Half Man - on BBCiPlayer from the 24th

[fundamentallyauthentic]

Anyone else looking forward to seeing this new show from the writer and star of Baby Reindeer that begins tomorrow?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002j18t/half-man?seriesId=trailers

The six episodes in the series will be dropped weekly from tomorrow morning at 6.00 on iPlayer and will be broadcast on BBC1 the following Tuesday at 22.40. I want to be clear that this thread is for people who won't be waiting to watch when it's broadcast. So, this is the spoiler thread, and it's OK to talk about what we've seen as soon as it's been shown on iPlayer!

I like the Billy Elliot/Bernie Taupin actor

Yes , very much so

Enjoyed Baby Reindeer which was also written by and starred Richard Gadd .

This should equally powerful and compelling .

Bump for tomorrow.

Thought the first episode was enthralling, uncomfortable and brilliantly acted. I’m annoyed though I can’t binge the series.

Really looking forward to this. Absolutely loved Baby Reindeer and found it fascinating. Actually quite glad it's dropping once a week - I don't think Richard Gadd's material is designed to be binged, and it probably isn't a great idea anyway, for the sake of your health!

Also watched the first episode today and liked it a lot. Uncomfortable though!

I started it and have had to pause it. It’s bloody bleak so I’ll have to watch it in chunks I think.

I'm waiting to binge.

I thought it was great but no idea on the plot yet !

Just finished episode one. It's a lot!

Very dark, very bleak, really well acted. I'm intrigued to see what comes next, and quite relieved that bingeing isn't possible because I think it would be too much to take

I absolutely hated it. What’s the message from Ep1? Two mums are even worse than one? I think Lucy Mangan with her five star Guardian review must have lost her mind. IMHO this piece nails it.

https://www.thenerve.news/p/half-man-tv-column-richard-gadd-baby-reindeer-toxic-masculinity-julia-raeside?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZnRzaARZSi5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAadY9CRd_JaX8suuyQTZA_DBE_FqkemQRE3UaAeBEXOXSg4aNQpAtOMRLa2wuA_aem_cwWlNp8VvPeRYAR23QsoIA

Misery porn set in a world where women exist as B characters. Watched the first one, can't be bothered with the rest.

Completely concur. Yes that review was spot on, and I also thought Lucy Mangan was way way off. I wondered if Richard Gadd actually gets off in some way on revealing a larger, intimating physique compared to a smaller,.more effeminate male character. His characters, both the one he played and the younger version, certainly seem driven to humiliate. I actually wondered at some point if Lucy Mangan also in some way enjoyed the portrayal of a man being humiliated.

Seeing ads I had the wrong impression on the tone of this series thus I gave it a go, and managed about 30 minutes.
Not enthralling, not thought provoking, not compelling. Just horrible.
I say it wasn't thought provoking, but I did give some thought to the type of person who watches this genre of utterly depressing pukish pish and actually enjoys it.

I don't know what to think. It was very disturbing. And I didn't really get it either

Is he going to kill him?

Seems like a vanity project to show off RG's muscles and weird thoughts

Yes, I get where you're coming from. I get the idea of two extremes of masculinity and each needing a lot more balance from the other, but I don't think it's well done here. I can't imagine how the next 4 episodes are going to be filled. It's SO heavy handed and Reuben is such a horrible character to spend time with

I thought episode 1 was quite impressive, if horrible. I thought episode 2 was really weak. The script was full of lines that were stagey and unreal, the two female flatmates were treated as a joke, and I'm pretty sure no one was talking about cortisol and pre-drinking in the 80s. None of it rang true

Richard Gadd was a guest on the How to Fail podcast this week. He was asked about his sexuality, and said the closest description he can think of is bisexuality, but came across as very much still working it all out

Yes he seems a disturbed individual to come up with this. After seeing his interviews promoting Baby Reindeer he seems thoroughly unlikeable imo.

The scene in the bedroom was surely sex abuse and it went on far too long.

Can't believe an violent ex con would be sent to a normal school, the bloke playing the part looked well into his 20s or even older.

Just grim disturbing crap. I won't watch ep 2.

I watched episode 2. I am now actually seriously wondering if Richard Gadd does actually enjoy making scenes of visceral violence. The appalling treatment of a female character, the apparent obsession with male genitals and erection,s, the assault on the Asian flatmate with multiple punches to the head, followed up by at least ten stamps to the head, blood flowing, any one of which could easily result in death in real life. The way in which Niall's brother seems to have this animal magnetic charisma, seemingly hinging on the hint of homicidal violence at any time. It is like a multiple episode love letter to male violence. I am even more concerned and baffled by Lucy Mangans judgement as well.

'the assault on the Asian flatmate with multiple punches to the head'

I couldn't watch that, had to turn away. It was truly sickening. And I get that it's part of the point of the show, but there is NO WAY that man would have had Niall anywhere in his life after that, let alone be marrying him years later. One of many ridiculous things about episode 2

Quite agree. There is something.about the writing and directing that suggests a thinly veiled regard for a wild, unbridled male violence. The way the violent brother exerts dominance over the flatmate with the handshake, the way they try and make you think he is always on the verge of exploding into violence. The spitting in the face of a woman he has sexually rejected after teasing and grabbing her. The portrayal of learning and betterment as effete and middle class, and of violence and criminality as authentic and working class.
The verbal abuse and denigration of Niall even by his own mother "you don't have the legs for it" it is like relentless hard pornograhy of dominance, humiliation and abusive sexuality. I also noted they used the same shaking head with abandon from side to side technique here as when the black female classmate assaults Ryan in Adolescence. I think the writer snd producer have serious quesrioms to answer.

Surely if your attacker ended up gate crashing your wedding, you'd just phone the police?

I feel like the female characters haven't been fleshed out at all and are not convincing, especially Niall's mother. "Here's a shitty mug, son. Now, make friends and don't be weird. See ya!"

Is this series about the male condition in general? Or two gay men who want to be together? I'm really struggling to see the message. It's like dominate or be dominated. Is this a real-life issue for men today? I feel they have a position of privilege and power so it's hard to be understanding.

'Surely if your attacker ended up gate crashing your wedding, you'd just phone the police?'

Absolutely. Even if Niall is too codependent/ terrified to do it, Albie most definitely would have put his foot down and refused to get married in front of the man who kicked his face in

I think it's broadly about the male condition. They're both extreme ends of the spectrum. Niall is too shy, too scared, too ashamed and it's stopping him living a full life and becoming the person he wants to be. He could benefit from some of Reuben's assertiveness, self-assuredness and drive. Reuben however needs Niall's sensitivity, thoughtfulness and kindness because he's a violent, selfish, hateful monster. They're currently two halves of a functioning whole. Maybe

"I think it's broadly about the male condition. They're both extreme ends of the spectrum. Niall is too shy, too scared, too ashamed and it's stopping him living a full life and becoming the person he wants to be. He could benefit from some of Reuben's assertiveness, self-assuredness and drive. Reuben however needs Niall's sensitivity, thoughtfulness and kindness because he's a violent, selfish, hateful monster. They're currently two halves of a functioning whole. Maybe"

I kind of hate the way that being shy, scared and ashamed are painted as being in the opposite corner of a monster, it almost carries the implication they are as bad as their opposite pole. Nobody will be harmed by young Nialls personality traits, Reuben's damage all those around him. So far we know he has bitten off a man's nose, verbally abused a teacher with misogynistic undertones, got his girlfriend to have sex with a 15 year old Niall while he watches, violently assaulted an admitted despicable bully in his and Nialls class, been extremely rude to Nialls female flatmate, spat on her. There is a hint of possible further nefariousmess in the way the girl he spat on breaks down in class the next day too. Oh, and beat the Asian flatmate to a point where in real life he would almost certainly have died, for no good reason, all the time thoroughly revelling in the violence and the fear. There will be young boys watching this who might think "oh, he looks cool, maybe Im supposed to be like that". No doubt there'll be some deeper delving and reckoning in later episodes with Reubens trauma, but I really cannot escape the bleak thought that the creators actually admire, and want others to admire, the violence, the abuse, the head stamping.