The End Of The F***ing World - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

All episodes general discussion of The End of The F***ing World go here.

[nodorothyparker]

[nodorothyparker]

End of the F***ing World is Pitch Black Perfection

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The concept of The End of the F***ing World—a heartwarming, quirky romance between a budding psychopath and a truculent, wounded teenager—feels a bit like a Wes Anderson screenplay that’s been rejected for being too dark. But the eight-part series, which arrives in a semi-surprise drop on Netflix Friday after debuting on the U.K.’s Channel 4, is a surprising tour de force, mashing up the pitch-black humor of British alternative comedies with the visual punch of an auteur-driven indie film. It’s also mercifully short. Individual episodes top out at around 20 minutes, making the series eminently bingeable, and giving it a taut, concise structure that more new shows could stand to mimic.

End of The F***ing World Isn't Nearly as Bleak as It Looks

Quote

This is by no means a celebration of criminal behavior. It’s more of a wake-up call about how quickly things can get scary, and how quickly you can lose your sense of self when you act purely on impulse.

Demented End of The F***ing World is Perfectly Timed

[veronicalodge44]

i'm in that just-finished-binging phase where my thinking hasn't quite yet solidified.

so for now, two things come to mind about this finale:

one is that even as i was aware that this series was riffing on many sources (especially films) that have a darker tone, even as i remembered the title of the show, even as i knew that it was probably against the grain of where the show had been leading the entire time -- i still wanted a happier ending than the one we got.  it fit the story, made logical sense, offered the character of james somewhat of a redemption arc -- going from contemplating killing alyssa to sacrificing himself for her, and yet, the emotional side of me overwhelmed the critical side and i hoped that somehow these two crazy kids would get away and have a chance to make it work out between them.

 

the other things is, relatedly, i have read rumors that this series might be given a greenlight for another season, which has led me to fantasize that the shot we hear in the closing moment has missed james, or just, like, hit his arm or calf or something non-life threatening, and he lives and the series continues.

 

that said, the storyline i would be equally if not more excited to see play out for longer is the one between the two women police officers.  i love both actresses and their dynamic was gold throughout.

[TheGourmez]

Other than delight once I realized that was Asha--sorry, Yara--Greyjoy onscreen, I give this series a solid meh. The actors were good, but overall, it just seemed like a hodge podge of every "I'm an angsty, edgy teen" film I've ever seen.

[paulvdb]

5 hours ago, veronicalodge44 said:

the other things is, relatedly, i have read rumors that this series might be given a greenlight for another season, which has led me to fantasize that the shot we hear in the closing moment has missed james, or just, like, hit his arm or calf or something non-life threatening, and he lives and the series continues.

Realistically it probably missed. In tv and movies it often seems easy to shoot someone from a distance, but I've read that it's not so easy in real life. We already saw that the first shot missed and James ran further away by the time of the second shot so it's very likely that it also missed. And even if he was hit it is very likely that it was not fatal.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

James VO: I'm James. I'm 17 and I'm pretty sure I'm a psychopath.

James VO: I'd always wanted to punch my dad in the face.

Gwen: Your presence is required, young lady.
Alyssa: Why are you talking like Downton Abbey? 

Alyssa VO: My mum used to be nice but then she got divorced from my dad and met Tony. Last week, he said he thought I needed a bigger bra. So I threw a chicken Kiev at his head. Mum pretended that she hadn't heard him.

James VO: Alyssa was kind of a nymphomaniac.

James VO: I actually masturbated once a week for medical purposes. I knew it wasn't good to let things build up.

Phil: I always thought there was something wrong with [James]. I thought probably he was gay. Which is, that's fine. Like, obviously - but here you are.
Alyssa: Maybe I'm gay. Maybe he's asexual. We're dealing with a really broad spectrum these days.

Alysssa: Your dad is a prick.
James: Yeah, I know. Sometimes I feel like punching him in the face.
Alyssa: You should definitely do that.

Alyssa VO: I think being angry and sad at the same time really turns me on.

Alyssa VO: I kind of think I could fall in love with him. Also, he has a car.
James VO: I wondered if it'd be easier to slit her throat if I flipped her around. Whether it'd be better not to see her face, but then, the angle. It was a conundrum.

Alyssa: Let's get out of here.
James: What?
Alyssa: I'm serious. Let's leave this shithole town now. You hate it, I hate it. Our parents are dickheads, you've got a car.
James: It's my dad's.
Alyssa: Who's a dickhead.

James VO: I didn't know where we were going or when I was going to kill her, but I punched my dad in the face and stole his car and that felt like a good place to start.

Edited January 9, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Normally I'm not a fan of angry teens, but I like that these two both have ulterior motives for being around each other. The juxtaposition of their inner monologues had me cracking up. For all of Alyssa's disdain of fitting in, when she said, "I think I could fall in love with him. Also, he has a car," she sounded exactly like a typical teenager!

James is creeping me out a little bit. It's one thing to be emo. It's another thing to kill your neighbor's cat.

Edited January 9, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Alyssa: Guess what freedom smells like?
James: What?
Alyssa: Cow shit.

James: Seatbelt.
Alyssa: Fuck seatbelts.

James VO: Alyssa was really good at annoying people.

Alyssa: How long till your dad calls the police?
James: What?
Alyssa: About the car.
James: He won't.
Alyssa: Really?
James: Yeah. He'll think we're coming home soon. He's a prick and everything, but he's pretty optimistic.

Alyssa: The only rule with these things is that you never steal from a smaller, independent business.
James: Whose rule is that?
Alyssa: My dad's. He's basically Robin Hood. He breaks the law and stuff, but he's really moral.
Leslie: If it's a chain, it's free rein. Say it.
Young Alyssa: If it's a chain, it's free rein.
Alyssa: Otherwise, you're basically funding terrorism. Places like this are all run by the Man.
James: What man?
Alyssa: The Man man. The Man who, you know, owns all the oil, forces Chinese children to make smartphones and hates Palestine.

Alyssa: We should have sex.
James: What, now?
Alyssa: Yeah. Take your top off.
James: Oh, okay.
James VO: I had to go along with it. But I wasn't sure if sex was something you could just go along with - especially not as a man.
Phil: It's okay for women. They can just lie back, think of England. Us men, we have to be England.

James: Why is no one stopping?
Alyssa: Probably because you've got your tits out. I'm serious, no one stops for weirdos, except other weirdos.

Alyssa: I am gonna be so fucked off if we get murdered.

Alyssa: You know your car smells like feet.

Alyssa: This guy is a prick. He's like the worst kind of person.
James: He's all right.
Alyssa: Why are you defending him? He's a murderer.
James: What?
Alyssa: He was in the Army. He's murdered people. And now he's buying a dog to murder other dogs with.

James: What was it like in the Army?
Martin: It's was all right, yeah.
James: Did you kill people?
Martin: It's a part of the job, son.
James: How many?
Martin: Well, it would be sick to keep count, wouldn't it?
James VO: I'd have definitely kept count.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Well it didn't take long for the cracks to show in Alyssa's facade. She is trying so hard to act tough and loud and adult but not so far beneath the surface, she's just a girl. Don't get me wrong - I don't blame her for leaving that skeevy stepdad. It was just a matter of time before he put the moves on her and based on her mom's jealous reaction, her mom wasn't going to do anything when it finally happened. Even before that happened, it was obvious that Alyssa felt like an outsider with her mom's new family, and her mom was just treating her like an employee. I get that kids have chores, but passing hors d'oeuvres at her mom's party? Great parenting skills there.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Alyssa: it's fucking weird having a photo of yourself.

James VO: Alyssa didn't have much respect for people. Or people's stuff.

Alysssa VO: I sometimes wonder if I should just become an alcoholic. It means you've always got something to do.

Alyssa VO: Some people get embarrassed dancing. I don't. I think it's when I feel most myself. I get embarrassed talking, or after talking when I realise I've said something stupid. 
Alyssa: We should do this naked!
Alyssa VO: Something like that.

Alyssa VO: Whoever says all boys are obsessed with sex hasn't met James.

James VO: I tended not to feel things. For a long time, I was good at it. Good at feeling absolutely nothing. I didn't even have to try. I just didn't.

Alyssa: What kind of a name is Topher?
Topher: It's short for Christopher.
Alyssa: So why can't you just be called Chris, like a normal person?
Topher: Don't know. Guess I'm a twat.

Topher: This isn't being filmed, is it? Are you actually underage, and someone's going to leap out of the cupboard with a camera and be like, "Catch a paedophile!"?

Alyssa: I'm sorry.
Topher: What?
Alyssa: I changed my mind, I'm sorry. I'm not into this.
Topher: Are you kidding?
Alyssa: Nope.
Topher: But that's not fair.
Alyssa: Uh, yes, it is.
Topher: Please, Alyssa, I think you're amazing.
Alyssa: Well, then, respect me changing my mind and fuck off, please.
Topher: There is a word for girls like you.
Alyssa: I'll bet.

Alyssa: It feels like sex can go from something you want to do, to a punishment - really fucking quickly.

James: Are you a virgin?
Alyssa: Yes.
James: Me too.
Alyssa: Yeah, no shit!

Edited January 9, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

My favorite thing about this episode was Alyssa telling Topher that she'd changed her mind and when he tried to guilt trip her into continuing, she told him to respect her decision and fuck off.

But man, things took a turn when the creepy professor got home. For a minute, I thought that James was just going to lie under the bed and do nothing so I was relieved when he stabbed him. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

James: Isn't it a bit fucked up wearing his clothes?
Alyssa: I think the fucked up bit was murdering him.

James: Dead people are heavier than alive people. I read that.
Alyssa: Good to know.

James VO: Alyssa seemed to know what she was doing. I figured that if I just did what I was told, then it might be all right.
Alyssa VO: I don't know if this is the right thing to be doing. I'm just thinking about what people on the TV do when they've done this.

James VO: I realised that she was scared of me. That felt kind of unfair. I'd been her protector.

Teri: Did you notice anything distinctive about her?
Topher: Angry looking? But almost pretty but actually average.
Teri: And do you want to give her a score out of ten?
Topher: Like-
Teri: I'm joking.
Topher: Oh, no, no, I mean like she's fine, she's fine, not like a model, you know?
Teri: What was she wearing? Before you undressed her and tried to have sex with her, I mean.

Eunice: So his alibi checks out. Clive Koch died between midnight and 3am, the twat in there was at a house party during that time.
Teri: Witnesses?
Eunice: Yes. Lots of other twats.

James VO: Having finally murdered a human, I realised something quite important. I was pretty sure I wasn't a psychopath.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rita: I don't regret it. I just wish it hadn't happened.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm glad that Alyssa was smart enough to figure out that James already had that knife when he was under the bed. That had to be a scary realization. I liked that we got to hear both their inner monologues as they came to grips with the fact that they had just killed someone. I had to laugh when she revealed that she was just doing what she had seen on tv shows when she told James to take off his shoes and get some bleach.

I can't blame Alyssa for wanting to run instead of reporting it to the police because she knew how suspicious it would look that they had broken into his house. I'm not saying that was the right decision, but I can see how a traumatized girl who had just almost been raped thought that was what they should do.

And as if the almost rape wasn't bad enough, seeing all the photos and video that Professor Creepy had could not have helped her state of mind. I was so disappointed that his mother burned them all. The world should know what a disgusting predator your son was, lady.

A+ to Alyssa for having them change their hair and clothes. It drives me absolutely crazy when I see people go on the run and they do nothing to change their appearance. At the very least, get a hat to hide your face a little bit! Hair length and color are also a good idea. If they are looking for a teenage girl with longish brown hair, they're not going to notice a blonde girl with shorter hair. Heh, the Hawaiian shirt was not a great choice, but at least she tried to change his appearance a little bit.  I don't claim to be an expert on going on the run, but I've watched enough tv shows to know that just walking around looking like yourself is not a good idea!

I was hoping that James would realize he isn't a psychopath. I knew it when he vomited after killing Professor Rapey but I wasn't sure if he would come to that conclusion himself, so the end of the episode was really a turning point for him. But poor James - getting ditched at the diner!

And yay for Yara Greyjoy!

ETA: I just watched another "we're on the lam" episode a few hours earlier where the characters' idea of changing their appearance was giving an emerald green wig to a girl who had purple hair, so I am just glad that Alyssa's hair color change was a better decision.

Edited January 9, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Wow. Poor James. It's difficult enough to have your mom commit suicide, especially when you're still a child, but to see it happen? Fuck.

Alyssa's stepfather continues to suuuuuuuck. Even without his gross interactions with Alyssa, he is still slimy. I loved the look between Rita and Eunice while they were trying to interview Alyssa's mother, as well as the one they shared when they said they needed a current photo of Alyssa and they all looked at the mantel which only had photos of Gwen, Tony, and the new babies.

Alyssa is a softie! I knew she would abandon her escape plan to bring that little girl back to the store. Heh, and I know exactly how she feels - I always get my period at the most inconvenient times.

[paulvdb]

5 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I was so disappointed that his mother burned them all. The world should know what a disgusting predator your son was, lady.

If there's one thing I learned from TV it's that parents will almost always cover up their children's crimes. It's very rare to see a parent go to the police to report their child's crimes, no matter how bad those crimes are.

[nodorothyparker]

I wasn't sure if people would binge this all in one sitting like I did, given the series' relatively short run time, or not.  Either way, we can discuss the season as a whole as much as the final episode here.

I'm seeing a lot of speculation too that this may get another season when it doesn't seem like they were initially thinking in that direction.  That ending gunshot and cut to black is just ambiguous enough that they've left themselves some room, although I'm not sure how they wrangle the characters out of the mess they're in.  As an American, I don't know enough about the British legal system to do more than guess that even with both surviving they're probably looking at some good amount of time for at the very least manslaughter, armed robbery, and stealing at least one car.  That the two detectives made a point of mentioning that all of these crimes happened before James turned 18 feels like it may make the difference in his final resolution, although again I'm just guessing.  17-year-olds get charged as adults and do adult time all the time here.

Isn't it funny how a story that started out with this kid very flatly telling us he kills cats had us rooting for him to get away to start over somewhere and for it to all work by the end?  I wasn't expecting that or to like this as much as I did.  I think part of why it works it because it knows we've seen these stories a million times before and plays off of that with a wink, with Alyssa commenting at one point that if this was a movie they'd probably be American characters and their big makeover to disguise themselves only resulting in them looking every bit like half the movie characters we have seen in these kinds of stories.  A good soundtrack doesn't hurt either.

[nodorothyparker]

I had that moment of wondering too if James would just lie there under the bed and let it happen.  Other than that initial punch to his dad's face, he's been so passively accepting of everything that's happened up to this point in the story.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rita: I'm sorry, why on earth would you give a 13 year old boy a hunting knife?
Phil: Well, he asked for it. Actually, no, he asked for a machete but I said that was a bit full on.

Alyssa: Frodo?
Frodo: Yeah?
Alyssa: Is that your actual name? Like, your birth name?
Frodo: Yeah.

James: Are you okay?
Alyssa: Of course I am. James, we killed a rapist, turned our backs on the law, and I'm finally going to meet my dad again. It's mega.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

James has so many hidden talents! Hotwiring cars, building dams, taxidermy, making yogurt.

Ha, the CD with only one song reminded me of Marshall's old car on How I Met Your Mother with the cassingle of "500 Miles" stuck in the player and the episode of The Office with Darryl, Michael, and Holly singing "Life Is a Highway" on their road trip.

Frodo's idea of revenge was hilarious - dumping out the cancer keychains and drinking lots of milk. And his real name is Frodo?! I thought his boss just called him that to be an ass!

I was really surprised that Professor Rapesalot's mother turned over the video footage. I thought she would have destroyed that along with the photos.

[nodorothyparker]

I love the nod too that they're using what they've seen on TV as a how to guide.  Isn't that probably what most of us would default to in those moments of shock after sort of accidentally but not really having to kill someone?

I also really love that while they were smart enough to think about how they should probably change their appearances the appearances they changed to were of practically every pair in every movie we've seen over the last couple of decades about a couple going on a crime spree, right down to the Hawaiian shirt and bad blonde dye job and bobbed hair.  Thank you show for so winkingly acknowledging your source material.

James's reaction to killing Professor Creepy pretty much confirmed what I'd already suspected about him maybe not being the most reliable narrator in talking about what a psychopath he is and killing neighborhood pets.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I agree. The only active decision he made up until that point was pretending to like Alyssa so that he could kill her. Everything else was him just going along with whatever she wanted to do, to the point where even she told him that he didn't have to do things just because other people wanted to (when they were outside the diner after that gross incident in the bathroom).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Leslie: Well, you turned out all right, didn't you? You're gorgeous.
Alyssa: Shut up.
Leslie: No, no, I'm serious. You were a fucking weird-looking kid. I'm relieved.

Leslie: That becomes a bed.
Alyssa: Oh, what, like a fold-out? Cool.
Leslie: No, just it becomes a bed if you sleep on it.

James VO: I've never met someone like Leslie. Not an adult. He seemed like one most of the time, but it was like he was missing parts.

Rita: Do you know where James may have got a gun from?
Phil: He never had a gun. He only ever had his knife.
Gwen: What the hell is the matter with you?

James: I think your dad's a drug dealer.
Alyssa: Cool.

Leslie: Got to fight the system. Got to, kiddo. Because we live in properly fucked up times. Don't you forget that. The wisest thing anyone's ever said to me, right? Want to hear this? James, you listening? "To be mad in a deranged world is not madness. It's sanity."
Alyssa: Who said that?
Leslie: Me.
Alyssa VO: He's basically Gandhi.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Interesting that so far, James hasn't been super observant about anyone but he immediately said in his voiceover that Alyssa's father was an adult who wasn't REALLY an adult.

Leslie was not kidding when he said that the burgers he made were well done. That thing looked like a blackened hockey puck.

I felt bad for almost everyone in this episode. Poor Alyssa was so desperate to believe that her dad was not a complete shit. James was so desperate not to shatter Alyssa's illusions. Leslie was so desperate to believe that he was a good dad (but only to Alyssa, not his son with Debbie). Alyssa and Leslie have set the bar for fatherhood so low that they both think sending her a birthday card once a year is him being a good dad.

I thought Debbie was adhering to the honor among thieves code by not telling Yara Greyjoy where Leslie had moved (and denying that she'd seen Alyssa and James) but then she went and texted the police his address because she was mad that he wouldn't give her money for their kid. Spiteful!

And the exclamation point on "Leslie sucks" was when he ran over that poor dog in the parking lot!

Edited January 9, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Alyssa VO: It's much easier to think someone's the answer if you haven't seen them for years. Because they're not really real. People can't be answers. They're just more questions. Questions like, "Why are you such a fucking useless dad?"

Eunice: Have you got any antiseptic?
Leslie: I've got some arnica in the bathroom.
Eunice: Let's not piss into the wind.

Eunice: Your stepdad's a nasty twat, isn't he?

Leslie: Listen, sweetheart, take it from someone who knows, you take after your mum. You've shit taste in men.

Leslie: What is wrong with you?!
Alyssa: You wanna know what's wrong with me, yeah? You! You are! You don't care about me, don't give the tiniest, tiniest shit.
Leslie: Of course I care. Of course I give a shit.
Alyssa: You shouldn't just make people if you're gonna abandon them because they think they've done something wrong their whole lives.
Leslie: Oh, don't give me that victim shit, Alyssa. We could all do that. "I'm anorexic because I was adopted," or, "I cheat on women because I wasn't breast-fed. " Everyone has a reason for how they behave.
James: What's yours, then?
Leslie: Huh?
James: Why are you such a prick?
Alyssa VO: I love him so much.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Poor Phil. I have felt bad for him since the first episode. Sure, he tells dad jokes and he isn't the most sensitive guy, but he's not a bad guy. He clearly loved his wife who then committed suicide and he's been trying to raise a kid who he doesn't relate to at all.

Loved the sunset at the beach (but I love the beach and sunsets so I'm biased). Part of me was glad that they didn't have sex, but after seeing the way the season ended now I kind of wish that they had. Poor Alyssa though. She was still so traumatized by what had happened to her, which is totally understandable.

I'm glad that James told Alyssa about his mom's suicide and that she immediately told him that it wasn't his fault. I think he had been carrying that guilt for so long and blaming himself for not stopping her when realistically there was nothing he could have done to save her.

I knew Leslie couldn't be trusted but man, calling the cops on your own kid for the reward money? Harsh. I had a feeling that he wasn't the one sending her birthday cards when she mentioned it in the previous episode and he stared at the card like he'd never seen it. Gwen was not a great mother, but I understand why she sent those cards from Leslie every year. She was just trying to make Alyssa feel loved.

One of the reasons that this show worked for me was the gradual transformation we saw of James. In the first episode, he told us that he killed his neighbor's cat and numerous other animals. By the end of the previous episode, he couldn't bring himself to kill a puppy to put it out of its misery. His slow growth is something that had to happen over the course of time or it wouldn't be as believable. The fact that his plan in the first episode was to kill Alyssa and the season ended with him sacrificing himself to completely absolve her was not surprising but it was still a satisfying (if melancholy) ending. If they end up doing a second season, they can easily get away with the shot missing him. We saw that he was pretty far down the beach so it's totally believable that they missed him completely or hit him somewhere other than center mass.

Heh, Leslie completely disregarding Eunice's instructions to leave the knife in his leg and then swooning made me laugh.

Lastly, the music supervisor deserves a high five - so many great songs!

[nodorothyparker]

31 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Interesting that so far, James hasn't been super observant about anyone but he immediately said in his voiceover that Alyssa's father was an adult who wasn't REALLY an adult

I don't know how much of it isn't being super observant and how much of it is just not being much engaged with anyone up until now.  He's had such a flat indifferent effect throughout so much of the series (Because I'm of the opinion that he's dealing with some series depression more being the psychopath he thinks he is.) but he clearly does care about Alyssa and knows how much she's built up her dad in her head and how much she's got riding on him being what she imagined him to be.  

Leslie really is quite the piece of work here, isn't he?  He's whatever the English equivalent of a redneck deadbeat is, abandoning his kids and then expecting to be congratulated for doing the bare minimum of acknowledging them when they do show up.  And of course he'd rather get drunk with the teenagers he just met than take even 30 seconds to notice how shifty-eyed they're behaving after having apparently walked to his place out in the middle of nowhere.  Debbie seemed like she was doing her best not to get involved in whatever was going on that had the police come looking for him until she'd just had enough of his bullshit.

[snowwhyte]

Frodo was really not that bright. Most of us have had crappy jobs with annoying bosses but it you hate it that much you quit and find something else. You don't try to run off with supposedly armed criminals trying to rob your workplace. 

[CaptainTightpants]

First episode in and I love Alyssa! She is everything I wished I was in high school and more. 

Totally get her headspace, her mum and pedo-stepdad just suck! 

There was a similar scene in Fleabag, where the daughter is expected to act as a server at a party. I would have pitched a massive fit and done a mic-drop exit! (Not really, but I wish I was the type that could).

In both cases the hosts can clearly afford to hire some catering staff. So what is even the point behind forcing her to act as a waitress except to be shitty?

Loving this show so far!

[spaceghostess]

Welp, I'm really glad I popped into this thread before hopping off the fence to try this show. Having watched the promo on Netflix, I was trying to determine whether James is really a psychopath or whether he just thinks he is (and going on the road with Alyssa begins to make him realize that maybe he isn't). But news that he killed a cat--and/or any other number of animals?--is a bridge too far me to cross to watch a romantic dramedy/road movie with him as one half of the couple. Love me some antiheroes and dark love stories, but I guess I have my limits.

[anonymiss]

 What an awesome show. So glad I watched.  Binged to the end. Don't think they should do a season 2 but will definitely watch. 

[Nellise]

On 1/9/2018 at 2:12 AM, paulvdb said:

Realistically it probably missed. In tv and movies it often seems easy to shoot someone from a distance, but I've read that it's not so easy in real life. We already saw that the first shot missed and James ran further away by the time of the second shot so it's very likely that it also missed. And even if he was hit it is very likely that it was not fatal.

I thought the gunshot at the end was the shotgun though and not a handgun. It sounded different to me. I thought James shot himself (he was running with the shotgun in his hand still).

 

I thought overall it was decent but not amazing or anything. I think I would have actually preferred if the guy they killed wasn't completely awful so it was a bit more morally questionable.

[Bama]

James narrated the whole story in the past tense, right?  Like he was telling someone how it all went down.

Who is he telling the story to after the fact if he's dead?

[Chaos Theory]

I guess I am contrary or maybe a bit of a psychopath myself because when people complain about the killing of animals on shows it just makes me want to watch it more.  I was on the fense.  Teenage angst is not my thing.   Anything that triggers people kinda is.  . 

[nodorothyparker]

As much as I may love my cats in my own life, this doesn't really bother me much either because I'm never not aware that I'm watching a show.  A British show at that, which to my understanding means they're under even stricter guidelines than American shows about making doubly triply sure that no actual animals were harmed in the making of.  Throw in that I'm not convinced that James is being honest about himself right from the start, and I'm good to go.

[Anela]

I liked her mocking the name "Topher". And telling him where to go. 

That almost hand-hold was so sweet. 

[Thrifty]

I hate this trick that writers do.  The people who made this show know that the actual fifth word of the title is taboo, so they censor it out.  Everyone on Earth knows what that word is, so either use the actual word or, if that is unacceptable, change the title. 

 

Frank's Red Hot Sauce does the same thing, and their radio ads drive me nuts.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Two more Netflix promos:

You and me against the world:

 

Properly beautiful:

[leighdear]

"Dead" narrators aren't that unusual....This has books and movies.  Kinda cool, actually. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Fiction_narrated_by_a_dead_person

[mommo]

My son told me it was based on a graphic novel, which I don't particularly like but what the heck. Snow day, stuck inside, try something new.  I have to say I was drawn in immediately and except for brief breaks to stretch I binged the whole series this morning.   The characters evolved into truly likable people in the end, and  of course I was rooting for the "us against the world" scenario.  If it comes back for another season, I'll watch, if not, I'll use my imagination to stay in touch with Alyssa and James.  At the very least, I'm convinced to give graphic novels another look.

[JustaPerson]

In most shows the actors are clearly not teens, but I kept thinking the characters were 14-15 because the actors look so young. In reality they're both in their 20s. 

[Chaos Theory]

Finally did actually watch it and it is actually funny.  I mean really funny.  I like both main characters and how they see the world and the people in their lives is interesting.  

[Chaos Theory]

Well that took a turn.    

James's reaction to the whole thing is proof that he isn't really a psychopath.  Allysa I am not as sure of.  

[Chaos Theory]

On 1/9/2018 at 9:36 AM, paulvdb said:

If there's one thing I learned from TV it's that parents will almost always cover up their children's crimes. It's very rare to see a parent go to the police to report their child's crimes, no matter how bad those crimes are.

But that is fairly realistic too.  Even in reality I doubt most parents would turn in their child without something else going on.  Plus if the kid was already dead like Professor Rapey is I can understand the mother getting rid of the evidence just to save her sons memory.

[Milburn Stone]

On 1/9/2018 at 9:03 AM, nodorothyparker said:

James's reaction to killing Professor Creepy pretty much confirmed what I'd already suspected about him maybe not being the most reliable narrator in talking about what a psychopath he is and killing neighborhood pets.

One thing about the narration I noticed in this episode was that while all of Alyssa's voiceover stream-of-consciousness is in the present tense, cluing us in to how she feels in the moment, all of James' voiceover narration is in the past tense--meaning he is looking back at these events from some future point. For instance, as he's sitting in a police interrogation room, a jail cell, or even a normal domicile, should he be so lucky to reach that point at some age. At the very least it means he's alive in the future, which otherwise I wouldn't take for granted.

As I thought about why he called the police, I decided his main motivation was that it was the only way he knew to see Alyssa again. He's even willing to sit in a jail cell for the rest of his life if that's the price he has to pay for being rounded up with her now.

[Lamima]

I thought Frodo's boss was also his mom.

[wayne67]

Yeah I don't buy that he's a psychopath or a sociopath, the more likely option is he's just traumatized by something in his backstory and he's shut down and trying to deal with it in a really messed up way.

He's had plenty of chances to kill her and he's not done it. I'm really hoping this isn't going to be a 'lover conquers mental illness' plot. It's looking bad so far. 

[Unclejosh]

On 1/22/2018 at 10:55 AM, Chaos Theory said:

But that is fairly realistic too.  Even in reality I doubt most parents would turn in their child without something else going on.  Plus if the kid was already dead like Professor Rapey is I can understand the mother getting rid of the evidence just to save her sons memory.

This is one thought process I never understood. It isn't about protecting her son's memory, it is about her not wanting to be confronted or deal with other people's reaction to it in front of her.  Selfish cowardly act.

[Bethanne]

As the parent to teens, I was gutted by this final episode. It was heartbreaking to see Alyssa completely broken and raw and James realizing he had no exit ramp. I just wanted to wrap them both up in hugs and love them.

I assumed the gunshot was James killing himself. 

 

I hope there’s no second season.