Akin to "Educating Rita", this episode (simply titled "Guilt") manages to be (whether intentional or not) an expert exploration in to the role that class plays within society, making a somewhat profound observation that regardless of the current status or wealth of an individual, if they are originally born from a lower / working class background, it's a systematic construct that they will never be able to free themselves from & evade; their past & their upbringing is forever inescapable; working class lives are often predetermined by the roles that they're expected to play & so thus, as a consequence, even if one person rebels against this construct by climbing the hypothetical "social ladder" - by whatever means necessary, despite their endeavours to better themselves & further their ambitions, they'll never be able to truly ascend - becoming "upper class" - as their roots remain firmly grounded by their families.
Furthermore, using this (arguably cynical) concept, what creator Lucy Prebble does so perfectly is explore how it creates a complex, somewhat jarring & tense dynamic between relatives as their interpersonal relationships are strained by the inequality between members when they're forced to reunite, attending a wedding. She capitalises on this by contrasting the more typically "liberal", "affluent" attendees from prosperous areas of Britain (London in this instance) with very accurate representations of traditionally white, less wealthy, working class people & utilises the difference between these two groups in order to create a thoroughly engaging, compelling drama. Suzie's character is also therefore shown to be an outlier in the data - unlike any of her counterparts & uncomfortably isolated - irrespective of the festivities - because she's incapable of fitting in to any category due to the fact that she didn't conform to her preconceived traditions. This isn't an indictment or a criticism either - as it doesn't discourage individuals from pursuing their dreams - but it does make you wonder the price one has to pay in order to achieve them.
Not to mention, writer Lucy Prebble never misses an opportunity to have characters interact in unexpected ways, crafting genuinely brilliant, thought provoking exchanges of dialogue which spark evocative moments of nuanced passion & subtlety - which is only improved by the phenomenal performances from the incredible cast involved. In short, this is seriously masterful writing & I loved every minute of it.
Furthermore, using this (arguably cynical) concept, what creator Lucy Prebble does so perfectly is explore how it creates a complex, somewhat jarring & tense dynamic between relatives as their interpersonal relationships are strained by the inequality between members when they're forced to reunite, attending a wedding. She capitalises on this by contrasting the more typically "liberal", "affluent" attendees from prosperous areas of Britain (London in this instance) with very accurate representations of traditionally white, less wealthy, working class people & utilises the difference between these two groups in order to create a thoroughly engaging, compelling drama. Suzie's character is also therefore shown to be an outlier in the data - unlike any of her counterparts & uncomfortably isolated - irrespective of the festivities - because she's incapable of fitting in to any category due to the fact that she didn't conform to her preconceived traditions. This isn't an indictment or a criticism either - as it doesn't discourage individuals from pursuing their dreams - but it does make you wonder the price one has to pay in order to achieve them.
Not to mention, writer Lucy Prebble never misses an opportunity to have characters interact in unexpected ways, crafting genuinely brilliant, thought provoking exchanges of dialogue which spark evocative moments of nuanced passion & subtlety - which is only improved by the phenomenal performances from the incredible cast involved. In short, this is seriously masterful writing & I loved every minute of it.
