This episode is precisely the sort of thing I was hoping to see. On the one hand, you can see the sort of things that they are sending up and where the episode is going to go. On the other hand, there are enough surprises to keep it fun.
It is a lot of fun.
This is the second Alexei Sayle vehicle, and the first that he has a hand in writing. One of the things that it is easy to forget is just how talented he is. The way he can deliver a monologue is amazing. Halfway through he has a scene where he walks into a youth club and delivers what I have to call the best scene that I've seen in the entire series so far.
Nowadays I suppose you will not likely see a scene where the protagonist shoots up a room full of kids. Even less so making it an uplifting scene. But it is an amazing moment.The episode seems to be based on the real life story of a couple of London gangsters known as the Kray Twins. This is another one of those cultural touchstones that Americans have only heard about sideways - it's strange to learn about something that so many things you have seen refer to. It feels like everything comes together just a little bit closer somehow.
Of course, the fact that these are twins means that Alexei Sayle can play a dual role. It's easy to forget how well he can act. When he walks onscreen, my brain just goes "oooo. Alexei Sayle." Like I'm expecting him to just be doing the same schtick with different hair.
I also notice that Alexei Sayle had a hit single called "Didn't You Kill My Brother?" I suspect that it might have something to do with this episode.
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