Crashing Review: Damien Molony lights up the screen in electric episode 2 – and We Don’t Give A Fork!

January 21, 2016

Crashing returned with Episode 2 on Monday night and Damien’s performance was electric.

Delightfully off-beat, moving and cleverly funny from beginning to end, Channel 4’s new comedy sitcom came crashing back on to our screens with explosive scenes, a smart script and edgy lines.

Set in an atmospheric disused hospital occupied by property guardians, the all too brief 30 minutes episode packed in lots of location-centred laughs and deepened the main characters beyond their intros, venturing into their places of work and developing their relationships.

The astute humour began even before the opening credits rolled, in a captivatingly choreographed ‘we’re not looking’ scene between the three central characters, as Anthony (Damien) and Kate (Louise Ford) wake up in bed in the morning across the room from Anthony’s childhood friend, Lulu (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who is temporarily crashing in their ex-operating theatre bedroom.

Anthony and Kate pretend not to watch Lulu

Not looking: Love triangle Anthony, Kate and Lulu

Both the sitcom’s setting and the ‘love triangle’, especially Kate’s increasing insecurities, are the main focus of the new instalment. The stand out scene of the episode, captured in the clip below, is an explosive mix of tension-filled comedy and touching humour, beautifully played by Damien and Louise Ford.

Events organiser Kate proceeds to attempt to engineer Lulu out of the equation but the more she tries, the more she inadvertently creates situations that bring her and Anthony together. Her problems escalate when she accidentally offers Lulu the receptionist job at her work and after sending her on a fake errand, the two bump into each other at lunch.

Anthony’s no-cutlery restaurant

Lunch being the perfect opportunity to introduce us to Anthony’s place of work, a restaurant with the award-worthy name ‘We Don’t Give A Fork.’ where both Kate and Lulu separately arrive.

“We’re a no-cutlery restaurant. A contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional north African hand-to-mouth dining etiquette” Anthony explains to Melody (Julie Dray) and a reluctant Colin (Adrian Scarborough), who are also at lunch there.

Anthony explains the ‘We Don’t Give A Fork’ food philosophy

When Kate leaves to attend the fake meeting she made up to get out of having lunch with Lulu, Anthony tries to have serious convo with his childhood friend, who has been trying to avoid him all day.
“Don’t fuck it up with Kate.. and get a duvet, I don’t want you knocking on my door, looking for a towel to sleep on.” But his attempts at firmness don’t align with the shiny-eyed intimacy between the two and his “I’m not in love with you” declaration mirrors his “I have been in love with you..” (non) admission of the first episode.

Anthony tries to have a serious talk with Lulu

Later that evening, in another mirroring scene, Anthony has fixed, filled and lit candles around the bath and instigates the couple’s first open discussion about the tensions that have been bubbling beneath the surface since Lulu’s arrival.

Anthony fixes the bath for Kate

Kate is reassured and harmony is temporarily restored, until a drunken Lulu, with new office friend in tow, comes knocking on Anthony’s door looking for condoms… and a towel to sleep on…

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Other standout moments

~ Externally effervescent Sam (Jonathan Bailey) pulling Fred (Amit Shah) out of an important presentation at work – “Your test results have just come back.. they’ve found a donor” – his flamboyance just a cover for wanting to take Fred to his father’s funeral.

~ Jessica (Susan Wokoma) telling worried Kate that “everyone fucks everyone, eventually” and Kate replying “But that’s just not true” and later Kate telling Anthony “everyone fucks everyone, eventually” and Anthony replying “But that’s just not true”

~ Melody watching Colin arrive with his suitcase from a window, then running outside and chasing him when he changes his mind.

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Proving itself to be funny and fresh, this is a smart sitcom with compelling stories and characters with shades and tones. We’re really beginning to ‘give a fork’ about all these co-crashing friends and can’t wait to see what happens next.

Crashing is produced by Big Talk Productions and Episode 3 airs 10 pm Monday 25 January on Channel 4.