Would anyone like to talk to me about Mum (Lesley Manville)? *Spoilers*

[Sunsetsandcocktails]

I just finished watching it for the first time (was actually a recommendation on MN for a gentle easy to watch programme).

I actually really liked it but I don’t know why!! For example:

-the son (Jason) was a horrible, selfish, annoying knobhead
-the girlfriend (Kelly) wasn’t much better. She had her moments and seemed to develop a little bit of empathy for others but the constant screaming of Jason or Cathy’s names made my teeth itch and her ruining all the stuff in Cathy’s house annoyed me
-the brother (derek) was clearly supposed to be the funny one but just…wasn’t
-his gf (Pauline) was bloody awful and I didn’t understand where her story was going. Meeting up with her ex, being vile to derek and everyone else. I thought she was going to redeem herself when she asked derek if she was a horrible person and he didn’t answer, finally making her see the light etc. but if anything her behaviour got worse in the last episode!
-the grandparents were also I assume supposed to be providing light relief but I just found them a bit nasty, especially when Cathy was trying to explain about Michael and the grandma just sat there and ignored her

So yeah all of that bugged me but like I say I really liked it haha! Just wanted to see what other people thought about it and if anyone has any recommendations for similar ‘gentle’ shows?

Delightful programme. I’ve watched it 3 times. The timing is masterful.its the kind of programme I would like to do a phd on. Every scene has 7 or 8 different things going on which makes it masterful.

I agree with that, aside from the OTT characters I thought it was very clever how they made it so relatable and realistic, in the same way the royle family was and obviously Lesley Manville is a fantastic actress.

I just wished she’d have given them a piece of her mind at some point - I think that is what was missing for me!

The first 2 series were charming but I felt series 3 spoilt everything (its been a while - there were 3 series, weren't there?).

The son was so nasty to Michael and it seemed he was taking after his late father. In an earlier series, the grandparents were reminiscing about their son then they fell silent and their loss was etched on their faces. Their silence said more than any words. Very moving and you felt that their son had been a great guy.

And the brother's girlfriend was so unspeakably cruel to the brother, it was really uncomfortable to watch.

I was glad when it finished and took no joy from watching Lesley M and Michael head off for a bonk with a bottle of wine because Series 3 was just ... unpleasant.

Edited because I wrote Peter when I meant Michael!

I don’t think derek was supposed to be funny? He was insecure and tried to crack jokes and to please everyone around him. He believed Pauline’s story that she was too good for him.

@BeatriceBatchelor yeah i know what you mean, I was hoping everything would be wrapped up but it just reminded me how awful all the characters were except for Cathy and Michael. I think I just wanted her to stand up for him or something.

And yes @Puygo you are totally right, he wasn’t meant to be funny was he. He was just acting daft cos of his insecurity.

Pauline was so horrible to him I wondered why it was described as a comedy drama as I don’t remember many funny bits!

I absolutely loved Mum. There was a wonderful long-running thread about it on here that started in anticipation of the third series. It was all so gentle and perfectly timed. I do think Pauline was redeemed to a degree - I forget the details but there are some visitors with a horrible rude teenage daughter who gets in a mess with something (sewing?) and there's just a very brief moment of Pauline quietly sitting and putting it right for her.

I want to watch it all again now, especially the first two series.

It's been a while since I watched it but I agree - it's frustrating to watch.

This is one of my favourite ever series. I've watched it about 3 times now. I think Cathy did stick up for herself in the very last episode. It was a very quick, over in a flash moment, but was perfect. Pauline was bossing her and she very quietly, but firmly replied 'go fuck yourself'. Pauline's face is a picture. It was over in a few seconds, but perfect timing.

That was Derek’s daughter I think.

There was a scene in the final episode too where Cathy told her to go fuck herself (or words to that effect) and she came back, after thinking for a moment, with something like ‘very good’.

I've just found the old threads, here and here, and now I desperately want to watch it all again. I'd forgotten about the one-line love story that was Reg to Maureen - 'I'll get you up the stairs.'

Oh thank you @spiderlight i will have a read through those!

Watched it twice. Thought it was wonderful!

I don't think Derek was supposed to be funny.

I think he knew Pauline was insecure and felt like she wasn't good enough for him because her ex husband had dumped her and left her humiliated.

I didn’t think Jason and Kelly were selfish so much as just very dim and in need of a lot of guidance. And Pauline is awful but there’s a certain sadness to it which means I didn’t hate her.

might rewatch.