Lead Balloon - Series 4 Page 15

Quote: Badge @ July 6 2011, 9:25 AM BST

Yes, we were asked to believe that a minor planning dispute was more important to Rick than his big comeback chance.

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In a way, despite all the problems with this series, I was still glad when Rick seemed to be on top at the very end, and thought it disappointing that the creators didn't have the gumption to reject sitcom convention and have him end on a high.

Overall, this series has been a wasted opportunity. They should have stretched themselves and tried some new things, instead of falling back on formula.

Yes, the believe-ability aspect was its biggest flaw in this one. A regular punter (neighbour) being able to get back-stage and threatening to go on stage? Err... security? Is it that easy to get on stage? Plus the neighbour's never been so aggressive before - seemed out of character and without any proper build-up.

Then Rick going from calm to violent? Never seen that as part of his character and the reasoning sounded so minor. He's a serial coward. They needed to show him in more rage as part of the build-up at least. Both the neighbour (before he went backstage) and Rick (before the punch).

A shame as the episode was quite good otherwise. I loved Magda in this one and I really have enjoyed this sitcom from the outset. I don't think the series has been that bad. The first episode was one of the best but I agree the two-hander didn't work as well. Although better than it seems to be given credit for.

Quote: chipolata @ July 6 2011, 9:49 AM BST

In a way, despite all the problems with this series, I was still glad when Rick seemed to be on top at the very end, and thought it disappointing that the creators didn't have the gumption to reject sitcom convention and have him end on a high.

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How many sitcoms you watched, Chip? Usually they do end on a high. I suppose you could reject convention and have nothing happen in the last episode at all. That'll be a new one.

Quote: Tim Azure @ July 6 2011, 10:53 AM BST

How many sitcoms you watched, Chip? Usually they do end on a high. I suppose you could reject convention and have nothing happen in the last episode at all. That'll be a new one.

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Christ, Azure, you're like a piss-poor low-level troll who isn't even good enough to be considered a proper troll.

The convention in this sitcom was that Rick Spleen always fell on his face. In virtually every episode they've ended with him coming off worse. Just when things are going well, he f**ks up. I thought it would have been nice to end on a high, rather than shoehorning a rather unbelieve turn of events in, just to return everything to the status quo.

IMHO this series has been very patchy, characters have behaved in ways inconsistent with previous shows (as ContainsNuts said the neighbour suddenly becoming so aggressive, Marty being an absolute arsehole rather than just a quick witted foil to Spleen rather slowwittedness, the wife becoming quite mean rather than supportive, etc, etc) and there's been a lack of credibility in a lot of the situations (e.g. the neighbour getting backstage).

However it still had its funny moments but I think it has overstayed its welcome... oh and lastly, wasn't the sandwich naming thing pretty much a direct steal from CYE? Or was it just a homage?

Enjoyed this the most of all the episodes this series. The original confrontation with the neighbour was well done and Marty and Mel finally appeared sympathetic at the end.

The neighbour getting backstage, as said, was totally unrealistic though and the punch at the end was an unsatisfactory conclusion. Overall, a poor series and I don't think it should return.

I'm fairly sure the neighbour did say he'd won/got hold of a couple of tickets.
(Or are you just saying it was unbelievable he got back stage, not to the awards in the first place?)

I liked the finale, but I felt they missed a trick with the ending of the episode. They've been having those mid-credit scenes throughout the series, but not in this final episode.

In my opinion, they should have ended it with a scene of Rick in jail playing chess with Donald.

Quote: Marc D @ July 6 2011, 1:22 PM BST

I liked the finale, but I felt they missed a trick with the ending of the episode. They've been having those mid-credit scenes throughout the series, but not in this final episode.

In my opinion, they should have ended it with a scene of Rick in jail playing chess with Donald.

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Haha, even just the mental image of this made me laugh, would've been so much better.

Quote: Marc D @ July 6 2011, 1:22 PM BST

In my opinion, they should have ended it with a scene of Rick in jail playing chess with Donald.

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Perfect!

But then we'd be complaining that it was too contrived in getting there. You can't win with us.

Yeah, they wouldn't give Donald a chess set as it would reward his hostage-taking.

Quote: Badge @ July 6 2011, 2:33 PM BST

Yeah, they wouldn't give Donald a chess set as it would reward his hostage-taking.

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LOL, see!

Quote: Badge @ July 6 2011, 2:33 PM BST

Yeah, they wouldn't give Donald a chess set as it would reward his hostage-taking.

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In reality they wouldn't put someone in maximum security for punching an old lady either, but it would have been funny anyway.

Quote: chipolata @ July 6 2011, 9:49 AM BST

the creators didn't have the gumption to reject sitcom convention and have him end on a high.

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Sitcom convention you said, not this sitcom convention!

I think all sitcoms usually end conventionally in any case, the last episode is probably the best or worst example of any given sitcom.

Quote: Godot Taxis @ July 4 2011, 6:52 PM BST

If you think this episode was either good or funny then you don't know anything about writing comedy - or probably writing. (I realise this includes genuine funnyman Swertyd, but I assume he must be lying or taking the piss)

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This is the best review I have ever received, even though I had to lie in Rick Spleen-esque fashion to achieve it.

I agree about the inconsistencies with the whole last episode but have to say I still enjoyed it. Liked a lot that we were seeing Rick 'win' to finish it all off but then he still f**ks it up completely.

This series was not nearly as good as the three (superb) previous series and it didn't make me want to write like those encouraged me to do. Not enough Mel, Marty and Michael were indeed unnecessarily cock-ish through the whole thing and Rick was very unsympathetic too. I did enjoy lots of it though and did laugh a lot (I'm not lying, 'Taxis, genuinely!).

If they had the gumption, they would have just taken a whole CYE episode and ripped it off word-for-word to finish off and spit in everyone's face.

Dan