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I can't believe I didn't notice the Judas/Judith thing until just now. Of course. (Although Davies could be setting us up to expect this, only to do something else...)
If Judith is to play the same role as Judas, then arguably there is a reason why Steve not only let her walk home alone but also allowed her to be exposed to demonic influences: if she does betray him, it may all be part of the Plan - for the greater good, etc, like the first time round. But regardless, it's quite in character for Steve to act in bizarre ways that ordinary people might consider inappropriate or even inconsiderate - Jesus was always doing this sort of thing.
I thought it was superb, anyway. Surprisingly reverent, and hitting just the right balance between comedy ("he's the Son of God! but he's from Salford!") and drama - ie, not too much of the former. I don't know if I'd agree that it's a dodgy premise, but it's certainly one which would have been pretty easy to fuck up. A large part of why it works is due to Christopher Ecclestone's performance, which I think is quite jaw-droppingly good, so good that I struggle to think offhand of another actor who could carry the role so well, at least the way Davies has written it. He's just great - whether as the holy fool running around the moors grinning manically and whispering "I'm the Son of God!"; or the beatific expression on his face when he's sleeping in the hospital; the amazing scene in the cafe when he's clearly eating his first fry-up for a month and goes from telling the priest character to piss off, then "Congratulations, you're one of the few" when he realises Father James truly believes, and finally the look on his face when he's asked what happens to humanity if they don't believe him this time... And the first 'sermon' - of course, that's what I'd say if I was the Son of God and returned to Earth at this point: "You stupid, stupid people..." Davies has clearly done his homework, in that he's able to present a Son of God who seems consistent with the Gospels and *because* of this, not in spite of it, has little truck with organised Christianity, no problem with homosexuality etc...
Few points:
1) The Police Chief is taking his orders from Downing Street, I think, not directly from God. Presumably Trendy Vicar Tony Blair thinks he's going along with God's plan, though (I did think the "matter of individual faith" quote was a great parody of Blair).
2) I actually quite liked the "evil eyes" way of representing the 'Devil'. The first time we encounter them, there's been barely any supernatural content so far, so it's quite chilling when the homeless guy suddenly calls Judith by name (and then the great device of the woman looking for directions who at first seems like a reassuring presence, but ooooh no - Davies knows how to do creepy, after all he used to write scary kids' telly). I don't think the people are followers of Satan per se, just people who are possessed occasionally, although it's implied that this is because they may be individually vulnerable - lost souls.
3) Possibly my favourite gag, and symptomatic of the brilliant take Davies has on this idea, is the fact that after discovering he's the Son of God, Steve *takes up* smoking... |
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