I quite enjoyed this episode but at the same time feel it deserves the uncharacteristically low review it currently has. Basically, it's just a bit too bleak & cruel even for IASIP. We know the gang are a bunch of heartless b****rds verging on sociopaths, but there something disturbing about pushing the Job like suffering of Cricket to the extent that their actions in a previous episode in locking half the cast into a burning flat result in him having half his face burnt off.
Cricket at this points does little more than mention it as their fault in passing as though by now he's just so used to having his life destroyed by these people he expects nothing more from the universe, at which point of course they completely gaslight him, denying he was even there at the fire they started, because they would never have invited someone like him over.
Is this funny? In a bleak, absurdist way, it is perhaps, but it does make us slightly uncomfortable - they're supposed to be bad people for the most part but not outright evil people. When you add to that Cricket's constant reminders that he is prepared to engage in depraved sexual acts just for meagre favours then you just have an episode flirting a little bit too far with the dark side.
Despite all that, it was pretty good. The Psycho Pete storyline was quite believable. Good episode, just tone down the existential horror a bit guys.
Cricket at this points does little more than mention it as their fault in passing as though by now he's just so used to having his life destroyed by these people he expects nothing more from the universe, at which point of course they completely gaslight him, denying he was even there at the fire they started, because they would never have invited someone like him over.
Is this funny? In a bleak, absurdist way, it is perhaps, but it does make us slightly uncomfortable - they're supposed to be bad people for the most part but not outright evil people. When you add to that Cricket's constant reminders that he is prepared to engage in depraved sexual acts just for meagre favours then you just have an episode flirting a little bit too far with the dark side.
Despite all that, it was pretty good. The Psycho Pete storyline was quite believable. Good episode, just tone down the existential horror a bit guys.