Why did you do that to Combo, Shane Meadows? I mean, I'm not a racist but you know Combo was changed did he? He was a good man and we already was knowing that from This is England '86... He did a very bad thing, but he did a good thing too. I wanted them to make peace with Milyk. It's really sad to me what's happened to him :(
3 Reviews
Milky and his little bro's are a joke
kurt78251 August 2021
Shady Haze Of Winter
SteveResin14 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
"Winter" was the best episode of the series, it had some memorable scenes like Combo's first day at work and the wedding, but again and again it keeps getting dragged down by poor acting, horrendous improvised dialogue and unrealistic characters/actions. I can accept Combo wanting to leave his old self behind, make some amends and move on, but damn this show was turning him into Gandhi. If they'd carried on making this I'm sure in a few years time he'd have ended up a Lollipop Man receiving a Pride Of Britain award. Sorry, I'm not buying it. I remember the character from the original movie, and this about turn in character was up there with The Road To Damascus. It didn't help either that Stephen Graham is obviously such a busy actor these days home and abroad that he could only spare a short amount of time. Add his screen time together in this run and it probably amounted to around 10 minutes.
Kelly's arc was mildly satisfactory in the sense that she'd turned her life around and was back with her family, but again no time was given to showing any of it. She just rocks up at the wedding and says "I'm off smack, I'm OK now" and that's that. Sorry but this is unacceptable. Where's the drama? We're also treated to a hilarious scene where we're expected to believe that probably the hottest girl in college is dating Sean. Just no. And even more amazingly, despite his Am-Dram acting abilities, Gadget became the most likable character in the whole series. So it's not all bad.
Milky was the original movie's most sympathetic character, and was almost killed by a savage unprovoked beating at the hands of a racist hooligan bully boy. Yet Meadows deems it necessary to reinvent him and have him leave the show as the most morally questionable, setting up Combo in a revenge attack where the poor misunderstood racist hooligan is taken away to be killed. Err, OK. We get it, REVENGE IS BAD KIDS! Subtle, maaan.
Sadly Lol was largely underused and useless this series, either seen working in a school canteen or stuck at home with her wet lettuce of a husband and her suddenly gay mother. Woody is neither use nor ornament, and I cannot fathom his character's appeal. The fact he finds it amusing when his mother-in-law punches his mother full in the face over a petty squabble in her own home made me loathe him more than I usually do, which is an achievement in itself. Quite why an attractive and intelligent woman like Lol would want to settle down with that halfwit is bewildering.
Farewell This Is England, a lot like your namesake, you promised so much and delivered so little.
Kelly's arc was mildly satisfactory in the sense that she'd turned her life around and was back with her family, but again no time was given to showing any of it. She just rocks up at the wedding and says "I'm off smack, I'm OK now" and that's that. Sorry but this is unacceptable. Where's the drama? We're also treated to a hilarious scene where we're expected to believe that probably the hottest girl in college is dating Sean. Just no. And even more amazingly, despite his Am-Dram acting abilities, Gadget became the most likable character in the whole series. So it's not all bad.
Milky was the original movie's most sympathetic character, and was almost killed by a savage unprovoked beating at the hands of a racist hooligan bully boy. Yet Meadows deems it necessary to reinvent him and have him leave the show as the most morally questionable, setting up Combo in a revenge attack where the poor misunderstood racist hooligan is taken away to be killed. Err, OK. We get it, REVENGE IS BAD KIDS! Subtle, maaan.
Sadly Lol was largely underused and useless this series, either seen working in a school canteen or stuck at home with her wet lettuce of a husband and her suddenly gay mother. Woody is neither use nor ornament, and I cannot fathom his character's appeal. The fact he finds it amusing when his mother-in-law punches his mother full in the face over a petty squabble in her own home made me loathe him more than I usually do, which is an achievement in itself. Quite why an attractive and intelligent woman like Lol would want to settle down with that halfwit is bewildering.
Farewell This Is England, a lot like your namesake, you promised so much and delivered so little.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
