S2.E3

Episode #2.3

Name: Episode #2.3
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2005-11-03
Duration: 30 min
Rating: 8.4
Cast: Chris Langham, Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison

Episode aired Nov 3, 2005
TV-MA
30m

IMDb RATING

8.4/10

545

YOUR RATING

Chris Langham and James Smith in The Thick of It (2005)

Comedy

Terri has returned from compassionate leave after her father's death and Hugh is back from holiday. The department has a new name, the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, though th... Read allTerri has returned from compassionate leave after her father's death and Hugh is back from holiday. The department has a new name, the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, though they seem to be dealing with issues no other departments want. They also have a new building... Read allTerri has returned from compassionate leave after her father's death and Hugh is back from holiday. The department has a new name, the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, though they seem to be dealing with issues no other departments want. They also have a new building but it is a disappointment - with no ventilation and the email system is down so the staf... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.4/10

545

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Trivia
Final appearance of Chris Langham as Hugh Abbot. On 2 August 2007, Langham was found guilty of 15 charges of downloading and possessing level 5 child pornography. Langham was jailed for ten months, reduced to six on appeal. He was made to sign the sex offenders' register, and banned from working with children for 10 years.

Quotes
Oliver Reeder: Who wants to go and watch bollockvision?
Hugh Abbott: Bollockvision?
Oliver Reeder: Mr. Malcolm Tucker, turning it all the way up to eleven down in the lobby. Come and have a look.
[cut to them all watching Tucker shouting at another minister on an adjacent floor from a balcony]
Hugh Abbott: Poor Keith. Malcolm must fucking love this place, four ministers in one building. It's his dream, a one-stop bollock shop.
Glenn Cullen: Trouble is we're going to be getting some of that in about an hour.
Hugh Abbott: Yeah. I don't know which is worse, watching him slowly rumble towards you like a prostate cancer or him appearing suddenly out of nowhere like a severe stroke.
[Terri, whose father just died, looks at him]
Hugh Abbott: Oh. How's your sister coping?

Connections
References The Exorcist (1973)

User reviews2

Review

Featured review

9/10

A tremendous comedy with a superb dramatic undercurrent

My overall rating of "The Thick of it"'s Season 2: 7/10

I like this episode the most of all I've watched so far and it's not only to do with the fact that pretty much every of the rapid-fire jokes seems to be incredibly funny and razor-sharp, but also with the sudden but well-executed dramatism of this particular episode. Indeed both main plotlines posit significant moral choices for the minister, and both lead to fairly dramatic outcomes.

I could nitpick a bit about Terri being a bit too neutrally-acted when perhaps slightly more drama was in order (like a moment of breaking into tears) - by and large this episode is beyond great, however.