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The Fades: Episode 3 (God and Man Don't Believe in Modern Love)

“I grow wings when I ejaculate.”

Kids today, eh? They might have the good sense to use protection in the bedroom but they still don't look both ways while crossing the street.

Episode 3 shares a lot of the same problems as Episode 2. Everything is still moving along at a snail's pace. It has no story of its own and instead drifts back and forth between the various plot threads. Looking at the series as a whole, I think Jack Thorne only had four episodes of actual story material. But the BBC wanted six episodes, so he had to pad out the early episodes with a lot of filler.

Fortunately, after treading water for three weeks, we finally got a sense that things were starting to happen. There was more activity in the last ten minutes of this episode then there was in the last three. Helen ascended, turning into an flock of glowy birds, leaving Neil all alone to run things. At the same time, the Angelic killer (which, incidentally, sounds like a good name for a band) regenerated into the more buff form of Joseph Dempsie, the same man Paul has started seeing in his visions. And, finally, the biggest shock of all, Paul was run over by a lorry. You know, considering how fast that truck was going when it hit him, I would've expected him to be a lot more mangled than he was.

The rest of the episode dealt with Paul's relationships with Jay and Mac, his sort of girlfriend and his soul mate. Sweet as it was seeing Mac playing Cyrano to Paul's Christian, I'm just not convinced by the Paul/Jay romance. The relationship doesn't feel like it has develop naturally, you can always sense the writer pushing the two of them together in every scene.

Poor Mac. The recaps are still annoying, but I really feel for the guy. It helps that they dialled down the geek references this week. Having your parents forget your birthday is bad enough. But your best friend/soul mate forgetting as well is just crushing. I know you've got a lot on your plate lately, Paul, what with saving the world an' all. But that is still no excuse for being so neglectful.

Notes and Quotes

--Like many involved in the series, Joseph Dempsie previously worked on Skins, This Is England '86 and Doctor Who. Not bad for one of King Robert's bastards.

--The Mark/Sarah storyline still feels like a complete waste of time.

--Only on a British show would you have your main character discovering his has angels wings during an act of self pleasure.

Mac: "I could've been naked."
Paul: "I've seen you naked."
Mac: "I could've been masturbating."
Paul: "I've seen you masturbating."
Mac: "What, when?"
Paul: "The school trip to Calais."
Mac: "You were awake..."
--Okay, too much information.

Mac: "Wow. It's a key. Am I supposed to break it off and--and give half to you and wear my bit around my neck... are we in love? Because I'm flattered, but..."
Paul: "It's to my house. Anytime--anytime things at home, your mum or your dad, 3 a.m., whenever. You just come to my place. Sleep on the sofa, sleep in my room, whatever you like. You're always welcome. Because you're family. I've cleared it with Mum."
---
Mark Greig has been writing for Doux Reviews since 2011. More Mark Greig.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Mark
    I really liked this episode actually. The series started to get some traction and then took off for me.
    I thought the ending was fantastic, and I quite like the bromance between the boys. I got the feeling that this relationship was the most significant in either of their lives up to this point, which sees them at a sort of crossroads of adulthood and how they travel that in the future either together or drifting apart.
    I have to agree with your earlier episode review/comments about Natalie Dormer, I think she was wasted in this series as a whole and the Mark storyline was...'huh?' most of the time.
    I look forward to the next review.

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