It's a sin... [MNHQ Warning: contains spoilers]

[sandybeaches74]

Is it not the most moving tv series in a long time? I've sat here tonight wiping tears away and am not normally the overly emotional type...

Calling someone disgusting for a decision they made as much younger people 40 years ago and still feel bad about is harsh. They know now it was wrong to sling someone out like that.

Jill was their rock and as a straight woman she was kind of in the midst of it but at the same time on the sidelines.

It brought it all back into sharp focus for me. Just so sad that all those young lives were lost. Thank goodness that treatment and attitudes (generally) have progressed so much since then.

Colin's story was really sad. He had not been promiscuous at all (from what we saw). But the randomness of who became infected or not was what really struck and stayed with me. And the different attitudes of families - from Colin's very accepting mum to the 'stiffness' and denial of Ritchie's.

I'm with @Mookie81. That was an utterly appalling way to treat someone who was only seeking to relieve his pain (with a LEGAL painkiller), which they knew about. Imagine being brushed off by your doctor and then having your morality-police flatmates decide you couldn't find other means to relieve your pain. And I don't know where the rest of you are reading guilt and regret in thst post. The poster just presents it as a thing that happened.

It was paying homage to Dursley McLinden.

Only caught 2nd half of last episode, missed the others.
When was this ^^ bit?

I had a feeling Dursley was gay, but didn't know for sure. saw him in Remembrance of the Daleks.

What I saw of IAS, I found it very sad, but disturbing too, these guys knew there was a deadly disease going round yet they STILL had unprotected sex, and lots of it.

comparisons with covid deniers for sure.

Interesting though that RTD said only gay actors should play gay characters, yet Dursley was gay actor playing a straight role in Dr Who!

Does RTD not watch classic DR WHo?

posted too soon! And yy agree with the poster who said Steven Fry is a caricature. cant take him seriously as an actual character in this.

Only caught 2nd half of last episode, missed the others.
When was this ^^ bit?

Ritchie recreated one of his scenes in Dr Who.

Thanks Simon but what episode was it and is Richtie supposed to actually BE Dursley, based on him?

The Dr Who scene is in the last episode - just before he plucks up the courage to be tested and get the result (so when he finds out that HIV has tipped into full-blow AIDS. Someone doing his make-up on set remarks upon his skin looking funny.

@TinaTurnercorner - no Ritchie is in a 'made up' episode of Doctor Who, playing 'Trooper Linden' (or similar) as a tribute.

A question- when I’ve googled, it says this is a fictional story, so how come people sayvJill’s mum is played by the real Jill?

Just finished. Definitely couldn't binge this one, it was just too hard a watch.

Fantastic. What great acting and soul all round. It makes me so angry at what people went through.

@Honeyroar

A question- when I’ve googled, it says this is a fictional story, so how come people sayvJill’s mum is played by the real Jill?

Jill Baxter, the fictional character played by Lydia West, is inspired by the real person Jill Nalder.

I didn’t actually realise Jill Nalder played Jill’s mum! That’s cool.

Thanks DeusEx that explains it, and is cool!

The Jill question is discussed on Tuesday’s Womans Hour.

Thanks newmodel and ikboo.

Only a few pages in and haven't RTFT but I am a bit surprised that people thought Jill was one dimensional just because she didn't have a relationship? There are plenty of happy single people around who have strong friendships instead of sexual relationships.

Also agree on the points that this was the Mens' story - to delve into Jill's relationships would have been completely pointless and irrelevant. She devoted herself to her sick friends.

My 2p - thought it was a brilliant show. I'm not a crier by any means but definitely shed a few watching this.

@user1471543094

Only a few pages in and haven't RTFT but I am a bit surprised that people thought Jill was one dimensional just because she didn't have a relationship? There are plenty of happy single people around who have strong friendships instead of sexual relationships.

Also agree on the points that this was the Mens' story - to delve into Jill's relationships would have been completely pointless and irrelevant. She devoted herself to her sick friends.

My 2p - thought it was a brilliant show. I'm not a crier by any means but definitely shed a few watching this.

Exactly. I am a single straight woman and have not had a sexual relationship for many years. I have a lot of male friends, both gay and straight and very close female friendships. My friendships are so important to me and have proven to be more rewarding, fulfilling and interesting that most of my sexual relationships. Does this make me 2D?

@charliemay101 I find it such a strange observation in such a remarkable drama.
"But why didn't Jill have a sex life?!"
Perhaps she was rather distracted with all her friends dying of such a horrible illness!

I'm sure your friendships have outlasted many a marriage!

I think Gill was there to be the grounded one and the 'outsider' in some ways. It wouldn't have been the same if she'd been having rampant sex too. And maybe she so emotionally involved with her friends that was enough for her?

I hate to bring race into it but Jills parents were an interracial couple which is why I think they were so supportive of Jill and the protests they went to. Say Jill was born in early 70s, I can imagine Jills parents as an interracial couple had to deal with alot in that time, which is why they showed so much kindness and compassion in the fight in getting drugs for people infected with HIV.

You are probably right @Pippin2028. And similarly Colin's mum being open and accepting because of her own disabled (and also being discriminated against) status.

ok. So if Steven Fry was straight in this, what was the ''naughty nanny'' thing about,?

The dr Who bit- If Yazz 'the only way is up' was out in 1988/89, then DR who would have been Sylvester McCoy and the dalek story would have been ''remembrance''.

But the scene they showed with Richie as an extra, looked more like a scene in either a Peter Davison one, or a Colin Baker.

Confuing! What was Russel TD thinking?!

Thje actor playing Richie is very beautiful to look at isn't he.

The Dr Who scene was a homage to Dursley Linden.

Yes, Olly is.

I Know it was in homage, but it still annoyed me that the continuity was wrong! Took me away from the rest of the episode.

I'm so pedantic !

Was sad the bit where Richie did that bit of mime/ballet in front of the car. very moving.

But not sure what he meant when at the end of the episode he said ''I'm gonna live'', unless theres a twist in the story and he does survive?

Where people REALLY that promiscuous?

It was an entirely 'made up' episode of Dr Who, not meant to be the actual episode Linden Dursley was in. A nod, rather than a fixed point in time (wibbly wobbly timey wimey )