So far, Vicious has resisted the urge to delve into the physical troubles growing older can bring, despite mining absolutely everything else for comedy, but episode four is all about Stuart and Freddie’s perceived lost youth, looks and social stamina, as Ash invites them to a club he’s working at.
Why a guy in his mid-20s would invite his strange neighbours in their 70s along to a club note isn’t explained, as it seems this is just the way it’s going to be, but the set-up offers its fair share of chuckles. The argument over who is better looking only ignites further when Freddie gets more male attention at the club and, while Freddie fits in with Ash’s friends, Stuart is more comfortable with his easy evenings at home. It’s not long before Freddie realises that the young lifestyle he’s adopted isn’t for him however, and the two reunite.
There was a lot of heart to this episode, with Penelope’s helpful pep talk to Stuart just one of the lovely surprises. We haven’t seen her since the first episode and the moment between the two reluctant friends is the first time Vicious has really attempted sentiment – she thought she was speaking to Freddie rather than Stuart, but it was still a nice scene. Then there was the sweet ending between Freddie and Stuart followed by a priceless dance number to a Ke$ ha song – as funny in practice as it must have looked on paper.
Through a mix of character development and genuinely funny one-liners from all the characters, this was probably the strongest episode of Vicious so far. It got Freddie and Stuart out of the flat – something we’ve been wishing for since the first episode – and managed to, against all odds, do a storyline about older people mixing with the young without coming across completely ageist.
What did you think of the episode? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Vicious Series 1 Episode 4 (ITV) Review
No comments:
Post a Comment