j took a fair battering that day - dan told him his appearance was all wrong, false etc. that 'Stuart was athletic in body, not him. This was in front of most of the house - he took it well.
In the footage I saw, Dan followed up the 'you don't need to be so pumped up' stuff with "you're absolutely stunning", so it wasn't entirely ego-destructive.
Then vanessa's outright rejection, both verbally and physically, could be construed as harsh considering her complicity in the initial flesh-tangle.
Then he was danced in front of.
Yeah. I think both of these (and, to a certain extent, Dan's criticism and compliment about his body) were blows to the way he's constructed his masculinity (powerful body, attractive to women, commands respect). When he made the comment, post-rejection by Vanessa, about falling apart, he might've been talking about his ego-defences (if he talked about such things...).
There was something so Glaswegian, so Billy Connelly even, about J.’s patter
Almost Rab C Nesbitt at times, in terms of impotent, fist-shaking fury.
And I’d agree with above posters who thought J.’s obsessive swearing and violent posturing was what helped tip Victor over the edge
I think the two of them fucken' wound each other fucken' up with the fucken' hardman fucken' routine. Antes were upped, generally, and authority needed to be established. When the two of them descended into the chimp enclosure, I was reminded also of a rather ineffectual The Management.
I suppose in a strange, confrontational way, and because I identify more with J and Victor’s behaviour (I’m a bloke, I occasionally chose to buy into ‘violence’ as a mode of expressing masculinity) than with Emma’s, I’d like them to ‘triumph’ (in whatever way is necessary) over her gang. (which I’d say was her and Marco and that’s it).
I want the beSpammed one to triumph, certainly, rather than bloody Marco, not because I identify particularly with the panto violence (although I recognise it very clearly indeed) but because Jason cuts such an essentially tragic figure (adopted, rootless, insecure in terms of self and sexuality, coping mechanisms breaking down) and, like (I think) Dan, I feel quite maternal towards him. A week or two ago, he seemed to be making headway in Selfawaria; this week, he's ducked down a blind alley (Hardman Street) with the laughable Victor, and we all know that way's gonna end in tears.
Nadia came across well all in.
I agree. Not so much in the table-turning itself, but she didn't stoke too much, and she was quick to apologise and attempt bridge-building, rather than trying to squeeze additional drama out of the night's events. She also seemed to do the bulk of cleaning up, in contrast to Fagbangle's 'supervising'.
My fave person (rather than character – difficult to separate I know) tho, is by far, Michelle. I think she operates beautifully.
She's not my favourite, but I like her a lot more after her five-day Purgatorial exile with Emma. Confidence suits her, making her less of a needy rabbit-roaster - and all the 'you missed me lots, didn't you Chicken, not that I'm putting words in your mouth or anything, lean over and feel me baps' stuff with Stuart somehow seems more charming than desperate. And, for all I know, he might really like playing a passive, Beckhamesque role. |
