The original post: /r/television by /u/AllHallNah on 2024-08-27 17:15:18.
Holy shit, has any actor ever killed it on a T.V. show like this? I mean, I feel like it’s subdued for what Gary Oldman can do, and I’ll admit I haven’t seen too much of his work, but seeing him take this role in stride like it was nothing… I don’t know. It reminds me of that Curb Your Enthusiasm thing about “acting without acting”. It sounds stupid, but with Gary Oldman and this role, it seems effortless. He really just is whoever he plays. It’s not something I haven’t seen before, but it’s obvious with Oldman. It sounds like a paradox: It seems effortless but is quite noticable, it’s noticable but you don’t notice the acting. I love movies and T.V. and these little phenomena in acting are a pleasure to watch unfold.
The show, on its own, had great writing, though. It didn’t play too into the comedy, but it was there and it felt natural. The music was maybe the best I’ve heard in the thriller genre. The characters have their own distinct personalities and they really are just a bunch of fuckups who can’t do much right. I don’t know how, but things aligned right and somehow, the job got done. I don’t even care to go back and piece it apart to see what exactly happened and why things unfolded the way they did. I was invested in the ride and thoroughly enjoyed it.
That’s my favorite thing about this so far, though, the slow horses: They really are nobodies and are not special. Lamb, Oldman’s character, really doesn’t give a fuck about them personally, just that they are his employees and so are an extension of his pride, ego, and his presentability.
These thoughts are unorganized and I had no intention behind this post aside from just showing appreciation for Gary Oldman and the show so far. I’m diving into season 2 today after not knowing if I would care for another season. The first could’ve been a great miniseries and let us all wonder about everything that comes after the final credits rolled. It would’ve been nice. Let’s see if it can keep up with its own pace.