 3 episodes, and one of the writers talks about how it is the (at least at that point) sweariest bit of TV ever broadcast, averaging one ‘fuck’ every 12 seconds or something; 140 in 30 minutes. They then go on to say that part of the reason is that there is a lot more Malcolm in this series (I knew it was my fave for a reason!) and Peter has so many more lines to learn, therefore he uses ‘fuck’ as a placeholder or stopgap so he can recall the rest of his massive speech!

That's so interesting bychoice! I'm always in awe of how he remembers the absolutely unique random Malcolm swearing that they make up 😂

Still laughing from earlier at "Indiana Murray and the bum dildo of vengeance."