So, after a few episodes now, the shape and feel of the show is set, and this new episode shows it can survive without Gran. Just about. After last week’s new arrival, Blake, whom we later see in this episode, we’re also introduced to another one of Lilley’s creations, Jen Okazaki, an overzealous mother of the famous pro-skater Tim Okazaki . She trained her son from the moment he could walk to skate to be the best. Jen is Japanese, but her son is American, although he pretends to be Japanese to get more appeal in Japan, as per his mother’s instructions. Unlike the Little Britain style of incredibly offensive comedy based on the way the character looks and sounds, Lilley has created a softly spoken, pleasant looking character that’s mean and vile, as shown in the things she does and says to her son. Lilley did say that with this particular character he was trying to create, “the meanest, most awful character I’ve ever done.” Well done, Lilley. I think that may well have been achieved. As mentioned, Blake pops up in this episode, intent on initiating a new string of young guys to become Mucca Mad Boys, but they get distracted by graffiti from The Fennel Hell Men, stating Blake “has no cock”. Which is just lies. He just doesn’t have balls. There’s a pretty funny exchange between Blake and the Fennel leader, Paco, as they text each other from their sides of the beach to sort out a fight. These guys have not grown up, and you’d be fooled into thinking they were teenagers, especially when Blake comes out with things like, “I hope you told your mums you were going to be late home tonight,” on way to the fight. But, no, Blake is thirty-eight, married, with three kids. All of this is tinted with the sadness that you just know there are people out there like this. Still, it’s quite amusing at the way it plays out. I do enjoy Nathan and Daniel, and these new characters are pretty funny, but it’s still not hitting the best it can be at the moment. It’s less a comedy series and more a reflection on some of the weirdest, saddest, hopeless people going. That’s no bad thing, but it’s just not what was expected. And we still need more Gran next week. Read our review of episode 3 here.
