I thought she was trivialising the encounter for 'emotional stability' one-upwomanship reasons.
But I'm usually wrong in these matters - apparently.
The Thick Of It - Series 3 Page 22
Yeah it was just another case of Terri being stupid (she appears to be getting stupider this series for some reason) . . .
No, to me this episode was disappointing. I watched it a second time and enjoyed it more, but the character development seemed clunky to me. Why does Malcolm apologise? And to Terri? I agree it is good to see him fall apart but it seemed incongruous with the character to make it happen this way. He's just too alpha male for all that. I think he'd become defensive, not open up.
Didn't feel right to me.
Want to see Malcolm make a misjudged move on Nicola though. This is very unlikely but I'd like it.
Quote: chipolata @ November 30 2009, 10:21 AM GMTThat was nice. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the series plays out as Malcolm Tucker is now effectively a lame duck.
Don't misunderestimate Tucker, don't forget he has already made a turd paddle from the Nile of shit to row his way out.
Disagree about Terry getting thicker, she's just not that bothered about getting the full picture, preferring to stick religiously to her civil service brief and hours.
Quote: youngian @ December 1 2009, 11:48 AM GMTDisagree about Terry getting thicker, she's just not that bothered about getting the full picture, preferring to stick religiously to her civil service brief and hours.
Terri may be "thick" in a political sense, but the whole point of her character is that she is the only one of the regulars who actually appears to have a life outside Westminster (which is actually occasionally referenced, far more than the others, to whom real life is completely secondary to their job).
She's a career civil servant who recognises that, at the end of the day, there are more important things in life than politics; whilst the rest of the characters pretty much live and breathe politics to an extent that it makes them rather unhinged, socially maladroit people.
In a sense, Terri is the only "normal" one, the only voice of sanity in the loony bin. She appears stupider than she is because she doesn't operate on the basis that lying, cheating and rudeness should be the default position of a normal human being.
I think Glen is also a fairly normal character too though. He seems a bit OCD, but does seem to have a bit of a moral compass and is less f**ked up. Wasn't it revealed in series 1 that he had a disabled child?
Yep, his kid has got learning difficulties...
When Hugh reveals this to Ollie, he responds... "Oh my God. Glen's had sex". Then when Hugh calls him a wanker, he says "No, I'm sorry... I actually had a girlfriend with special needs... Luckily I was able to fulfil them". No wonder Glen avoids mentioning anything else if he can avoid it. 
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ December 1 2009, 2:03 PM GMTI think Glen is also a fairly normal character too though. He seems a bit OCD, but does seem to have a bit of a moral compass and is less f**ked up. Wasn't it revealed in series 1 that he had a disabled child?
I don't understand the connection you're making between his disabled child, and him having a bit of a moral compass and being less f**ked up.
For me, the genius of the show, is that they can take some of the most unlikeable and unsympathetic characters and put them in a position / job where they are generally loathed and despised by most of civilisation and yet we can still find them recognisable, identifiable and we care what happens to them.
For me, The Thick of It is the epitome of comedy-drama - huge laughs followed by moments of real tension and emotion.
My favourite moment was when Terri said to Malcolm 'I'm sorry, you've made some off calls today, some bad decisions.'
You could have cut the atmosphere with a chainsaw as everyone else went silent and the rage began to well up inside Tucker. The resulting apology just cemented the vibe that they are rats on a sinking ship and that the glory days had long since passed.
For some reason, the characters in the latest series of TTOT seem to have the same motivations as characters in a disaster movie. They're trapped, they're going to die and rash decisions equal grave consequences.
Quote: Nogget @ December 1 2009, 2:56 PM GMTI don't understand the connection you're making between his disabled child, and him having a bit of a moral compass and being less f**ked up.
Co-sign. I don't think it was intentional though, just a little naiive.
Quote: Nogget @ December 1 2009, 2:56 PM GMTI don't understand the connection you're making between his disabled child, and him having a bit of a moral compass and being less f**ked up.
I was referring to him having a life outside that the others don't know about. I wasn't making a huge connection; I mentioned him and then asked if I had remembered correctly about the child.
In the red button interviews after show the actors said themselves that Glen is the most moral - or something along those lines.
I agree, I think Glen is the most moral of the lot - but of course, that lot is the biggest bunch of immoral scumbags ever.
His character strikes me as someone who got into politics for all the right reasons but was then drawn to the Dark Side in order to survive.
I saw the guy who plays Glen in an episode of The Armando Ianucci Shows last night. He had black hair and one line: "I've pissed myself."
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ December 1 2009, 4:15 PM GMTI agree, I think Glen is the most moral of the lot - but of course, that lot is the biggest bunch of immoral scumbags ever.
I don't think they're immoral. Amoral, maybe. But then, they're just doing what they feel they've got to do to survive.
Quote: chipolata @ December 2 2009, 10:26 AM GMTI don't think they're immoral. Amoral, maybe. But then, they're just doing what they feel they've got to do to survive.
It's more a case of him coming across as less self-serving as the others.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ December 2 2009, 10:40 AM GMTIt's more a case of him coming across as less self-serving as the others.
Still not sure about that. As mentioned in the red button stuff afterwards, Ollie and Glen just seem to compete with each other not to be the biggest whipping boy in the office.
As for personal lives, we probably know most about Nicola's. Not particularly happy marriage and slightly off the rails kid.