My Review of Half Man: "Episode 6"

 

Written by Richard Gadd 

Directed by Eshref Reybrouch

Ruben (to Niall): "You love me, don't you?"

In a different reality, Ruben Pallister would've gotten his shit together, worked through the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, made amends for the abuse he inflicted on so many people and likely been a decent father to Baird and an ally to Niall.

That's a different reality. In this one, it was revealed early into the episode that Niall got both Mona and Ava pregnant but the focus on Baird being his and not Ruben's was a factor into the events of the whole show. Niall's proof that confession isn't always good for the soul.

Ruben was in prison for his attack on Benji, who miraculously actually survived. During that time, Maura finally died, Ruben suspected that Niall and Mona were keeping secrets from him and then the latter went all confessional during a prison visit.

The best part of the confessional was having both Niall and Ruben being honest with each other. Niall finally admitted that he was gay and in a relationship with Alby. Both of these things Ruben had no problem with. Ruben even opened up the fact that he was abused by his father. That was something suspected from the start of this miniseries.

Of course Niall had to go and make the whole situation worse by admitting to Ruben that he slept with Mona and was Baird's actual father. Needless to say Ruben didn't take that information well at all.

Thematically, it made sense for both Ruben and Niall to be the death of one another. Niall had managed to stab Ruben before the latter strangled him. It was probably the only way this show could end. Saying that, I'm still mixed on it as an outcome, inevitable as it were.

- Niall and Ava had split. We didn't even find out what his kid with her was called. Niall was also contracting STDs and getting arrested for indecency.

- I really liked seeing Alby in his own work, positively trying to help Niall before they got together. 

- I'll give a shout out to Tom Andrews as Niall's friend and lawyer, Butch. I thought he had some great moments in this episode.

- Niall used his own father's knife to stab Ruben. Lori had given it to him earlier in the show.

- Standout music: There's a rather haunting version of Danny Boy used in this episode.

- Chronology: 2014 for most of the episode.

While I don't think the finale was as satisfying as it could've been, I still really liked it a lot. Richard Gadd really did deliver one hell of a conversation piece about masculinity with this six episode show.

Rating: 8 out of 10