REVIEW: Hapless, Series 1 Episode Six 'The Old Suit'

 REVIEW: Hapless, Series 1 Episode Six 'The Old Suit'

For places associated with childhood mundanity, schools are utilised surprisingly frequently across film and television. Even Harry Potter, perhaps the most fantastical franchise out there, sees 80% of its plot set within the confines of an educational institution. So it's really no surprise to see Hapless utilise this type of location, in the final episode of its first series.

The episode opens with Paul (Tim Downie) dropping Naomi's (Lucy Montgomery) son off at school. Only it doesn't go according to plan, for Paul accidentally leaves the child lock on and traps them both inside the vehicle. This is a very amusing scene that sets the episode off on a strong start. It is a scenario that you could imagine happening to many a person with a child entrusted in their care. There's something about it that feels very honest and real. It's also a perfect way to introduce us to the guest characters who inhabit this new school setting. Through the child lock fiasco, we meet teacher Jude (Chizzy Akudolu) and the deputy head (Rose Akroyd). I love their no nonsense bravado spirit that this pair possess. They give the impression of characters who hold no prisoners. A sort of 'straight man' (or technically speaking, 'straight women') to Paul's more exaggerated persona, if you will. Paul's news stories for The Jewish Inquirer certainly take a wacky turn this week. This time, he has been asked to try the 'Senior Suit', which we have been told has been designed to help NHS staff experience what it is like to be elderly, in order to better help their older patients. It's the kind of wonderfully barmy invention that could only work in a comedy series; the Senior Suit seems like something straight out of Wallace & Gromit, and provides many a laugh throughout the episode. Case in point, the sports sessions, where Simon (Josh Howie) takes Paul for games of badminton and elderly bowling. With the suit on, Paul seems as useless as me at sport, and I'm 25 years old, so far from an old man! Watching anybody struggle at sport always makes for some great comedy though, and further establishes the friendship between Paul and Simon. These are clearly two people who enjoy spending a lot of time together.

I've said before that Geoffrey McGivern is an unsung hero of this series in his portrayal of Ronnie, and he once again further proves that point here. His reaction to Paul in the Senior Suit is absolutely priceless; his facial expressions show exactly what we are all thinking as a viewer - what on Earth is this guy doing now? - and it's clear that Ronnie is somebody who is never prepared for his son's strange antics. Paul is quite cheeky towards his Dad, stating that he is wearing the Senior Suit to see how he feels for a day, and you can't help but feel sorry for Ronnie there. These kind of jibes are, after all, what he has to put up with in his day-to-day life.

He isn't even the stand-out in this episode however. That goes to Freddie Davies as Ronnie's friend Louis, who believes he was born in the wrong nationality, and is actually Japanese. It's a brilliantly barmy character, the kind that comedies tend to thrive with when they feature in this genre of television, and the absurdity of his belief can't help but raise a chuckle. Hapless is a world that is clearly full of these colourful personalities, and it allows the universe of the sitcom to feel alive and vibrant as a result.

Overall, The Old Suit is a strong closing episode for Hapless's first series, with colourful characters and daft premises sure to make even the most serious individual at least raise a smile. The Senior Suit is a great comedic invention, and the school provides a great setting for fleshing out the cast of this sitcom series. Hapless is a show with a very solid cast, and it would be interesting for sure to see where a second series would lead Paul and company next.

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What are your thoughts on Hapless's sixth episode? Let me know in the comments section.