So So Gay
We look in on Miranda again this week but, after the brilliant last couple of episodes, could our girl have lost her touch this week? This felt like a confused episode which didn’t really contribute to the overall series that well. The episode wasn’t terrible, but we were left a little cold by the rather weak offering this time.
Even the best mother-daughter relationships can become strained when forced to cohabit and, with Penny stuck in bed at Miranda’s house with a bad back, it was up to our dear Miranda to resist the urge to kill and still retain her childlike innocence. Add to that, the realisation that ‘clacker’ is quite possibly the most distressing word we have ever heard. The premise, however, seemed to become a little bit lost along the way, as we saw Miranda giving in to a particularly strong bout of hypochondria whilst flirting with the dishy Doctor Gayle, with events culminating in a faux-sick Miranda taking part in a fantasy Wembley gig with the Spice Girls in order to avoid attending a music festival. By the end of it, we were more than a little bewildered.
This was also the first time that the comedy didn’t seem to actually have much humour in it, and instead felt rather more grating. Aside from the odd moment of gentle humour, the rest of this week’s episode seemed to consist of unfunny lines said in a pseudo-funny way, which came across like it was trying too hard. The early set up of Penny in bed with a bad back, and Miranda having to wait on her hand and foot, did show some promise, but departed from this fairly soon and the rest of the episode practically flat-lined.
Overall, this was one of those episodes that suffered from a lack of focus, and was rather a combination of ideas that just were not good enough on their own to warrant a whole episode. It also reeked of low quality writing, leaving the delivery of lines feeling forced, and grating on the nerves more than once. This was a shame as well since it was clear that all the actors were trying their best. Also, although last week we expressed the view that they put the brakes on Miranda’s new relationship, we actually found ourselves missing Michael, and having a mild overdose of Gary for good measure. This just felt like an episode that was out of place in the current run.
Hopefully the next episode is able to make a big improvement, because this one just felt like a drag.
Miranda is on BBC One at 9.00pm on Mondays
