PSYCHOVILLE, 2.6: cold Lazarus

In a baffling move, BBC2 aired the finale of Psychoville three days early, to make room for Mock The Week, which probably means it slipped the notice of many people. I know we live in the age of digital catch-up services, but it's still frustrating when broadcast dates are changed for seemingly arbitrary reasons, catching loyal audiences on the hop. Regardless of that, series 2's finale was the best installment of this steadily improving half-dozen episodes, and one that made some of my earlier frustrations with the show fade into relative insignificance. I'm still of the opinion that series 1 had better momentum, a clearer story, and more laughs, but series 2 was a pleasing follow-up when taken as a whole...

In the finale, Mr Jelly (Reece Shearsmith) and geriatric sidekick Mrs Ladybird-face (Vilma Hollingbery) arrived in London with the frozen head of Nurse Kenchington's Nazi father, delivering it to Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) so she can reanimate it using a scientific formula etched on the chain Kenchington's infamous locket hangs on—likewise delivered into her possession at "Andrews Nanotech" by prissy Nazi toy merchant Peter Bishop (Jason Watkins). Elsewhere, David (Steve Pemberton) grew closer to gawky Emily (Sarah Solemani) after the death of his battleaxe mother; Detective Finney (Mark Bonnar) was sent to kill David to tie up a loose-end, unaware that another loose-end, catatonic Jennifer (Stacy Liu), has alerted David to his presence; and Jeremy (Shearsmith) fell ino a deeper state of psychosis when The Silent Singer visitation returned in force.

The element of surprise was a key part of this finale's success. It was a fun twist to reveal Kenchington's locket as worthless, with the links of its chain the real treasure Grace has been chasing all along. It was likewise unexpected that two characters we'd forgotten about had such important roles to play—from Jennifer helping David catch Finney, to dwarf Kerry's (Lisa Hammond) late arrival to put an end to the monstrosity of the vivified, talking Nazi head. Psychoville's always been about cartoonish oddballs, but it was a great touch to have two of the finale's heroes played by two of its most obviously disabled characters. The fact they were fighting against the return of a Nazi, who had already started preaching intolerance of minority groups, was an added delight. It was the first moment of series 2 where the characters' abnormalities felt like something to be proud of and actually advantageous. Mr Jelly's plastic hand even stopped a lethal injection from Kelvin (Daniel Ings) in a tense storeroom struggle.

Visually, this was a really strong episode, too. Director Matt Lipsey did a tremendous job with the composition of several scenes, and the special effects for the Nazi head were absolutely superb. The glassy plastics of the chamber he was being held in, clamped inside what resembled a giant iPod-style wardrobe, were also impressive from a production design standpoint. The way the resurrection of a frozen head was intercut with a fiery cremation also had a nice duality to it—and although having a priest read from passages relating to Lazarus was a very obvious device, it still worked remarkably well. The fact Finney was actually inside the coffin instead of Maureen, being burned alive to the strains of Black Lace's "Superman" (Maureen's favourite song, reprised from series 1) was also a wonderfully black comic moment.

Indeed, the laughs felt more regular this episode, perhaps because the cast has been gradually trimmed to focus on its two best characters (David, Jelly) and the additions of Bishop and Mrs Ladybird-face in recent weeks have been very beneficial. The latter's random presence and obliviousness arguably stole the show on several occasions.

Imelda Staunton finally got a chance to shine as pepperpot Grace, too, having spent far too long stuck in her office playing variations of the same scene. It was also a nice moment when her obsession with technology, but ineptness using it, came back to bite her—as she exposed her own crimes by accidentally showing a room of investors a viewscreen of people she's had killed over the weeks. Her disdain for the fascist ramblings of the head she's just restored to life was also very amusing.

So where does Psychoville go from here? I was glad the show didn't repeat the mistake of series 1's finale and hurriedly introduce something to enable another run, as I'm not sure there's much more to say about Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital and its former patients. Series 1 and 2 worked as companions (each dealing with the unexpected return of boogiemen from the past), but surely a potential third series would have to focus on a fresh story of some kind. The door's clearly open for more—as Jelly and David are still alive, and the latter's mother is being kept on ice in a bathtub (awaiting vivification?), and I wouldn't be against seeing those three characters again. If only because they'll undoubtedly be joined by a plethora of new faces because nearly everyone else has been killed of.

Overall, this was a great ending to what's ultimately been a good series, once the plot tightened and momentum was restored after a fortnight's post-premiere lull. Some of my complaints weren't so bad in retrospect and I was probably in the minority for finding a few subplots confusing, at times, although I still think series 2 was treading water for awhile and ultimately lacked the focus and surprise of series 1. Some of that was to be expected, of course, as every sequel faces an uphill struggle trying to justify itself, but I was relieved Psychoville came together surprisingly well in its latter-half

Asides

• You can still watch this finale on Thursday, at the later time of 11.20pm, or catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
• I'd just like to praise Being Human's Jason Watkins' performance as the homosexual Nazi Peter Bishop, who was absolutely brilliant. Sarah Solemani was also terrific as Emily because she utterly transformed herself into an introverted geek. When you remember this is the actress who played extroverted, sexy Becky in BBC3's Him & Her, it's a remarkable transformation in look and body language.

written by Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 6 June 2011 / BBC Two

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.5: say oops frozen head

This penultimate episode of Psychoville retained the momentum of last week and increased the revelations, which made for a very satisfying half-hour. I'm still not finding series 2 as funny as series 1, but I'm glad the story has taken shape recently (after a frustrating post-premiere slump), and looks poised to end on a high next week...

"Did you masturbate into my tea?" -- Edwina Kenchington

This week, David (Steve Pemberton) took his terminally ill mother Maureen (Reece Shearsmith) "zorbing", having misremembered one of her life's ambitions, before an oddly touching scene with Maureen dying with her devoted son by her bedside. It was a moment played straighter than expected, which worked well, lightened by the bizarre sight of David gesticulating his mother's dead body on the bedroom carpet to the sit-down choreography of The Gap Band's "Oops Upside Your Head." As two of the show's most developed characters, it was surprisingly sad to see Maureen pass away, although given some plot developments elsewhere I wouldn't be surprised if she's magically resurrected next week...

My suspicions were confirmed regarding librarian Jeremy Goode (Shearsmith), who was taken in for questioning by Detective Finney (Mark Bonnar) and indeed revealed to be a former patient of Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital--originally admitted for mild exhaustion but recruited by Nurse Kenchington (Eileen Atkins) to help her crack "the secret of life" after she noticed his genius-level IQ, in shades of Good Will Hunting. In fact, Jeremy became so obsessed with his work that he faked seeing "The Silent Singer" hallucination in order to stay on at the hospital and complete his research, only for the fanged phantom to become a real issue a few years later--the psychological embodiment of all Jeremy's frustration.

Elsewhere, Peter Bishop (Jason Watkins) and Tealeaf (Daniel Kaluuya) formed an unlikely double-act, tracking down idiot actress Debbie (Daisy Haggard) at a book-signing because they know she owns Kenchington's locket, only to discover she's given it to her makeup artist friend Hattie (Pemberton). Hattie's storyline appeared to reach an end this week, with her drugged "husband" Shahrouz (Elyes Gabel) forced to pose for wedding photos, before being rescued from this ordeal by returning boyfriend Chris (Tom Andrews). I've actually rather enjoyed Hatti's story, as the fact she's only marginally connected to the main mystery meant she offered moments of respite, and her story has actually progressed noticeably every week. And it goes without saying that Pemberton's terrific playing grotesque, weirdly sympathetic women--going back to the days of Pauline the Restart Officer in League Of Gentlemen.

Mr Jelly's (Shearsmith) story was also very revealing and fun, as he disguised himself as dead rival Mr Jolly to gain access to a company dealing with frozen body parts--discovering that Jolly kept his missing hand on ice, together with a decapitated head belonging to Kenchington's Nazi father. I enjoyed seeing Jelly team-up with the old lady from the nursing home, codenamed "Mrs Ladybird Face", as it gave him someone to bounce off and she was very funny in her own right. Jelly's one of the most isolated characters on the show, after Jeremy, and the writing of Psychoville always improves whenever it involves duos--like Oscar/Tealeaf and the Sowerbutts.

In a change to the formula, Finney didn't actually manage to kill anyone this week--as Maureen's death was of natural causes and, in a surprise twist, Peter revealed himself to be a Nazi determined to resurrect Kenchington's dead father, and shot Tealeaf dead after he'd helped him acquire the numinous locket. We seem to be headed towards a finale where the locket's contents (the elixir of life?) will be used to bring Kenchington's father back to life, but obviously Peter's unaware the contents were tipped down the sink by Hattie. Has that ruined his plan? Will Jeremy come to the rescue in some way, or is he on Kenchington's side? Will Peter need Jeremy's help to bring that frozen head back to life? And I'm still unclear about why Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) wants the locket, and why she's having Finney kill Ravenhill patients who clearly have no knowledge of it anyway. Hopefully the series finale will explain all, but I'm disappointed Staunton's been tucked away in a few small scenes every week, replaying the same joke that she's easily distracted by gadgets and technology.

Overall, I enjoyed episode 5 because every subplot pushed things forwards, there were some juicy explanations of events via Jeremy's back-story, and finally a clearer idea what the stakes are--as the surviving characters have to stop Kenchington's Nazi father coming back to life. I wish some of this information had been delivered earlier, as some of the earlier episodes just felt disconnected--with no clear sense of what series 2 was doing. Series 1 had a much simpler direction you could immediately invest in (we meet a group of oddballs, each received mysterious letters from a "blackmailer", and they gradually come together as their connection is revealed), but series 2's lacked a story of similar elegance and sense of classic tradition. Only in the last few weeks have we received enough clues to get a sense of what the aim is this year, which has built some much-needed excitement about matters, rather than amused bewilderment.

Asides

• A few familiar faces guest-starred in this episode: Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) as the manager of the frozen body parts company; and character actor David Cann as Maureen's doctor, who notably played a truly unnerving doctor in Chris Morris' disturbing comedy Jam.
• It's the last episode next week, so do you think it'll end the show or leave a door open for a third series? I'd like to see more from this show, but hopefully the Ravenhill storyline will be concluded. I'd love to see the show come back with brand new characters and a fresh story to tell. The deaths of so many of the characters should make that more likely, although it's not impossible the magical locket will somehow bring everyone back to life next week. What do you think?

written by Reece Shearsmith & Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 2 June 2011 / BBC Two

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.4: the Nazi and the nursing home

I've been frustrated with Psychoville because recent episodes haven't develop the backbone of the storyline much, they just brought a few of the characters' lives to grisly ends. A few new characters were introduced with no clear connection to the show's big concerns, and the central mysteries showed no signs of being explained after three weeks. It's indeed a problem with episodic reviews that you're effectively appraising "a chapter of a book" every week, so hopefully my overall opinion will change when all six episodes have aired. And fortunately, episode 4 remedied many of my previous complaints and could be the catalyst for a more focused, illuminating half.

Following the "suicide" of frugal Oscar Lomax, home help Tealeaf (Daniel Kaluuya) was summoned to the Hoyti Toyti toy shop by fey retailer Peter Bishop (a brilliant Jason Watkins), who's noticed that ex-patients of Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital are dying in unusual circumstances. Even stranger, Peter reveals that Hoyti Toyti's is a front for his real passion--trading in Third Reich memorabilia he keeps in his basement--and that a notorious Nazi war criminal founded Ravenhill after emigrating to Britain with his daughter Edwina Kenchington as part of "Operation Paperclip."

It's a promising step forward that adds another layer to the show's creepy asylum back-story, but we'll have to see where it goes from here. What kind of crazy Nazi experiments were being performed on the patients? Do they explain why dwarf Robert had psychokinesis? Is Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) having Detective Finney (Mark Bonnar) kill people to prevent them remembering something about their treatments? What hold does Grace have over Finney, getting him to kill people?

Kenchington's locket also returned, now in the possession of vapid actress Debbie (Daisy Haggard), whom we caught up with preparing for a TV interview with Richard Bacon. Hattie (Pemberton) was also embraced into the main story, at last, as it was revealed she's Debbie's makeup artist and helped her open Kenchington's locket to find a silver powder inside that smells like "sugar puffs", which was swiftly emptied down a sink. Was that some remains of Kenchington's Nazi father? Has Hattie unwittingly released his spirit from captivity?

Hattie's own story was brief but amusing this week, taking a cue from Misery as her husband-of-convenience Shahrouz (Elyes Gabel) woke to find himself shackled and unable to leave Hattie's house--told there are prying eyes outside who are suspicious about the legitimacy of his sham marriage. I have to mention Gabel's performance, which makes me smile because he plays Shahrouz as a someone who knows Hattie's unhinged but just can't control her. Pemberton plays these monstrous women very well, and it's easy to sympathize with Shahrouz as he's dominated by Hattie's personality. In some ways it's another take on the Herr Lipp/Justin relationship from League Of Gentlemen.

Elsewhere, David Sowerbutts (Steve Pemberton) went to a retirement home to kill the great-aunt of Simon (James Holmes), the man he agreed a Strangers On A Train-esque murder pact with. It didn't go according to plan, naturally, as Detective Finney was also on the scene and killed the old woman before David got a chance--suggesting the great-aunt was a Ravenhill patient on Finney's hit-list? Simon's attempt to kill Maureen suffered a setback, too--as he wound up in dismembered in Maureen's bathtub, having clearly underestimated his elderly target. Great scene with Maureen indifferently asking if David wants to keep Simon's penis as a trophy, too. He agreed, of course. Where will he keep it?

And finally, crazy librarian Jeremy (Shearsmith) became a more serious threat to the family of the woman who hasn't returned "50 Great Walks Of The British Isles Volume 2', goaded by the specter of the Silent Singer to kidnap the family's dog and threaten its life. There's still no sense of a connection to the major plots for Jeremy, but it's feasible he's another Ravenhill patient we weren't made aware of last series--or perhaps he ran the asylum's library and went mad because of the horrors he witnessed? Anyhow, it was great to see Jeremy involved in an actual story, instead of sinister sketches of dwindling impact, and it gave Shearsmith a great opportunity for a subtle Norman Bates-esque performance. As much as I enjoy his angry Mr Jelly and irritable Maureen, it's nice to balance the ghoulish cartoons with a character who's more recognizably human.

Overall, episode 4 was very satisfying and did a good job handling its many storylines. The only residual complaint is that I'm not finding series 2 as laugh-out-loud funny as series 1, perhaps because the majority of characters have lost their element of surprise. But I chuckled more regularly here: at Hattie demanding a window kiss from Shahrouz, Mr Jelly stumbling on an old lady using a vibrator, the Sowerbutts' bathroom aftermath, and David trying to lie to his mother ("I'm going to Madagascar to see a friend.") I'm optimistic the remaining two episodes can continue in this vein, with less need to fly in a holding pattern...

Asides

• Do you think Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are fans of Fringe, hence Peter Bishop's name? Or is this just coincidence?
• The show's tendency for real-life celebrity cameo's continued with radio/TV broadcaster Richard Bacon, following Christopher Biggins and John Landis.
• I really like how the Sowerbutts' flat often feels like a sparse theatrical set, with dark corners and backdrops. It sometimes feels like they're performing on a half-empty stage, with the faces of a quiet audience just off-camera watching. This must be intentional, given David's affection for musical theatre, right? The Sowerbutts also starred in series 1's splendid fourth episode, the Rope-inspired experiment that felt very much like a one-act play being performed.

written by Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 26 May 2011 / BBC Two

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.3: Hitchcock's half hour

We've reached the halfway mark and I'm worried Psychoville's proven me right and should have ended after one series. We're still no closer to seeing how the new characters (Jeremy, Hattie) relate to anything (if they even do, as I have doubts), and each of the returning characters are stuck in minor epilogues to series 1--punctuated with their murder (Joy, Robert, now Oscar.) The mysterious locket and covetous Grace Andrews' (Imelda Staunton) mission to find it remain on the back-burner when they should be more central, too. I'm beginning to lose patience because there's no sense of what Psychoville's actually doing this year. Series 1 had multiple storylines to tell and a mystery to reveal, but series 2's just a hodgepodge at the moment.

This week, petulant clown Mr Jelly (Reece Shearsmith) arrived at a fancy mansion to "entertain" the adult guests of a dinner party, only to find himself quickly ushered to a bedroom and told to remove a stout foreigner's kidney with a scalpel and no anesthetic! Weirdly, the donor box was marked with the late Mr Jolly's credentials, hinting that Jelly's nemesis survived the asylum explosion after all? There were some great moments here (Jelly interrupting a dinner party by tooting a childish pirate ditty, and the sheer lunacy of Jelly faking a successful kidney-removal operation with a half-chewed plum), but what the HELL IS GOING ON? Didn't Jelly think it strange to have been summoned to perform an operation? Why was he summoned? I just don't see any logic here. If there are indeed satisfying answers to be revealed later, okay that's fine--but it felt like a random nod to Dirty Pretty Things, and Jelly's blasé reaction was so bizarre it was distancing.

As mentioned, Hattie (Steve Pemberton) and Jeremy's (Shearsmith) storylines have no obvious connection to anything else going on, which is strange and increasingly irritating. I wish I had faith there's a masterplan that's being slowly revealed, but nothing's given me that impression yet. Still, I am quite enjoying Hattie's storyline, as she can't accept she's in a marriage of convenience with her gay friend's lover Shahrouz (Elyes Gabel), and in this episode conspired to sleep with him. The sequence where her "husband" woke up to find Hattie quietly masturbating beside him was exactly the kind of bizarre, distasteful, shocking, hilarious moment Psychoville should be serving us more often.

On the flipside, Jeremy appears to be a one-joke character now: a creepily assiduous librarian who seemingly has to appease horrifying visions of the pigtailed "Silent Singer" by ensuring all overdue books are returned. Lovely idea, but there's not much more to it than that. In this episode, Jeremy broke into a little girl's bedroom and demanded the return of a book (um, that actually belongs to her parents!), as the Silent Singer floated by the window in a nod to 'Salem's Lot. I adore the visual of the fanged Silent Singer twisting around and snarling at Jeremy, but so far we've been given a handful of scenes that follow a very familiar pattern. Is there an actual story to tell with Jeremy, or just a spooky staccato visual to indulge?

If you thought Mr Jelly's storyline was weird this week, Oscar Lomax (Pemberton) trumped it. In a surprisingly quick resolution of clues dropped last week, it was indeed proven true that Lomax fathered a long-lost son who's now trying to get in touch. Even stranger, his connection to British comedy great Tony Hancock is about as bonkers as you can get: Oscar Lomax actually is Hancock, having faked his suicide in Australia! Full marks for an audacious and unpredictable development, but it was so bizarre as to feel oddly forgettable. The fact Oscar became the latest victim of murderous Detective Finny (Mark Bonnar), now confirmed as Grace's hitman, also means that character's reached its end.

Reece Shearsmith is on record as saying he and Steve Pemberton felt they had more stories to tell with Psychoville's characters (which is why series 1 ended with a controversial cliffhanger), but I'm not sure I agree that these are worthwhile stories being told.

More engaging, as usual, were the grotesque Sowerbutts. Maureen (Shearsmith) is now aware she has cancer, and son David (Pemberton) has found himself caught in a Strangers On A Train situation--asked to kill a man's great-aunt for the inheritance, or risk having his previous crimes exposed to the world. Although owing a clear debt to Alfred Hitchcock, at least this is a story with potential and, as I said last week, the fact it means Shearsmith and Pemberton can interact on-screen can't be underestimated. They're a great double-act, so it remains a huge pity Psychoville keeps them apart most of the time. I'm really puzzled by that decision, as there can't be too much of a logistical reason for it.

Overall, episode 3 was the weakest episode of series 2 so far, and one that did little to annul my fear Psychoville should have been a miniseries. Series 2 is almost impenetrable to newcomers, too. Psychoville first aired two years ago, so why didn't the BBC repeat it before this new series began? Each episode has also done a poor job reminding audiences of what happened in series 1, so only committed fans have a hope of understanding what's actually going on.

There are some fun and freaky moments to savour along the way, but I can't deny my general disappointment--speaking as a dedicated fan who's willing Psychoville to succeed. It just doesn't feel like there's a clear, strong idea at the heart of series 2--just some weird plots, disconnected characters, and a frustratingly hazy mystery concerning a locket. I hope the remaining three episodes pull things together quick, before things fizzle out.

written by Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 19 May 2011 / BBC Two

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.2: come die with me

I've rated it the same as last week's premiere, but I enjoyed episode 2 slightly more -- although I still have concerns about Psychoville's general direction and how it's using its characters. Considering there are less episodes this year, I'm a little worried by the fact it's not clear what the story is yet, beyond knowing a woman called Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) wants to get her hands on Nurse Kenchington's mystical "K"-initialed locket, and there's a Detective Finny (Mark Bonnar) who appears to be murdering the characters who are least capable of justifying a storyline this series. Still, it's early days, and the show is still great fun to watch, as there's nothing else quite like it on television...

This week, we returned to the story of dwarf actor Robert (Jason Tompkins), held prisoner inside a woodland cottage by deranged co-star Kerry (Lisa Hammond) as she prepared a love potion for him with the help of a witch-like accomplice. This Grimm Fairy Tale-inspired development was a bizarre turn-of-events last year -- wisely given short shrift here, as Robert escaped with Kenchington's locket and delivered it to his true inamorata: beautiful bimbo actress Debbie (Daisy Haggard), currently making a horror movie with exasperated Hollywood director John Landis (appearing as himself in a fun cameo.) Robert's was the least successful of series 1's storylines, so it was again hard to get involved with his situationhere, and only really felt pertinent because he's in possession of that jewelry...

Much better was the bizarre dinner party with the Sowerbutts, as crabby Maureen (Reece Shearsmith) and her retarded son David (Steve Pemberton) hosted a meal for am dram luvvie Robin (David Bamber), who brought along a gormless girl called Emily (Sarah Solemani), unaware the Sowerbutts are planning to kill him by spiking his food with nuts he's allergic to. The Sowerbutts are easily Psychoville's most entertaining creations, partly because they're the only characters that enable Shearsmith and Pemberton to interact together on-screen. One thing I think Psychoville sorely misses, compared to The League Of Gentlemen, are more opportunities for its writers-performers to bounce off each other in scenes. Shearsmith and Pemberton are either not involved (in the case of Robert or Joy's storylines), or partnered with other actors who mostly play straight-men (in the case of Lomax, Mr Jelly and Hattie.) And that's a shame, because the show really comes alive when they're together on-screen.

This Sowerbutts' dining sequence was rather broad (Robin was given flatulence and diarrhea rather than a death sentence), but it was worth it for the deliciously bizarre moment when Maureen did her party piece -- a lilting rendition of "Simply The Best", while dressed as Tina Turner (brown tights pulled over her head, white ping pong balls for eyes, giant wig.) It was a wonderful example of the weird, surprising hilarity Psychoville can deliver.

Series 2's something of a mish-mash so far, though. The old characters haven't proper;y settled into their storylines yet, with Mr Jelly (Shearsmith) just given another incompetent demonstration of his act in a dingy pub, and Lomax (Shearsmith) theorizing about who's sent him some mysterious packages. In some ways it feels like Psychoville's remaking itself (the Sowerbutts have even received another anonymous message that's freaked Maureen out), and it's not yet clear what anyone's direction is. Nobody's even aware of the locket's significance (including the viewers at home), and so it's a little hard to get engaged with scenes featuring the covetous Grace Andrews. That said, Imelda Staunton is fabulous in this role, as a character who appears to care more about the high-tech gadgetry supervillains should have, rather than the task at hand.

All the new characters also seem to exist in their own little bubbles right now. Jeremy Goode (Shearsmith) is a wonderful little character, but this week he's given a brief scene that's just a retooling of last week's (a visitor to the library feels the sharpness of his tongue, before the frightening "Silent Singer" apparition makes another herky-jerky appearance.) There was an amusing scene for Hattie (Pemberton), who's taking a marriage of convenience with a gay friend's lover to heart, and believes she's found true love, but it's again hard to see what anything has to do with the original characters, the locket, Grace Andrews, or the homicidal detective. Not that I truly doubt there's a masterplan at work here, but it might be nice to get a sense of where the story's taking us, seeing as next week's episode marks the halfway point.

Overall, episode 2 was an improvement on the enjoyable opener, but I hope the wider story starts to take shape and the new characters begin to feel better connected. But while I'm still unconvinced Psychoville should have brought back so many of last year's character, I love the "Ten Little Indians" idea that one's going to be killed by Detective Finny as every week's climax. That's actually a better way to give each one a personalized send-off, and puts you on edge knowing some of your favourites' days are numbered. Who could be next?

Asides

• You may not have recognized Emily was played by Sarah Solemani, best-known for co-starring in BBC Three's bedsit comedy Him & Her with Russell Tovey. Quite a transformation! Do you think her character's a love-interest for David, and a way to get in-between Maureen and her son?
• John Landis made an obvious cameo appearance (did he meet Shearsmith on the Burke & Hare set?), but stand-up comedian Andi Osho also appeared as the registrar of Hattie's wedding.
• We knew Debbie was stupid, but since when did she acquire the memory span of a goldfish?

written by Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 12 May 2011 / BBC Two

Review: 'PSYCHOVILLE' 2.1

Solemnly march over to Obsessed With Film, where I've reviewed the long-awaited series 2 premiere of BBC2's horror-com PSYCHOVILLE, starring Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton.

After an unreasonable two-year absence, only alleviated by last year's Halloween special, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton's Psychoville finally returns for a second series of black comedy japes and spooky mystery. As a spiritual follow-up to The League Of Gentlemen's small-town horror, Psychoville may lack that show's insidious edge and pervasive atmosphere, but a more ambitious format (fully serialized plotting, wider scope) has helped carve it a complimentary identity. However, it's still less menacing and moody than The League ever was -- being more of a warped carnival of oddballs -- perhaps signifying that Shearsmith and Pemberton are mellowing in middle-age, or that colleagues Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson were the more macabre half of their comedy troupe.

I found series 1's finale of Psychoville unsatisfying, primarily because the story deserved a conclusion, but instead creaked as it tardily introduced a supernatural curveball (a magical locket owned by despotic asylum owner Nurse Kenchington), took telekinetic dwarf Robert into a ridiculous Hansel & Gretel riff, and ended on a big cliffhanger (nearly every character potentially killed in a fiery blast triggered by vengeful clown Mr Jolly's suicide vest.) With everyone's fate uncertain for years now, it's frustrating to realize an opportunity to cull redundant characters wasn't seized upon, as everyone survived Jolly's climactic explosion with only minor injuries -- such as deranged maternity nurse Joy (Dawn French), now sporting a neck brace. Bizarrely, only crazed bomber Mr Jolly was a fatality; his funeral procession opening series 2 on an amusingly absurd note, as brightly-coloured clowns descended on a bleak graveyard to bury one of their kind. A rubber chicken thrown on Jolly's coffin in lieu of a handful of earth... Continue reading...