One Foot in the Grave: Season 2, Episode 5 Love and Death

@Saul Till ----- wow, I really appreciate your response to my comment: "balm to the soul" is a great compliment! Like you, I'm pretty sick of seeing extreme rants on YouTube, Patreon and elsewhere. When did everything become so black and white? I'm pretty liberal so have always despised those who rail against "PC gone mad", but now I also worry about knee-jerk cancel culture, which is just as bad. That's why I try to present balanced views like the one above! I doubt I'll change many minds but it's so nice to know someone's listening!

slashdisco

This was a great episode lol. I think the only missed opportunity was when Victor had superglued the beer to his head I thought he'd make Margaret down it in one to avoid it spilling

Wagoo

Erm, okay jeff.

Saul

What will Blakey do with that grave stone now?

@Saul Till - I am Illiterate and I find the term "unlettered" offensive and outdated.

these 2 will not be invited back for an holiday stay there anytime soon I guess 🤣

Paul Hynes

I remember as a child traveling on few in the late 80's

Paul Hynes

Last one I encountered was in South London around 2000. Doors you opened yourself.

Richard M

@slashdisco - it's like a balm for the soul to read the comment at the top...and then look at the replies to see someone basically saying 'yeah, seems fair enough, not a huge deal', rather than twenty different unlettered rants about political correctness and society going down the pan because everything is 'woke'. I think I look at YouTube comment sections more than is good for my sanity. Then I come here and get a nice little reminder that there are plenty of decent, reasonable people out there too, who don't rush to the extremes on every debate.

Saul

I can't be the only one to find her attractive... she's got a Felicity Kendal/Zoe Wanamaker older woman thing going on.

Saul

Spot on

mrRYoung .

The calibre of the guest actors in OFITG for me, is validation of the shows popularity. Here it's the brilliant Georgina Hale and Stephen 'Blakey' Lewis, and continues with comedy greats like Joan Sims, Roy Hudd, Eric Idle (other than singing the theme tune) and top of the list, the late, great Peter Cook!

Rob Walters

FUN FACT: Whilst in the show, Richard Wilson (Victor Meldrew) is the curmudgeon, in reality he's a sweet heart, whereas Annette Crosbie (Margaret Meldrew) has gone on record as saying she has far more in common with Victor than Richard does.

Right Said Brett

Even sadder is that Bob Grant (Jack Harper) committed suicide.

Right Said Brett

"I'm getting older, tired, and ready to get to sleep." They say you might as well face the truth, That you are just too long in the tooth, You've started to deteriorate, And now you're past your own sell-by date. Oh you're no spring chicken it’s true, You have to pop your teeth in to chew, And your knees are starting to knock, You've just got too many miles on the clock. So you're a wrinkly, crinkly, set in your ways It’s true that your body has seen better days, But give you half a chance and you can still misbehave One foot in the grave. One foot in the graveeeeeeeee.

Right Said Brett

I agree 😂

After Work Reactions

Lol 😆 this episode was great I loved it.

After Work Reactions

Yep: on Britbox, there's a warning before the episode saying that it contains "outdated language for the period". Personally, I don't see the problem with that: the episode hasn't been censored, or removed, or otherwise edited. It just gives fair warning that an outdated term is used (and yeah, "midget" is pretty outdated!). Tbh I think this is the most measured approach: not to ban or remove episodes/references, but point out at the start if some older terms are no longer welcome among some communities. Doesn't harm anyone to do that.

slashdisco

I believe the midget joke is yet another joke that has been under fire lately. It was on the news a month or so back the episode had been given a warning now at the start of the show for use of derogatory language

Danny

Are you talking about carriages with compartments? If so, no there aren't any these days. You'll find them on heritage lines though.

Jim

I remember the first time I saw this thinking it was so sweet that they punished the other couple for "making them cheat", showing how much they truely love each other!

Devyn Hall

Absolutely! Her anger, like Victor's, is usually completely understandable - it's a 100% normal reaction to the extremely ABnormal things happening around them. The only difference between them, as you point out, is that Victor will only ever be annoyed at a situation, while Margaret is frequently just annoyed at Victor. And on very rare occasions, she has a rather cruel streak, berating Victor unfairly. Again, I don't think this makes her bad: she has some brilliantly funny/vengeful moments over the series, and she clearly loves Victor more than anything.

slashdisco

I think it will be a long time before he gets to "On The Buses" lol well hopefully

Totally agree with that assessment. When Victor was angry it was often justifiable but when Margaret was angry it was often over really small things and often directed at Victor when he didn't really deserve it. Though there are occasions when I can completely understand her anger.

Christopher Horner

That midge/midget joke was brilliant.

Christopher Horner

Its a British Rail Class 37 locomotive. I've seen em in train museums mostly. Internet said around 60 or so are still in service on the mainline. It's a well known train and popular train with spotters so searching it will probably find you more info on which lines use em.

Danny

One of the first episodes to demonstrate that Margaret can be just as hot-headed, incredulous and vindictive as Victor. In popular UK culture and press, it was only ever Victor Meldrew who was seen as grumpy and indignant. In fact, throughout the series, Margaret was often quicker to anger and more easily irritated than Victor, and had her own very real sense of (often petty) justice. That's not a criticism of Margaret at all, but an observation that she and Victor were equal victims of circumstance, equally lovable, and truly meant to be together.

slashdisco

Josh I believe what you said in your review was correct with the writer setting sexual connotations from the start and Victors lack of passion towards Margaret in the bedroom, but cleverly having them find passion with one another and yet not knowing it, both believing they've had unwanted affairs lol great reaction.

Andrew G

And I was also going to comment how the male hotel/guest house owner was in a popular sitcom "On the Buses" (one for the future), and how he sadly died recently. Google confirmed Stephen Lewis died in 2015. 2015!!! I remember being saddened by his death like it was yesterday.

Ryan Lynch

Does anyone in the UK know if you still get these types of train (from opening scene) here? I've seen them in this, Harry Potter, Two Ronnies, Poirot... bit never once in my 37 years in Scotland (between Ayrshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh, to Berwick or Blackpool). Edit: Mr Bean too

Ryan Lynch

I thought the way the two of them simultaneously thought they'd cheated one one another was quite cleverly done. And I liked Victor's outrage at her taking 'advantage of my body'. Slightly disturbing that the final scene is basically both of them smiling in satisfaction about having avenged their respective sexual assaults... :) That midges/midget joke though....insane.

Saul

Finally 😀 It's 10.30 on a Friday, I'm getting older, tired, and ready to get to sleep. But wanted to see this and stick to my Friday routine.

Ryan Lynch