Episodes has finished and it seems to have collected a bit of a cult fan-base. Even some my most trusted friends (when it comes to television) found it unfunny and undramatic - the two things I thought it absolutely wasn't. Episodes is not a laugh-out-loud comedy, although it looks as though it should be. It's not particularly clever or exciting, either. But it has something - I think it's called "heart" but I don't want to say so at the risk of sounding like a wally. It is also over.
It flipped between cringe-comedy, romantic drama and slapstick The Matt Le Blanc show regularly, but tied itself up just nicely in its seventh episode.
As comedy goes, it's not the best we've had lately, but it seems to almost not matter since the characters in this show are - sorry, were - enough to keep me watching. Matt Le Blanc should be seen in this as he is great! The performances from all three stars - Matt, Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig - in the last episode of this series were just tonally perfect, capturing brilliantly just the right balance of heartbreaking relationship drama and absurd comic happenings. The "fight scene" is one of the most appealing three minutes of television I've watched this year. It's funny because it's silly, but the passion in both characters' actions are heartbreaking, especially if you've shared either (or both) of their positions within the situation.
Many people want more. They want to see how our trodden-on Brits will manage while promoting a hit show that they hate on the US Networks. They want to see whether everything will be okay between them after the events of episode six. They want to know just where this show can go from here. The answer is anywhere, really - and that's why I hope they don't make any more. Leave this as seven lovely little episodes of funny fish-out-of-water situation comedy and retain the audience its managed to hold so far, including me. This, one day, will be on most people's list of 'forgotten gems', you mark my words!
