In the previous post, I said the Royles compared to most television families were “awful”. This may seem like a condemnation but the ensemble’s portrayal never sinks to the camp of the puerile “Married With Children” or the winking satire of “Soap”. Instead, its the comparison to other stock families comedies which makes them look “bad”. The Royle family doesn’t learn lessons or declare their feelings. The roles of each member is resolutely set by the expectations of the other members and their own reaction to their lot in life. For example, Antony is consistently sent to get ciggies or to do the pots in their tiny kitchen. He is the family gopher and dogbody. No one feels guilty about it despite his constant complaints. And despite his complaints, he does as he is told, often looking for a way to turn it to his advantage. Maybe he can keep the change, maybe he can bum a smoke off his mom. The way his attitude and situation is portrayed has a tone which no US show I can think of allows. The wrongness of the situation is underplayed and the audience is allowed to make up its own minds.The main story arc of the season, Denise and Dave’s wedding, reflects this low key open approach in a more complex manner. Despite claims to the contrary, we sense that Dave’s dj job at the local pubs and clubs is as much about getting “bladdered” and picking up “birds” as the work. The source of Denise’s jealously and possessiveness is the unseen character of Beverley Macca, a eighteen year old girl known in the neighborhood for sexual permissiveness. Without any real backstory, a simple series of looks and denials tells us all we need to know. Without an external point of reference – Feathers the local pub which the Royles frequent, like all the places they go, is absent as a set – we are left to consider the words and the actions of the couple in the limited home environment. Our minds are open to the worst interpretation of the events leading to the marriage. Not a place that most shows would dare to lead their audience without the arched eyebrows or bedroom farce. This sense of reserve that is instilled in the series was not something I had expected. The descriptions I had run across had lead me to believe that the Royles were morally bankrupt and the show would lay it bare in a way that would show them as distasteful. Instead, I found something opposing this idea. Despite their faults and dysfunction, I found them likable in a small minded way. They may not be deep but they are comfortable in their inertia and with each other. The steady stream of complaints, insults, and observations is the language in which they voice themselves. When the jabs get too close to home or savage, the air grows quiet and the subject is changed. No one ever backs off so much as trail off. And you better believe these comments will always return to cut again. Jim Royle is the master of this approach. He cannot be corrected, only ignored or redirected. Though he is paying for Denise and Dave’s wedding, he is not happy about it. And he drives this point home insistently, making Dave’s dad the focus of rage and disbelief. Yet, he doesn’t let onto Dave his feelings and never once does he refuse to foot the bill. What does this mean about him? Is it laziness or a spark of tenderness for his daughter?Approaching the final episode, we start to see the humanity of the family members and the unspoken bond between them. In episodes 4 and 5, we see the family celebrate Jim’s birthday as well as navigate a drunken late night spat between Dave and Denise. In these moments we begin to realize how committed they really are despite of the tension and bickering. There are no group hugs or kisses here. Instead they revel in the uniqueness of each other. They are “bad” by TV standards but are all the more human for it.
Tags: BBC, black comedy, cult television, DVD, The Royle Family
