I see already this show has been renewed for a third season which is good news, and that this will be its last – which is a shame but also means that hopefully the show will not dip in quality but will go out as it has so far gone. The second season returns with the same wit and imagination which the first had; the scenario continues with young Martin Moone living in a small Irish town with his family and imaginary friend. The plots are a good mix of the imaginative and grounded; so okay it has the usual sitcoms conventions of weddings and pregnancies, but it does make them work and rise above the genre by virtue of the humor.
I like the way that the show very much exists in the memory of Martin, so this does rather mean it has an unreal quality which exists in the bigger picture but also in the smaller moments. My favorite example of this is when Martin's Mum phones his school and, barely audible, the phone is answered 'hello, Martin's school', which I thought was a very nice touch but typical of the construction of the show. The wit and invention of the sitcom provides plenty of laughs and the supporting ensemble of cast give plenty of throwaway material and opportunity for plots which give each episode a good frame and flow; again none of them are amazing and many do rely on genre standards, but they are done with such charm and wit that it really doesn't matter.
The detail of the show plays it a similar way – the soundtrack, the cultural reference points are perhaps obvious but they are done with such genuine charm and affection that it is hard to be cynical towards them. The level of absurdity in the material fits this too – it is silly and absurdist but never too random or silly for the sake of it. The cast act into this really well and in particular Rawle is very good in the lead role; he and O'Dowd work very well together. O'Reilly's Padraic is very funny and support is good across the Moone family. The few famous faces that turn up in small roles (Ball, Vegas) don't add too much to be honest and I found them more distracting than anything else.
It is a sitcom at the end of the day, but it manages to have a very good mix of warmth, charm, laughter, plot, absurdist development and good comic performances. I very quickly got into the tone of it all and enjoyed it a great deal, and will look forward to hopefully the final season rounding it out with consistent quality.
I like the way that the show very much exists in the memory of Martin, so this does rather mean it has an unreal quality which exists in the bigger picture but also in the smaller moments. My favorite example of this is when Martin's Mum phones his school and, barely audible, the phone is answered 'hello, Martin's school', which I thought was a very nice touch but typical of the construction of the show. The wit and invention of the sitcom provides plenty of laughs and the supporting ensemble of cast give plenty of throwaway material and opportunity for plots which give each episode a good frame and flow; again none of them are amazing and many do rely on genre standards, but they are done with such charm and wit that it really doesn't matter.
The detail of the show plays it a similar way – the soundtrack, the cultural reference points are perhaps obvious but they are done with such genuine charm and affection that it is hard to be cynical towards them. The level of absurdity in the material fits this too – it is silly and absurdist but never too random or silly for the sake of it. The cast act into this really well and in particular Rawle is very good in the lead role; he and O'Dowd work very well together. O'Reilly's Padraic is very funny and support is good across the Moone family. The few famous faces that turn up in small roles (Ball, Vegas) don't add too much to be honest and I found them more distracting than anything else.
It is a sitcom at the end of the day, but it manages to have a very good mix of warmth, charm, laughter, plot, absurdist development and good comic performances. I very quickly got into the tone of it all and enjoyed it a great deal, and will look forward to hopefully the final season rounding it out with consistent quality.
