#and he and bobby can bond over mental health issues which may even lead to the start of their romantic storyline

[freddieslater]

3.1k words | Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mental Health Issues

After accidentally getting Stacey in trouble with the Old Bill and the social work, Freddie's beating himself up over the slip-up. He confides in Bobby how he thinks there's something wrong with him, leading to a heart-to-heart over mental illness and a trip to the doctor.

[marjanefan]

Inside no.9 -Scene analysis – 23 [December]- ‘Love’s Great Adventure

Viewers of Inside have picked up that some of the recurrent themes of Inside No.9 are masculinity, the way men relate and interact with each other, their treatment of women, and issues of male mental health (specifically responses to trauma and loss). This is something that draws me back to the show and something I have tried to explore on this blog. There is one particular scene in one episode which is for me is fascinating in how it explores men’s relationships with each other and how they are socialised to deal with issues such as loss. It also offers a moving example of how men can support each other. This is ‘December 23’ in the episode ‘Love’s Great Adventure.

Please note there are spoilers for the episode ‘Love’s Great Adventure’ below

The episode ‘Love’s Great Adventure’ tells the story of one month in the of the Mowbury family through the framing device of an advent calendar. We see a scene from each day of December leading up to the 24th which gradually reveal more information about the family. The episode was acclaimed for exploring the life of a working-class family and the bonds that get them through the difficulties they face. The story may not be an overly dramatic one (to the point some viewers ask ‘where’s the twist!- it is there but you have to pay attention!) but we come to care about Trevor (Steve Pemberton) and Julia Mowbury (Debbie Rush) as they do their best by their teenage daughter Mia (Gaby French), young grandson Conor (Olly Hudson-Croker) and troubled son Patrick (Bobby Schofield) who is Conor’s father. However the scene I will be focussing on occurs on December 23 and involves a late night conversation between Trevor and his brother Alex (Reece Shearsmith)

Trevor Mowbury is portrayed as a decent man who is devoted to his wife Julia, his two children and his grandson (who Julia and himself are raising) and he and Julia tries to try their best to provide for their family and support them emotionally. However this particular scene explores his relationship with his brother Alex. The scene is just under two minutes long and the section I will be focussing on is just over a minute. But it has had a significant impact on the audience. It has some interesting things to say about men’s relationships with each other and emotional lives and offers some thought provoking insights into how the show has dealt with these two topics over its first five series.

Without spoiling other episodes viewers will be aware that other episodes have explored what is termed ‘toxic masculinity’ and the ways men compete with each other (in episodes such as ‘The Bill’ and ‘The referee’s a wxxxer’) or fail to deal with underlying trauma and mental health conditions both at theirs and others expense. However this brief scene looks at how men can be emotionally supportive and open with each other in a way allows them to deal with issues such as grief and loneliness.

We see Alex briefly in four previous scenes as he has been giving Mia (Trevor and Julia’s daughter and his niece) driving lessons as he is a driving instructor. He had been taking money for these lessons which is shown to cause tension between Julia who believes he should have given them for free and Trevor who argues that as it is Alex’s job he should be paid. We see Julia’s resentment at this situation when she yells at Trevor and Alex to help with the Christmas tree when he visits on December 11th. During the conversation between Alex and Trevor on December 11th, Alex asks Trevor if he is going to sue his workplace for causing the accident which caused him to break his arm (it will be revealed Trevor’s broken arm was actually was caused by Patrick attacking him) and they discuss how Alex successfully sued Pizza Express (which along with what Julia had previously said about Alex leads us to believe he is obsessed with making money). There is some great non verbal communication between the brothers as Trevor wordlessly conveys to Alex that Julia is annoyed with him. However on December 19 Alex pays for the repairs to Julia’s car and tells her he was wrong to take money for the lessons, proving he actually does understand the family’s financial situation and is capable of thinking of other’s needs.

Here is a breakdown of the scene. We see Trevor and Alex in the kitchen of Trevor and Julia’s home late on December 23rd. Both men have obviously been drinking and Alex looks distressed. Trevor, concerned for Alex, asks if he is alright. Alex first says yes but then opens up saying ‘no’- stating ‘I miss Sandra’. Trevor nods acknowledging Alex’s distress. Alex continues ‘I know I don’t go on about it but I really miss her’, ‘It’s four Christmases now- makes me sad’- then breaks down. Trevor places his arm around Alex and rests his head again him to offer reassurance as Alex weeps saying ‘Come here come here! Stop it! You know you are always welcome here don’t you’. Alex acknowledges Trevor’s support and after Trevor asks ‘You all right?’ a second time Alex confirms ‘Yeah I’m done, I’m done’. The scene then continues with Alex asking Trevor about Patrick being questioned by the police about a loan shark he was in debt to being involved in a hit and run .

A couple of things are striking about the communication between Alex and Trevor in this scene. Firstly how few words are used to convey a lot of information. Alex even comments on the fact he does not usually discuss his feelings of grief, probably because he would not feel comfortable doing so (‘I know I don’t go on about it’) and doesn’t have to elaborate on ‘I really miss her’. The end of Alex’s breakdown is just as effectively economical in how emotions are conveyed. Alex answers ‘Yeah I’m done I’m done’ to Trevor asking him ‘You alright?’ to let him know he has had the emotional release he needed. Nothing more needs to be elaborated. Trevor gives Alex the space to explain how he is feeling without pressuring him (the time gaps in the dialogue are as significant in what they communicate as what is actually said) The second thing is the use of non-verbal communication. Trevor gives a look of concern immediately Alex says ‘I miss Sandra’ presumably knowing this was what was upsetting Alex. He places his arm around Alex and rests his head against him for reassurance as soon as he breaks down. He also pulls back respectfully when Alex says 'I’m done’

These physical acts of comfort reassure Alex he is not alone. There may be few words spoken between Alex and Trevor in the scene and this conveys how it can be difficult for men to discuss their emotions in depth (‘ I know I don’t go on about it’, ‘makes me sad’). But between what is said and the non-verbal communication Alex is allowed to let out his grief and Trevor is allowed to offer him the emotional support that he needed without either man making what would be seen as too much of the situation. One thing that that I always find affecting is that the arm Trevor places around Alex is in a cast because it has been broken by his son. Trevor has his own pains and brokenness but does not hesitate to offer comfort to his distressed brother. Indeed it is because of his own pain that Trevor is able to empathise with Alex. Another touching detail is Alex drying his tears on his sleeve cuff.

The audience is never given any explanation of who ‘Sandra’ is or was. The most obvious conclusion is that she was Alex’s partner/wife who either died or separated from Alex four years previously. I would guess that from Alex’s distress and Trevor’s concern that he had undergone a bereavement (there is also an aura of loneliness to him in the earlier scenes that would fit in with this). But another explanation given by some viewers is that Sandra may have been Alex’s daughter who had a similar drug issue to Patrick and that she may have either died or disappeared at this time. The fact Alex asks after Patrick in a concerned way early in the episode may back this up. But the main point of the scene is not who Sandra was or is but that Alex misses her after a considerable number of years. His grief has not lessened and he needed to acknowledge it and find comfort.

The audience also had no idea up to this scene that Alex was dealling with loss. Usually Inside No.9 deals with the revelation of dark secrets but the revealing of this poignant fact about Alex is a reminder that people (particualrly men) who seem outwardly alright may be dealling with issues that are not obvious and may be putting on a 'brave front'. It also shows the importance of reaching out to others, particularly those who are not usually encouraged to talk about their feeiings

This is the only scene in the episode where Alex does not wear a tie or jacket showing his more relaxed and emotionally open state (it may be Trevor invited Alex for a late night drink session in order to give him a chance to talk about how he was feeling), and both brothers are dressed similarly showing how in sync they are .

Trevor is shown in previous scenes, particularly his chat with Patrick on December 21st, offering unconditional love and support to family members, under even the most difficult of circumstances. He reassures Patrick that Julia and himself will always love him as their child and that they will deal with the situation with the loan shark as a family. Trevor has previously forgiven Patrick for attacking welcoming him warmly back to the family home after the attack without a word of reproach. Trevor shows himself to be a deeply emphatic person who is able to communicate in an open and loving manner with others.

It is interesting that as the episode progresses characters resolve misunderstandings and open up to each other (we see Patrick confide his issues in Trevor and the final scene has Julie tell Trevor she knows that Patrick stole their Christmas funds and broke his arm) and affirm the bond between them. Problems may still remain but at least there is the knowledge that they will be faced together and in an open manner. This scene fits in with this.

This particular scene is all the more remarkable as it is very rare to see men being emotionally vulnerable and weeping like Alex in media and even more rare to have another man comfort and offer physical reassurance in the manner Trevor does. We also rarely see such portrayals of the relationship between brothers supporting each other,in this way. Reece Shearsmith is astonishing in this scene, giving a truly affecting performance which ws noted by the Radio Times. And Steve Pemberton beautifully portrays both Trevor’s care and concern for his brother and his open and affectionate nature. It shows not just what remarkable actors they are, but also what remarkable writers they are.

Both Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith come from close knit working class northern families and this episode is a tribute to the resilience and love of the thousands of families like the Mowburys they grew up with. It takes its place with the work of Ken Loach and Shane Meadows who Pemberton and Shearsmith have acknowledged as influences on the episode in showing the resilience and humour of the lives of many whose stories are not usually told.