Detectorists: Season 2 Discussion
November 3, 2016 9:57 AM - Season 2 (Full Season) - Subscribe
Baby Stan has arrived, Andy has qualified as an archaeologist, and there’s a search for the mayor's missing chains of office.
New to fanfare, assuming that spoilers are to be expected? Anyhoo, spoilers within. This whole show is terrific, and even better on second watch. There's so much to talk about, but one thing I really got a kick out of was the reveal to Russell that his best little running buddy Hugh is not a shy teen, but a grown man. "I feel that I've been groomed!" Goodness, LOL.
posted by thebrokedown at 10:34 AM on November 3, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by thebrokedown at 10:34 AM on November 3, 2016 [3 favorites]
And it is revealed over two episodes, as well. This show is so quietly clever.
posted by thebrokedown at 10:35 AM on November 3, 2016
posted by thebrokedown at 10:35 AM on November 3, 2016
Bless you.
Like I said (*smacks self on wrist*) in the Election thread, I see a lot of myself in Becky and her relationship with Andy. Just the way she deals with his eccentricity and his passiveness (both traits my husband shares). People think that me and my husband have a weird relationship (not bad-weird, I guess, but people do remark upon it) and it was so comforting to watch a show where it's treated as good and normal to treat one another with respect despite each other's foibles.
The Andy as stay-at-home-dad thing too was handled so well. I should have trusted the show more but I was so expecting it to be all incompetent-dad-constantly-fucking-up-haha, or it's slightly less offensive cousin you-expect-him-to-be-incompetent-but-he's-not-haha-how-weird! But actually he's just a good, loving, competent dad in the same way that Beck is a good, loving, competent mom and it's not a big deal because this is the normal state of affairs.
Despite the show being a comedy and having some screwball plots, at its core it just wrapped me in a cozy blanket of "your life and your relationships and how the people you love are are all good and normal and joyful."
Also I could listen to the theme song on repeat forever.
posted by soren_lorensen at 11:50 AM on November 3, 2016 [4 favorites]
Like I said (*smacks self on wrist*) in the Election thread, I see a lot of myself in Becky and her relationship with Andy. Just the way she deals with his eccentricity and his passiveness (both traits my husband shares). People think that me and my husband have a weird relationship (not bad-weird, I guess, but people do remark upon it) and it was so comforting to watch a show where it's treated as good and normal to treat one another with respect despite each other's foibles.
The Andy as stay-at-home-dad thing too was handled so well. I should have trusted the show more but I was so expecting it to be all incompetent-dad-constantly-fucking-up-haha, or it's slightly less offensive cousin you-expect-him-to-be-incompetent-but-he's-not-haha-how-weird! But actually he's just a good, loving, competent dad in the same way that Beck is a good, loving, competent mom and it's not a big deal because this is the normal state of affairs.
Despite the show being a comedy and having some screwball plots, at its core it just wrapped me in a cozy blanket of "your life and your relationships and how the people you love are are all good and normal and joyful."
Also I could listen to the theme song on repeat forever.
posted by soren_lorensen at 11:50 AM on November 3, 2016 [4 favorites]
Loved that Hugh reveal.
One of the things I loved about this series was the way no character was a cipher. Even Sheila gets her own backstory, sketched out in just a few lines with Lance.
I’m going to have to watch the whole series again now.
posted by pharm at 11:50 AM on November 3, 2016
One of the things I loved about this series was the way no character was a cipher. Even Sheila gets her own backstory, sketched out in just a few lines with Lance.
I’m going to have to watch the whole series again now.
posted by pharm at 11:50 AM on November 3, 2016
There are the lesbian couple in the group that don't get much play--perhaps we will see more of them in the third installment. There's a nice bit of interplay with Lance and Sheila this season that lets you see real grief behind her eccentricity.
I'm often aware of the Bechtel Test when I watch stuff, but this show makes me think of a similar dynamic that is more rare than I'd like--conversations between a woman and a man with zero undertones of sex. I am friends with many men, and people who say we can't be genuine pals irritate me. But if you watch the average tv show, if there are single people, it seems to eventually get to the sexual undercurrent between men and women. This is a quirky SHOW, no doubt, and ridiculous things happen, but so much of it rings true to my actual life. I can't wait until I've gotten enough distance from this to watch it again. Or the next series, whichever comes first!
posted by thebrokedown at 12:04 PM on November 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm often aware of the Bechtel Test when I watch stuff, but this show makes me think of a similar dynamic that is more rare than I'd like--conversations between a woman and a man with zero undertones of sex. I am friends with many men, and people who say we can't be genuine pals irritate me. But if you watch the average tv show, if there are single people, it seems to eventually get to the sexual undercurrent between men and women. This is a quirky SHOW, no doubt, and ridiculous things happen, but so much of it rings true to my actual life. I can't wait until I've gotten enough distance from this to watch it again. Or the next series, whichever comes first!
posted by thebrokedown at 12:04 PM on November 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
soren_lorenson: Yes, it’s one of the things I absolutely loved about the writing & it’s not just Andy & Becky: All the character’s relationships are treated seriously. They’re given real, grown up, sometimes difficult relationships with give and take between the partners alongside respect & care. It’s only when you see it depicted so well that you realise how rare that is in comedy drama.
Even Terry & Sheila, who are almost set up to be played for laughs (& I spent the entire series waiting for that shoe to drop) are depicted as having a real caring relationship.
posted by pharm at 12:06 PM on November 3, 2016
Even Terry & Sheila, who are almost set up to be played for laughs (& I spent the entire series waiting for that shoe to drop) are depicted as having a real caring relationship.
posted by pharm at 12:06 PM on November 3, 2016
Oh, I see you mentioned the Lance and Sheila bit. Sorry, I'm scattered.
posted by thebrokedown at 12:08 PM on November 3, 2016
posted by thebrokedown at 12:08 PM on November 3, 2016
Oh God, that short conversation between Lance and Sheila ruined me.
I don't know how I'd get on with a third season now. We rewatched it recently, and I too often found myself thinking "which of these outwardly lovely people voted for Brexit?". I mean, Tony obviously...
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 3:08 PM on November 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
I don't know how I'd get on with a third season now. We rewatched it recently, and I too often found myself thinking "which of these outwardly lovely people voted for Brexit?". I mean, Tony obviously...
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 3:08 PM on November 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
Even Terry & Sheila, who are almost set up to be played for laughs (& I spent the entire series waiting for that shoe to drop) are depicted as having a real caring relationship.
I loved the bit where Terry can't go along for the surveillance because he's going to the Dolly Hop and when one of the other characters questions his priorities he very firmly says that the Dolly Hop isn't important but Sheila is.
I think the Lance & Sheila scene might be one of the most amazing pieces of TV I've ever seen, it was so beautifully done. I also found the scene with all the birthday and Christmas presents very emotional, such a vivid illustration of all the feelings Lance has been keeping to himself. And I properly cried at his last scene, so happy for him.
I'm not sure about a third season, it's so perfect as is and hard to know where they would take it. I'm sure McKenzie Crook would only do it if he knew where to go with it and I would definitely trust him to find a good path but I think it may be he will say that it should be left there.
posted by *becca* at 10:51 AM on November 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
I loved the bit where Terry can't go along for the surveillance because he's going to the Dolly Hop and when one of the other characters questions his priorities he very firmly says that the Dolly Hop isn't important but Sheila is.
I think the Lance & Sheila scene might be one of the most amazing pieces of TV I've ever seen, it was so beautifully done. I also found the scene with all the birthday and Christmas presents very emotional, such a vivid illustration of all the feelings Lance has been keeping to himself. And I properly cried at his last scene, so happy for him.
I'm not sure about a third season, it's so perfect as is and hard to know where they would take it. I'm sure McKenzie Crook would only do it if he knew where to go with it and I would definitely trust him to find a good path but I think it may be he will say that it should be left there.
posted by *becca* at 10:51 AM on November 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
Detectorists Series 3 starts tomorrow!
posted by pharm at 10:27 AM on November 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by pharm at 10:27 AM on November 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
This is a lovely little show that I had totally forgotten about, having enjoyed S01 immensely. Glad to see that there is plenty to catch up on!
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:36 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:36 PM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
oh boy! I very much appreciated this season. The last scene cuaght me offguard and was surprisingly powerful.
posted by mwhybark at 9:20 PM on February 20, 2018
posted by mwhybark at 9:20 PM on February 20, 2018
One tiny grace note that those unfamiliar with 1970s UK pop music may have missed: Simon & Garfunkel's real names turn out to be Peters & Lee. A perfect choice, and delivered with such a beautifully casual lightness of touch.
posted by Paul Slade at 10:02 AM on October 2, 2022
posted by Paul Slade at 10:02 AM on October 2, 2022
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posted by pharm at 9:58 AM on November 3, 2016