S01.E05: At Last 2018.06.09

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SEASON FINALE!

Quote

As friends, relatives and foes trickle in to pay their final respects to his mother Eleanor, Patrick Melrose finds himself questioning whether a life without parents will be the liberation he has so long imagined. Yet as the memorial service ends and the family gathers one last time, amidst the social niceties and the social horrors, the calms and the rapids, Patrick begins to sense a new current: the chance of some form of safety – at last.

Promo:

[atlantaloves]

What did everybody think, I haven't watched it yet?

[Valmarmar]

Brilliant !!!   Every aspect of the production was award worthy.  Benedict, of course, was...well, Benedict !!!  I enjoyed the characters, scenery, acting, the clever writing. 

The story had more impact because it wasn't pushed on the viewer front and center.  The focus was on the character of Patrick and the story unfolded.  Bravo !! 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Nicholas was a piece of work. He was a nasty bombastic blowhard to the very end. Loved that Patrick sent the hippie to go talk to him and then she clung to him like a burr until he died. When she got into the ambulance with him and said she wasn't going to leave his side, I totally cracked up.

I wanted to high five Mary when she hit her mom with the truth.

Edited June 10, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[IntrovertGal]

What a sad but also hopeful ending to this complex and often tough to watch show! I teared up several times, especially during the scene when Patrick finally plucked up his courage and told his mother that his father had raped him only to have his heart broken again by her response. You could tell that Patrick was so hoping that his mother would for once have empathy for him, put him first and be appalled on his behalf, but sadly he was disappointed yet again. It was so brave on Patrick's part to finally say those words to his mother though, I was proud of him. I also cheered when he went back to the hospital and continued his rehab. He deserved that round of applause.

My heart also broke for Patrick at the funeral when all these people were praising Eleanor's innocence and child-like behaviour when she failed in her most important job as a mother: to protect her son. I'm glad Patrick addressed it and didn't whitewash her character and and I completely understood that he couldn't finish his speech. Benedict's acting throughout the episode was masterful again, I couldn't imagine another actor playing this role so brilliantly.

I loved how Patrick's son Robert didn't give up on his father and what he said to him at the funeral. I'm only halfway through the second book but I'm already looking forward to reading the last one and maybe learning a bit more about Patrick's redemption. Ending the show on one of the most beautiful Blur songs ("Tender") was a stroke of genius and added to the hopeful vibe at the end.

[100Proof]

Aside from the quickie catharsis wrap up, it was a good series

[CanadianContent]

I found the series very entertaining, but also so brutal that it took some strength to watch. I was wondering about the scene with Patrick as a child at the bathroom door, refusing to do what his father said ever again. I take it that was only an imaginary resolution for grown Patrick? When his friend Johnny asked what would he say to his father, Patrick's reply was that no one should do that to anyone else. (At Bridget's party.)  So Patrick finally has the words to heal little Patrick, and feel compassion for his father. Now I want to read the books!

[Cheezwiz]

Excellent series, and beautifully acted by Cumberbatch, but so, so hard to watch. All throughout, I found myself cringing and sometimes peeking through splayed fingers, while at the same time trying to catch the often hilarious dialogue. The dark wit in this show was razor-sharp and kept me watching.

It seemed that apart from his ex-wife Mary, and his friend Johnny, Patrick didn't really have much of a support network, which would have made recovery so hard. (Julia doesn't count because she was awful, and an enabler). Instead he seemed to be perpetually surrounded by his parents' horrible relatives and friends - Nicholas being the last one standing. I loved it when Patrick sicced the new-agey cultist on Nicholas. I was also happy when he decided not to hook up with the crazy woman who was kicked out of rehab, and returned to the clinic to finish his treatment.

1 hour ago, CanadianContent said:

I was wondering about the scene with Patrick as a child at the bathroom door, refusing to do what his father said ever again. I take it that was only an imaginary resolution for grown Patrick?

While I was watching it, I took the scene as real (and was silently cheering for little Patrick), but I think you are probably correct. I think this was how adult Patrick finally managed to vanquish the monster that was his Father. I also would like to read the books - I have seen a few brief excerpts in publicity for the show, and St. Aubyn's use of language looks beautiful. But it will take me awhile to work up to it, as the subject matter is so harrowing.

On a completely unrelated note, until I watched this show, I had no idea geckos lived in the South of France!

[Dessert]

I have read the books and, in Some Hope, Patrick remembers telling his father to stop the sexual abuse and he does. Patrick was actually even younger when the abuse started. He was about eight years old when it stopped. He remembers his father as being horrified. Apparently, he had convinced himself that Patrick hadn’t understood what was happening. I do think that the wording in the series was more metaphorical.

[tennisgurl]

That was a hard sit, but I loved how the series ended. It was so dark, but really had a wittiness about it that kept it from being morose, and it left us with a cautiously optimistic feeling. Patrick isnt fixed, but he seems to have finally found something near closure, and has finally committed to sobriety and to his family. Just great performances from everyone, especially BC. It was just so masterful, you could really feel Patrick's pain, and I felt for him even when he was an asshole and made terrible choices. 

While Patrick's dad was the real boogieman of the series, his mother was the more interesting character, being more pathetic, and, in some ways, even more infuriating. Patrick's father was a monstrous child rapist and piece of garbage, but it was awful seeing the willful blindness of his mother. She did seem to have some desire to be a decent person, but she just didnt have the strength to protect her son, and instead just wallowed in her own misery. When Patrick finally told her what she did, it was so awful seeing how much he wanted her to just acknowledge what happened to him, and show some compassion for him, or some regret for what happened, and it didnt happen. She didnt even seem surprised or upset, just resigned. And his breakdown/breakthrough at the funeral was so heartbreaking, especially after listening to people going on about about innocent and child like she was. Well, she was certainly child like in her inability to make real adult choices and be a real parent. I did giggle at them playing some blues music, and the hippie saying how appropriate it was because of her "love for African Americans" or something, and Patrick and Mary both laughed. And of course, Seamus couldn't be bothered to show up. Yeah, thats the guy she decided to back, instead of her actual family, including the son she allowed her husband to rape. 

Patrick totally earned that applause when he came back to rehab. Just going back is such a huge deal, it was so amazing to see after all of this. It was also great seeing him reconnect with his Mary and his sons, and his son saying he hoped he changed his mind about dinner. Considering how Robert has seemed a bit ambivalent towards his dad, it was such a great moment to see that their relationship could still be saved. And the scene where Patrick admitted that he still felt some sympathy and tenderness towards even his father, despite still loathing him. He saw his parents as not only horribly abusive garbage fires, but also deeply miserable, broken humans, who he never wants to be like. 

Great wrap up, and while this was hard to watch, it seemed very real to the ups and downs of a life being a deeply damaged addict, and how families can suffer through the generation sand make the same mistakes over and over, and trauma can last for years, but the cycle can actually be broken if you work hard enough.

[atlantaloves]

Well, I think I enjoyed it, I tell you one thing, I will never watch it again.  Normally I save everything Cumberbatch is in I love him so, but this was too horrible. Just too mean and nasty for my delicate little brain. Terrific acting and photography. I loved all the actors except Miss Leigh, she always talks like she is trying to choke down a handful of marbles. I loved the ending, it gave us a little hope in that he didn't call that young waitress, he called his wife, as well he should have. 

[paisley]

I can't say I enjoyed it but I'm glad I stayed with it to see Patrick try to do better.

[marys1000]

On 6/10/2018 at 12:40 PM, CanadianContent said:

I found the series very entertaining, but also so brutal that it took some strength to watch. I was wondering about the scene with Patrick as a child at the bathroom door, refusing to do what his father said ever again. I take it that was only an imaginary resolution for grown Patrick? When his friend Johnny asked what would he say to his father, Patrick's reply was that no one should do that to anyone else. (At Bridget's party.)  So Patrick finally has the words to heal little Patrick, and feel compassion for his father. Now I want to read the books!

Thank you for posting this.  I tend to be very literal and didn't catch this.  I came here just to post that I found that scene very out of touch with reality.  That someone like Patrick's father who semed pretty steeped in cruelty don't just crumble like that when a child they have been controlling says no, you are bad.  

While I don't understand how imagining that scenario would help someone, I'll take it on faith as it makes more sense than it actually happening IRL. 

 

I did a small bit of reading about the author, his life etc.  Seems....ironic? that much of what he writes about in terms of the uselessness of the lives of people with generational wealth, their use of irony, sarcasm etc. also seems very much his life.  It doesn't seem like he has actually escaped it.  Also, I don't know whether people are exaggerating his drug habit or not but its hard to understand how anyone could take that many drugs and live.  

Edited June 12, 2018 by marys1000

[Cheezwiz]

On 6/10/2018 at 9:49 PM, tennisgurl said:

While Patrick's dad was the real boogieman of the series, his mother was the more interesting character, being more pathetic, and, in some ways, even more infuriating. Patrick's father was a monstrous child rapist and piece of garbage, but it was awful seeing the willful blindness of his mother. She did seem to have some desire to be a decent person, but she just didnt have the strength to protect her son, and instead just wallowed in her own misery.

Agreed - it almost seems like she was misdirecting (assuaging?) her extreme guilt by being charitable to those OUTSIDE the family. Actually trying to console or help her son would have meant acknowledging awareness of the monstrous acts her husband committed - too much for her pitiful psyche to handle.

[kieyra]

For all its flaws, I’ve had two nightmares now based on this show. I watch a lot of television and this isn’t something I’m typically prone to, so clearly it succeeds in pushing some buttons quite hard. And Hugo Weaving was terrifying. 

[mickiemac]

What a wonderful series although the 2nd episode was a tough watch as others have noted.  Benedict Cucumber-patch was perfection.  When I read the previews of the show I didn't care about the topic - that Benny was in it was enough for me.  Patrick was finally taking control (to an extent) and it was a nice wrap of all that happened beforehand.

I live a rather bland but basically content life in comparison to the characters in this series and wonder how things can get so out of control.  I guess when you consider all the factors that can affect our daily lives, most of us are pretty lucky!

[susannot]

Very well acted but terrifying series.  I thought Jennifer Jason Leigh was excellent as an actress in allowing herself to grow old and ugly and portray a monstrously unsympathetic character.  I am bothered by the fact that the rapist father received a measure of forgiveness at the end but the mother did not.  And Benedict is just simply astonishing.  The premiere actor of our time.  Lawrence Olivier for 2018.