Toaster.TV: Screen Jam : Millman Hits Rock Bottom

As someone who has been rooting for Andy Millman and sympathetic to his plight, it was sad to learn Sunday night that he has gotten the fate he deserves.

I had started to come to believe that the Man was keeping Andy down. Turns out, the Man is Andy himself. After becoming willing to surrender himself to play the witless office manager of When the Whistle Blows, which at least was a pragmatic choice, he could not commit to playing a gay man in the play directed by the very literal Ian McKellen. Andy let peer pressure drive him out of character, certifying, at least at his point in his career, that he is not really an actor.

Emasculating him creatively, Extras has taken Andy to the depths in a sort of fascinating way. He can't just blame the BBC or his moronic agent – it's clearly on him and his lack of backbone. Sure, it'd be nice for Andy if he had just the slightest bit of competent support to rescue him, like Michael Scott does in The Office, but there's work to do on his own.

As sad as Andy's descent has been, I'm sorry that there is only one episode re-maining in the series this season. I am looking forward to seeing him get back on his feet a little bit, if that's allowed.

Comments

2007-02-12 10:52:55

1. Bob Timmermann

Isn't there just one episode remaining full stop?

I believe "Extras" is supposed to be like "The Office" and just have two six-episode seasons.

I will try to watch the final episode tonight if HBO puts on the "On Demand" service like they normally do.

2007-02-12 10:54:23

2. Jon Weisman

1 - I have kind of been expecting Extras to come back for another year, but I could be completely wrong.

2007-02-12 11:22:29

3. Jon Weisman

From good ol' Wikipedia:

Gervais has stated that he can't see himself doing a third series, as he and Merchant have this "thing" about doing only two series (like The Office).2 However, after the second series had finished, he was quoted in the Mirror as saying that there was "some mileage in it" and suggesting there could be a third series,3, suggesting in a recent interview with The Onion that it could take the form of a Christmas special, as with The Office.

2007-02-12 13:06:06

4. Greg Brock

Both Andy and Larry David are both victims of karma, in that bad things happen to them, but most often it's because they just aren't very good people. That's not to say that they're bad people...They just bring so much of it upon themselves with their neuroses, self-doubt, and, very often, selfishness.

2007-02-12 14:20:05

5. Fletch

I though Andy Millman morphed into David Brent in that last scene of the play. He got what he wished for, a theater role, but it was not up to his high standards. He who was an extra just a short time ago.

4- Go on youtube and check out Ricky Gervais meets Larry David Quite funny.

2007-02-12 15:32:15

6. Jon Weisman

5 - It did seem like a terrible play, just from the opening scene.

Actually, if you remember the trite movie that they were showing during the popcorn scene in Diner ... that's what the play reminded me of.

2007-02-12 20:10:34

7. Bob Timmermann

The final episode was very good.

But that's all I will say.

2007-02-13 23:39:56

8. underdog

I just caught up with this one via TiVo. Wow, even for a squirmy show, this episode was particularly squirmy. I loved Sir Ian's idiotic explanation of how he acts, which sounds quite brilliant in his voice until one listens to what he was saying. "I pretend I'm this character." "No one will have a copy of the script on stage!" But, boy, parts of that episode were hard to watch.

Maybe I shouldn't have watched it after watching a TiVo'd Sarah Silverman Show episode. I squirmed so much I bore a hole in my couch. Yeah, all I'd need would be to watch a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode as a capper.

I still liked Daniel Radcliffe's pervy version of himself, flipping a condom into Diana Rigg's hair, the best of all the squirmy moments this season.

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