Hey guys correction: GADD didn’t direct, I saw an interview where the host said he did, must’ve been a mistake

As an American who lived through the 90s, I guarantee that this kind of portrayal of toxic masculinity is spot on. I know Ruben. I’ve met this kind of character irl. He is so horrified of himself, his past, or the idea that he was ever a victim that he leans into this cartoonish villainy. Like a costume that is never fully safe to remove, and so he becomes a caricature. Rage is the only safe emotion to express.  Niall’s self loathing and victim hood is similar but he prefers to bleed into the background for safety yet envies Ruben’s boldness instead of checking him. They could have been a balance for each other as well as a support but the underlying and constant competition was fueled by their attraction and it was all they were allowed to express so it became a poison. Unfortunately that idea of toxicity is only bolstered by men who aren’t willing to do the work of delving into the nuances of these characters to properly understand them. And men who refuse to go to therapy.

jamie bell looks like an older tom holland

I think this show is about attachment more so than about love. It shows how destructive toxic attachment can be if left unchecked. Both brothers found a home in each others’ trauma and was held imprisoned by one another in spite of being absent for the most part in each others’ lives. I loved how it ended with both of them dead at each other’s hands and that’s the tragedy. So well written and some stellar acting.

Richard Gadd didn’t direct this. It’s directed by a young woman. Which is interesting as I think her gaze on male violence is very realistic.
he wrote it and didn’t want to act in it but was convinced to by Jamie Bell and the production company also.
I think it has some of the best writing and acting I’ve ever seen. The first episode was the most difficult for me, I think the final three episodes are the most powerful.

young rueben and niall were so dynamic and i really wish we had seen more of them during the entire run of the show. even if it still ended up with the final ending... it should've been paced differently. that being said, it's amazing you have all of this criticism for this show but euphoria doesn't bother you near as much

What I found interesting about episode 3 is how they went all in with the groping angle, but no one stopped to consider that one of the things that occurred beforehand was Alby pushing Niall against the wall when he tried to silence him. Down playing Ruben's crime as going overboard while defending his brother would have been so much more worthy of discussion because that would have added more flavor to their pre-established codependency.

Even though Alby didn't deserve to be attacked, this could have been a moment where the show acknowledged the risks of trying to force outcomes. If anything, the show doubles down on this character quirk in his adulthood, to a point where he can come off as judgemental or holier than thou. The show could have done way more to explain what Alby and Niall saw in each other.

Why is no one talking about how much trouble the librarian would be in when he reveals that he’s had a hidden camera recording people in bathroom stalls?? Wouldn’t he basically be looking at jail time for that or am I wrong?

That was a HUGE plot-miss for me.

differently...richard gadd looks great in this

I think these characters (especially the adults) defy expectations in ways that make the show feel surreal or intentionally provocative. E.g. nial’s mom telling him to stay away from ruben and then the next time telling him to testify for him. Yeah she’s a shitty unstable mom who picked her lover and  violent step son over her own son. That felt so real but surprising in a way I loved. It’s exciting and fresh and most it worked to me!

Ugh I hate that you didn't appreciate how powerful this was for me 🫤😭 how you feel about this is how I feel about euphoria 😐😐😐

I feel like the show is pretty aware of the fact that Ruben is comical in his over the top masculinity. It's ridiculous because you literally cannot reason with him but it's also terrifying because you literally cannot reason with him and I definitely felt that with Ruben in the adult timeline. And I think it makes perfect sense with his character — the abuse made him feel like a "half man" so he spends his entire life overcompensating for that. Also, as a woman, the performance of masculinity through endless and illogical violence doesn't strike me as unrealistic. But then again, I can't speak on how it might or might not resonate with a male audience.

At 23;35, that was Joanna, her university flatmate, and she didn't know Niall was homosexual... Other than that, she knew both Niall and Ruben well!!!

The final conflict could very well have been avoided if only Naill had kept his mouth shut

I do agree that a lot of the scenes are heavy handed but honestly my biggest gripe with the show is that they revealed who Niall was marrying too quickly. I knew Niall wasn't going to lie on the stand because he ends up marrying Alby. All the tension of "is Niall going to commit to Joanna or be true to himself" was gone before it started because I knew he was marrying Alby. (although I did assume that Niall and Alby would get together during his recovery from the beating, it was a surprise that it took so long for them to reconnect) But yeah if it were me I would have kept that opening scene in episode 1 and then saved all of the rest of the wedding stuff for the finale, it would have made the episodes with younger niall and ruben work a lot better.

When they re-introduced Mona as an adult and Niall saw the photo of her and Ruben from when they were teenagers, I completely did not make the connection that it was the same girl from the sex scene. And I binged the show all in one day so I would be the prime example of someone who SHOULD remember her. I wish just like a split second of that scene had flashed when Niall saw the photo on facebook because I would have viewed adult mona totally different if I'd realized it was her.

19:22 I completely agree!!! This show had such a weird framing of outing people

It feels like the show switched genres between episodes 3 and 4.

I will say i have mixed feelings about this series but richard gadd is insanely talented he did an amazing job the acting everything & im glad he’s getting the recognition he deserves maybe the series felt like it “went too far” for me personally as someone who is a survivor of SA & someone who knows a character whose just like rueben in real life. (So i can’t fault the writers for that) but i did wish for a different ending. But also their portrayal of these characters were done so well that it felt heavy & realistic to the real world. Thats why i love richards acting it was some of the best ive seen.. he was extremely believable in his role. I just wish the ending was different i didn’t really like how the story went, it had potential but kinda went downhill for me. I wish there was a “better ending” but still the acting in this series was done so perfectly i hope that richard or jamie get some type of award for this series bc the acting was definitely worth watching. Richards acting & jamies acting were the only reason i kept watching

Been waiting for this!

So glad you posted about Half Man! I love your takes and was hoping you’d cover this.

Also idk what you used on your face today but your skin is glowing 🔥🔥