Photoshoot - Fields of Gold

You don't to look beyond your own world when crafting your fantasy playground, you need only take inspiration from it. The world is already limitless in its possibility and still manages to impress us after many millenia. Take a normal walk on crisp clear day...

Surrounded by comedy - Laugter is obviously the cure

If there was ever a time for a boom in comedy, it’s now! This Christmas I spent most of my groggy bailey’s hangovers sifting through mountains of stand of comedy in countless stores just to find those all important boxsets for mum and dad. Then I get home and they’re all over the TV on a plethora of panel shows that are all predominantly the same programme under a different name. Some of you might liken the feeling to the sudden surge of HBO drama’s that had us all bed bound on our days off ploughing towards finales that Rarely lived up to their name.

Now usually, this kind of overhaul would send me running back to a ‘Scrubs’ marathon or a ‘Lord of the Rings’ re-read in order to the storm. However, something feels different this time. Perhaps it’s the lure of their grinning faces smothered over shop windows or the inescapable laughter that you can hear seeping through the walls from next door that have caught my attention. But either way I have been inadvertently lead to a place I never though possible in such a ‘gloom and doom’ climate: contentment. I’ve become addicted to the great library of laughter that stands readily awaiting to cheer us up, so much that the pressures of life seem to elude me and my own creative pursuits flourish in the wake. Laughter really is a cure!

Of course the comedic quality of these overnight stars can vary, but for the first time in a long while it feels there’s something for everyone. Whether you want controversial, dry, sarcastic or just good old fashioned observational stuff, its all their to be lapped up. And don’t think it’s just those you see in the shops and on the TV either, no-no. Live stand-up comedy is rifer than ever and pubs and clubs all over the country are showcasing comedy like never before. The scene is wonderfully alive and with so many still looking for work, it seems everyone is having a go! For every individual out there that calls themselves an artist, there is nothing more encouraging than seeing fellow creators and entertainers succeeding in a time where it just doesn’t feel possible.

Beneath it all however, there is a warm fuzzy feeling of togetherness that only stand-up comedy seems to be able to stir, proving that the UK needs nothing more than laughter to get them through hard times. So here’s my advice to arts enthusiasts who may have lost their appetite for creativity over the last painful year: get writing, get seeing and get performing. The stage has been set and is ready for the taking, imagination is flowing and there is an audience out there that’s hungrier than ever for entertainment. Even if comedy is not your game, get out there and see some of it. Get laughing, get content and above all get inspired!

TV Review: The Killing (Forbrydelsen) Series 3 (contains spoilers)

“Sarah what have you done?” says Mathias Borch, mimicking my own reaction on screen with a sensational display of love, desperation and fear. What a traumatising ending to the third instalment of ‘The Killing’ which I’m sure is going to haunt many of us for the rest of winter, but is that the last we’ve had of tense piano riffs and knitted jumpers?

From the series opener and the abduction of Emily Zeuthen, old wounds were torn open as Sarah Lund (Sophie Grabol) found herself on a case packed with the same sinister undertones and suspect political involvement that underpinned the Nana Birk Larsen case in series one. Given the overwhelming reception of the first series, for many viewers this was a welcome return to the show’s roots. However dark though, in series three our Nordic heroine’s attention remains elsewhere, with an opportunity of securing a desk job looming and her son settling down with his partner. In hindsight, one thing that the first two series’ struggled to achieve was empathy and leaving the viewer feeling torn between Lund’s commitment to the case and loyalty to her family. Of course, the detrimental effects inflicted on her personal life in the wake of her work were both touching and heartfelt, but always with a sense of “okay enough of that, now lets get back to the good stuff”. This was not the case for series three. With Lund starting out unbothered by the details of the case and feigning interest here and there, especially in the first two episodes, there was a feeling of detachment from it which was masterfully balanced by a strong sympathetic angle for Lund’s wrecked relationship with her son and a desire for her to set it right. This unprecedented move by the writers not only embellished these subtler layers beneath the main plot, but made for harrowing moments in which we see Lund balancing her two lives on a knife edge.

As the series progressed and details of the past were exhumed with red herrings coming thick and fast (one of the shows most defining devices), Lund is forced to make further sacrifices and in turn the audience is forced to choose where they want Lund’s loyalties to lie. This clever shift sets this series apart from its predecessors and paves the way for a new layer in Lund’s private life: her relationship with Mathias Borch (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), a past love who finds himself assisting Sarah on her hunt. Unlike her aides of the past, Borch is the mirror and catalyst that Lund has needed to see herself and fix her life. Given that Borch joins her in a professional capacity, the audience are also given permission to experience Lund’s two lives overlapping for the first time.

 

 

As would be expected, Borch gives cause for suspicion midway through the series but when it comes to ‘The Killing’, unless you’re Sarah Lund, you’re going to be a suspect at some point. Borch’s arrival in this series also compliments the degradation of our seasoned alpha male, Lennart Brix (Morten Suurballe), whose authoritative presence and voice of reason have kept Lund on the straight and narrow for two seasons. Series three however, sees Brix under harsh scrutiny from powers above, forcing our once untouchable police boss into rocky territory from the second episode. This fall from grace allows Borch to walk straight into the show as our main man with whom we must place our faith.

Moving into the latter half of the series, it becomes clear that Borch has some baggage, in the form of a failing relationship and a very unhappy wife. Though I see the need to keep the audience on the edge with our two protagonists, the lack of commitment to this sub-story rendered it an ultimately pointless addition and actually proved to be a nuisance to an already established and solid through line. These moments where extremely infrequent though and were luckily quickly forgotten in the wake of some heated scenes that had us seeing a little more of our ice queen than maybe we wanted (or perhaps not enough).

As the series drew to a close and the identity of the kidnapper was revealed, the audience were still left hanging until the bitter end, yearning for answers regarding an immensely important older case. Now, though I thoroughly enjoyed this series and revelled in its suspense, the exceptionally weak connection between the political shenanigans and the Emily Zeuthen case was a disappointment. As the climax approached, it felt as though the two plots were going to come to a brilliant meeting point, but sadly this did not come to fruition leaving me a little miffed as to the importance of the second plot. Series one and two boasted some imaginative plot weaving and quite clever misdirection regarding political figures and the line of justice, whereas in series three, the politicians and their counterparts had no more necessity than boosting the number of possible suspects . This was a true shame given that the political plot began with mountains of potential and showcased some of the better performances we have seen in the whole saga.

 

On reaching the breathtaking finale however, everything that was once important in the show is left as redundant as Borch’s wife when Lund takes the law into her own hands by executing the known perpetrator. In a Hollywood movie, this climax would be overstated, tacky and I dare say expected. In ‘The Killing’ however, it is placed ingeniously, turning three seasons of a struggling detective on its head. In this moment we saw every ounce of injustice and memory of uncaught criminals explode on screen under the final judgement of our heroine who, in the end, became a symbol of moral justice. Beautiful

But what next? If I were to be asked how I feel about a series four, my sensible answer would be “don’t do it”. Despite various discrepancies, ‘The Killing’ has brought some powerful and refreshing stories to its genre and I would hate to see it diluted by overkill, which we have seen destroy too many great American dramas that have begun with a bang but ended with a whimper. However, I have never been sensible by nature and so it would be wrong to be sensible here. As such, my response to the possibility of a fourth series is “Hell Yes.” Sarah Lund on the Run with the help of her Nordic hunk? Bring it on!

7/10