Tom and Gerri, Series 1, Episode 3, 2014
Tom (Reece Shearsmith) is an elementary school teacher who aspires to be a great writer. He lives with his girlfriend, Gerri (Gemma Arterton), who is an actress trying to make it big. One day a homeless man named Migg (Steve Pemberton) returns Tom's lost wallet. More out of a sense of obligation than kindness, Tom ends up inviting Migg inside for a drink. And then Migg . . . just doesn't leave. As the days go by, Migg seems to be taking over more and more of Tom's life. With only Gerri and a concerned co-worker, Stevie (Conleth Hill) as lifelines, Tom's life begins to fall out of control.
There's some really strong stuff in this episode, visually, thematically, and in terms of its conclusion.
Something that I liked was the way that Migg seemed to be functioning as a living embodiment of depression/anxiety. As Tom struggles to finish his novel, Migg convinces him to give up his job. Tom stops cleaning the dishes. The occasional beer turns into a running state of general intoxication.
I did appreciate (*more about this later though*) the way that as the episode goes on, Tom and Migg begin to switch places in their looks. It's as if their cohabitation is causing a sort of lifestyle osmosis. There's also the implicit point that with the privileges of a cozy life (a bathroom, nice clothing, a computer, etc), Migg can be just as successful as Tom.
Finally, I am a big fan of Gemma Arterton, and I always enjoy seeing her in things.
This was the episode where I began to feel as if a downside of the show is just how rooted its notion of what is scary/awkward/uncomfortable/wrong is in a very male, middle-class, white experience.
What I appreciated about the episode was a very identifiable (for me) fear of what happens when we allow people to push our boundaries out of a sense of politeness or obligation. I am someone who has a hard time saying no when asked a favor, even if it makes me uncomfortable or I actually want to say no.
But then you have the fact that
WARNING: spoilers below
, predictably, Migg is actually really devious. He steals from Tom, deletes messages from his workplace and concerned friends, pushes alcohol on him, hides his cell phone, and just generally acts exactly like everyone's worst notions of homeless people.
, predictably, Migg is actually really devious. He steals from Tom, deletes messages from his workplace and concerned friends, pushes alcohol on him, hides his cell phone, and just generally acts exactly like everyone's worst notions of homeless people.
.
It's kind of telling that the episode never really gets into how Migg---a man who is articulate, physically in decent shape, and not displaying any signs of mental illness or other attributes that would make it hard to hold a job or live an organized life--became homeless. We, the viewer, are meant to sneer a bit at Tom, who refers to Migg as "the tramp," yet the episode itself never tries to go deeper than a superficial level with Migg. I think that this is done largely with the intent of keeping his character ambiguous, but to me it felt like yet another example of a central "normal" character looking at an "outsider" and being afraid.
If someone else has seen this series/episode, I'd be interested in your thoughts about the use of imagery that overlaps stereotypes about homeless people with what looks a lot like depression. The lack of grooming, the dependence on alcohol, and the general malaise. I was torn on it because on one level it almost seems like it's showing homelessness as this disease, and the horror is that it is communicable. I think that my feelings about this come mostly from the view that the episode itself seems to take toward Migg, which is not one of empathy. There
could have been something to the idea that anyone, under the "right" circumstances, could fall into that state. But, again, it doesn't feel like there's a lot of sympathy or empathy. This is also the second episode where we get a very camp gay character, so the show's ability to create nuance outside of its "normal" characters has yet to impress me. When I was talking about this episode with someone, we agreed that the people who push our boundaries in the most uncomfortable ways don't tend to be strangers--they tend to be friends/acquaintances/etc. The character of Migg could just as easily have been a slacker friend who came over for a game night and then just never left.
As for the final piece of the plot, I quite liked the idea that
WARNING: spoilers below
it was actually Gerri who was the figment of Tom's imagination. The episode does so much work to get you to question whether or not Migg is real, I totally didn't anticipate that it was Gerri who was the imaginary character. There's also something kind of sweet about the idea that Tom has internalized his lost loved one as this plain speaking, motivating voice. The problem, again, is that the mechanics of the plot require vilifying the only atypical character in the episode as manipulative, deceitful, and abusive.
it was actually Gerri who was the figment of Tom's imagination. The episode does so much work to get you to question whether or not Migg is real, I totally didn't anticipate that it was Gerri who was the imaginary character. There's also something kind of sweet about the idea that Tom has internalized his lost loved one as this plain speaking, motivating voice. The problem, again, is that the mechanics of the plot require vilifying the only atypical character in the episode as manipulative, deceitful, and abusive.
Overall good stuff thematically, with a few questionable decisions on the execution.
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