Season 1, Episode 5, Part 4: "Genius At Work"

I apologize for the delay with this episode, but I've been working on my thesis, which will soon be ready. My goal is to put up all the recaps for one episode per week, but I'll have more free time soon, so it might pick up from there. Anyway, without further ado, part 4 of episode 5.

People working, and one person in particular yawning widely. Everyone always seems so bored at the office. Gareth is working at his computer, staring at the screen intensely. Ricky walks in and asks him about some invoices, but Gareth lifts up his finger and continues typing for a little too long to be polite. He won't even look at Ricky. There's a note on his desk that says "SILENCE! GENIUS AT WORK", and his computer screen has a note on it too - the printout of some comic with big-nosed people (fitting). He finally finishes typing, leans back and asks Ricky what the problem is. Ricky asks where he should file the invoices. "Don't know," says Gareth and turns back to his porn site or army forum or whatever he was typing at. Ricky thanks him and looks at the camera like he's really tired of Gareth's antics. I thought at first Gareth was doing this because Ricky was with Donna, but he doesn't know it yet, does he? Probably he just wants to show his power to the new guy, which is still an ass thing to do, especially since Ricky is on the same level as Gareth, albeit a temp.

Donna is talking to a co-worker. He's dangling a link of chains and makes a "whip" movement with it with sound effects. Donna laughs a bit. On the other side of the room, Gareth stares at them with his big sad eyes. He's sitting in a fixed position just staring. Gareth, try to make your one-sided office romance a little less obvious. You're making a fool of yourself... oh wait, too late for that warning.

In David's office, David is working (?) at the computer, while Gareth is leaning over his desk, playing with his pens. David takes the pens away from him as they talk about Donna. Gareth says she isn't his daughter, but David says it has to do with respect. "Showing a bit of respect," says Gareth and sighs deeply. David's side glances at him suggest that he doesn't like Gareth leaning on his desk and playing with his calendar or whatever he's doing. He opens his mouth and you expect him to tell Gareth to knock off, but instead he says: "And while she's under my roof, she will obey my laws." Hee, she just showed today she doesn't. Besides, what laws? No sleeping with boys? "Showing respect by obeying the laaw," says Gareth in a ridiculous voice that seems to aim at sounding cool, but fails, as usual. In his subtle way, he continues: "She's legal though. When cherries are red they're ready for plucking, when girls are sixteen they're ready for..." "Gareth," says David in a warning tone. "You've heard that one before," says Gareth. Everyone has, and it's one of those gross sexist things you sometimes hear, tho funny in this context. I can imagine Gareth worrying about the age of consent, as his own mental capacity is so young that he's probably more likely to attract teenagers than grown women. The dynamics between David and Gareth make David appear like his Dad in some way, and suddenly you find that David is being the more grown up one. It's hard to believe, but there's someone who can make even David look smart and mature.

Gareth continues by asking if David is going to fire the person "she shagg...with.. slept with?" Hee. David says he can't do anything about that. It would be one weird reason to fire a guy for, and I doubt David wants to hear about it from either Jennifer or Donna. Gareth seems to think that if the person won't be fired, he could have a shot: "So you wouldn't fire him as such?" He's so obvious. Does he think David is going to give them his blessing? And after Donna gave him the cold shoulder earlier. Of course, he could be thinking that if David fires the guy who sleep with Donna, she'd have less choice, so he could have a chance. Which is funny and sad at the same time. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't sleep with her if they were alone on a deserted island. "I wouldn't look upon him favorably, let's put it this way," says David. What does that mean exactly? He has no right to treat the employees differently whether or not they slept with his... protegé? I guess protegé suggests that she would actually look up to him, which.. not likely at this point.

"Or her, could be a woman," offers Gareth. Donna did say it was a man, but I must give Gareth a tiny point there for thinking she's not necessarily heterosexual. David, like all good homophobes, finds it unthinkable that someone he knows could be gay. "I think I knew if someone living under my roof liked to roll around with other women," he says. Roll around?! There were many appropriate phrases to pick from, and he went with that? It's funny how David thinks he could actually recognize a lesbian. Many heterosexuals think they'd know a homosexual coming a mile away, yet when you come out to them, they act like "OMG, really?!" They always seem to beat themselves for not noticing. Either way, Gareth stares dreamily into space as he's imagining Donna rolling around with other women, which is a bit obvious, but I still love it. "Don't you, Gareth?" says David, and Gareth nods reluctantly. I think he'd love to watch if Donna were to like such things. I wonder if she has a sister?

Enter Chris Finch. I must admit I hate him, even if I can't say that bout any of the other characters on the show. He's well written, well acted and well thought out, but he's just despicable to me. Sexist, homophobic, lookist... you name it. He seems to treat everyone like shit and he only cares about himself. Yet he somehow works really well on the show, because he brings out an even more juvenile side in David. In this scene, we see Finchy tell a terribly unbelievable macho story, while Gareth and David giggle and sometimes glance at Tim, who looks like he doesn't buy the story or find it impressive, and amen to that. The story is as follows: Finchy went to Chasers at 8 pm. There was a girl there who was 19, and Finchy compares her to a Ferrari or something and adds, "fantastic set of shelves and legs up to her arse". Ferrari? "Shelves"? He kinda lost me there. I think I have to update my "Dictionary of Sexism". Or just spend more time in seedy pubs. The girl came on to Finchy, as did a friend of hers, and "muchos tequilas later" - hee - they were in a cab where both girls "got the action on the old single-barrel pumping gear". Ewww. "His nob," interjects David. Yes, we get it, thank you very much. After that Finchy got back home, got two hours of sleep, and met one of the girl's husband at work. "He said, you look knackered. I thought, Oh yeah? Well you look like you had pot noodle and a wank, mate." David keeps making ridiculous faces while Finchy talks, ranging from open juvenile admiration of his luck with girls to an "oo, trouble" face when he met his girl's husband. Gareth and David have been chuckling inanely the whole time, and David says, "Unbelievable" when it ends. No kidding. "I shit you not, I shit you not," says Finchy. If someone says that, they're almost always lying. It's like "believe it or not". David asks if Finchy wants to come down to Chasers tonight with them. "Defi-NATE-ly," says Finchy. "You coming, jobless?" he asks Tim. "Yeah, yeah, if only for the conversation," says Tim without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. I hope Finchy got what he meant. David and Gareth are still thinking of the story. "Pot noodle and a wank!" laughs David. Yeah, brilliant.

Tim voice-overs that Finchy is a sophisticated guy, and the camera zooms on Finchy's face, which suddenly looks kind of sad and tired. I think he lives for these moments with David and Gareth, because he needs the admiration. Maybe he's just... Oh what am I saying? I don't feel sorry for Finchy. I don't want to. He sucks, so it is and forever shall be, amen. Moving on. Tim is being completely straight-faced still as he calls Gareth a "culture vulture" - heee! - and ponders on whether they're going to the opera, the ballet or what. Royal Shakespeare Company is in town, too. On the other hand, at the Chasers, it's "wonderbra get in free night". Hee! That just says so much about the quality of the pub. And this is, what? The third time within 5 episodes that they go down to the same pub with the same people there, in the same tiny place. You'd think Finchy has already slept with all the girls and wants to move on.