My Review of Half Man: "Episode 1"

 

Written by Richard Gadd

Directed by Alexandra Brodski

Ruben (to Niall): "My brother from another lover."

My original plan for this show was to watch it weekly and then do a series overview. However, after watching the first episode late last night, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I also couldn't wait until the end of next month to do a series review, so I'm doing this instead.

Things started off with the wedding of Niall Kennedy (Jamie Bell). We don't see the person that Niall's marrying but we do see his estranged "brother" Ruben Pallister (Richard Gadd). They're in a barn, their interactions laced with a strong homoerotic tension and then Niall ended up being punched by Ruben.

After that, it's basically a look into their past as teenagers in 1980s Scotland. The younger Niall (Mitchell Robertson) wasn't pleased about the recently released Ruben (Stuart Campbell) sharing a bedroom with him. At this point, it's largely implied that Niall and Ruben's mothers - Lori (Neve McIntosh) and Maura (Marianne McIvor) are in a relationship with each other. Ruben seemed less phased by this than Niall was.

Of course for Niall, not only did he have to deal with Ruben being a volatile presence in his life, he was also victim of being bullied by the likes of John (Scott Greenan), Drew (Calum Manchip) and Murray (Gordon Brown). The bullying bordered on homophobic until Ruben put a stop to it. Niall returned the favour by helping Ruben pass his prelam.

Then there's Mona (Charlotte Blackwood). I could be wrong but I really do get the vibe that Niall's gay because the only he seemed to be able to have sex with Mona was when he looked at Ruben. Ruben also seemed to be kind of aware of that too. For two guys who were essentially "brothers", the homoerotic tension between the two of them was off the flipping charts.

While the majority of this first episode largely focused on the younger versions of Niall and Ruben, we did go back to the older versions to cap the episode off. Ruben went from trying to steady Niall's breathing to trying to suffocate him. Ignoring the "weeks ahead" trailer that gave some context, Ruben was genuinely terrifying in his interactions with Niall in both timelines.

- I wish HBO Max and BBC1 had synced up the release better. Why are they five days apart? This feels like it should be a Sunday show.

- There's a nice supporting role for Stuart McQuarrie as the weary teacher, Mr. Jenkins. He had a few funny lines.

- Niall liked Indiana Jones and Doctor Who. Neve McIntosh played Madame Vastra during the Steven Moffat era of the show.

- Ruben gifted Niall a pair of boxing gloves. Niall wanted to be a writer and his father died when he was eight. Ruben was in Young Offenders. 

- Standout music: Ian Dury's Clever Trevor was used well during the end of the episode.

- Chronology: Mostly in the late 80s and a more present day setting for the older versions of Niall and Ruben.

The first episode really stuck the landing and I've been thinking about it since last night. Richard Gadd clearly wants to give a more layered insight into masculinity. That was evident with Baby Reindeer but this show definitely seems like it's going to push that conversation even harder and I can't wait to see more.

Rating: 8 out of 10