Spaced: Help Rewatch

April 12, 2015 10:06 AM - Season 2, Episode 4

After receiving a call from the mysterious Damien Knox (Clive Russell) of Darkstar Comics (and his seductive assistant Sophie [Lucy Akhurst]), Tim employs Tyres (Michael Smiley) to deliver his portfolio of artwork. Tim wisely removes an unflattering caricature of Damien, but Daisy replaces it in an attempt to be helpful. Tim must then retrieve the job-threatening picture before Damien sees it, aided by Mike and Tyres, and comes away with a little more than he expected.

Excerpt from The Best Old TV Shows:

"Tyers is back! Good to see the Irish raver returning to the Spaced team, this time in his day job of a bike messenger helping Tim jet his portfolio all over town. He's still suffering from Disco beat-itis, which enables him to imagine dance music coming from the most mundane items. He gets the pay off gag in this episode too.

"Plus things start to look up for young Mr.Bisley with his potentially landing his dream job drawing for Darkstar Comics and getting getting a potential new girlfriend in dream girl Sophie who works at Darkstar. Since the restaurant fiasco Daisy's back on unemployment and has also potentially wrecked Tim's chance at a new career.

"It's a run-around episode this one, quite literally, as Tim, Mike and Tyers team up to get back Tim's nasty sketch before his future boss sees it. In a way a homage to the old standard sitcom plight of 'the-lead-character-has-some-dirty-laundry-potentially-embarassing-and-destructive-about-to-be-aired-to-just-the-wrong-people-at-the-wrong-time' scenario. An oft played tale maybe not explained with that many words but Spaced have put the 21st century spin on it for good measure."

Fried Gold admires the direction:

"This episode has some wonderfull camerawork. In the pre-credit sequence, when Damien Knox discusses the potential of several aspiring comic book artists with Sophie, we keep cutting to Tim playing on his playstation blasting the crap out of all sorts of pixelated minions. As Damien agrees to see Tim's work, the young artist's screen flashes up 'Game over', Tim shoulders his gun and the camera zooms into the now ringing telephone. I also enjoyed Tim and Mike's interrogation of Daisy after she has put the 'I'm a massive wanker' picture (of Damien Knox) in Tim's portfolio. As Daisy reveals what she's done we get two crash zooms on to Tim:
Daisy: "I put the picture into a portfolio."
Crash zoom on Tim: "What!"
Daisy: "I put the picture into your portfolio."
Crash zoom on Tim: "What!"
Mike then chips in like the nerdy kid standing behind the bully: "Did she say what I think she said?"
Tim: "She put the picture in my portfolio."
Crash zoom on Mike "What!""

Originally aired 23 March 2001.

posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome (6 comments total)

This is a really great episode. Tim and Mike breaking into the offices is just really fun, as well is Tires happily distracting the guard (and I love how willing he is to go along with the scheme!). We also have a real fracture in Daisy and Tim's relationship which will have more serious consequences in episodes to come.
posted by Cannon Fodder at 12:13 AM on April 13, 2015

I think I love the two Tyres episodes most of all the episodes - which is saying something since Spaced is just so good overall. But Michael Smiley is just so good with that deadpan rapid-fire delivery, he really makes an episode, to me.

Shudder-worthy moment: Mike eating coffee grounds straight from the can. Yeuuuuuurgh.
posted by angeline at 1:31 PM on April 13, 2015

Ah Tyres, who "nearly went disco" again.

Mike: "Tim wants me or needs me?"

Daisy (to Brian): "I want you to see me as a (w)hole"

Poor Marsha, that is the least flattering superhero undies-on-the-outside look. And poor competitive Daisy: "My teeth hurt."

I am confused (and probably due to not being British) when Mike tells Tim: "I've an idea for an infiltration technique. It involves draining a man's blood, replacing it with Tizer." Why would that particular brand of red soda help with infiltration?

And another odd bit of British nonsense:
Tim: Right, mine's a pint of the black stuff.
Mike: You can't drink a pint of Bovril.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:54 AM on April 17, 2015

That bit with Mike channeling psychics and talking about the injured cyclist--who then pops up at the window--was comedy gold.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 11:31 AM on April 19, 2015

Daisy: I got off my arse and I bumped into a friend of yours.
Tim: Why don't you tell me all about it.
Daisy: What, my arse?
Tim: Yeah, if you like.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 11:50 AM on April 19, 2015

God, I had forgotten The Sixth Sense cyclist bit was in this episode (I need to actually rewatch instead of relying on my memories). That's Olivia Williams as the cyclist, which just makes it even better since she was in The Sixth Sense.
posted by angeline at 6:54 PM on April 19, 2015