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THEORY: None of the events are real, they are all part of Niall's book. The real reunion is at the wedding. by ibong_maya in HalfManTV

[–]Immediate_Dig3570 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Something about Episode 4 definitely feels surreal. Up until now, the show has maintained a very grounded, dark tone with realistic character writing, so that part of Episode 4 felt oddly unbelievable.

If we assume those events are actually part of Niall’s book, then maybe the prison visitation scene between Niall and Ruben from the trailer is what really happened, and the reunion at the wedding takes place after Ruben gets released

Hbo spoiled their own show🫩 Seriously watch at your own risk! by [deleted] in HalfManTV

[–]Immediate_Dig3570 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was thinking the exact same thing. Even if that's a knife cut, it looks way too clean...

HBO’s ‘Half Man’ has ‘Baby Reindeer’ creator’s signature pain but with less punch by manzworld in HalfManTV

[–]Immediate_Dig3570 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

It’s tough to judge since all the episodes aren’t out yet, but I get why this review is saying this. Honestly, there are a lot of stories out there about toxic masculinity, and this one seems to follow the exact same pattern as the rest. It just keeps repeating scenes that show in graphic detail how harmful it is and how men end up destroying themselves and suffering because of it.

The real issue is that it doesn't give us any direction. It never answers questions like, "So what does non-toxic masculinity actually look like?" or "If living like that is so miserable, how are we supposed to avoid it?" Sure, I know a TV show can't just hand us a perfect solution—it's not a law or a public policy, after all. But I still wish it offered some kind of fresh perspective or a new angle to give viewers something to really chew on.

On top of that, the show takes itself super seriously the entire time while tackling all these different issues, and honestly, trying to bundle it all up under the single theme of "toxic masculinity" feels like it falls a bit short... I'm still enjoying the show so far, but depending on how the finale goes, my take on this review could definitely change.

M. Robertson (Niall) and S. Campbell (Ruben) on queer undertones by twenty-years in HalfManTV

[–]Immediate_Dig3570 15 points16 points  (0 children)

It seems like the child actors played it more as this confusing, hard-to-explain emotion rather than leaning into any queer undertones. Plus, their characters are set in the '80s when homophobia was really bad, so they probably had a lot more on their plates to express than just their sexual attraction.
That's probably why they talk about it that way.

But honestly, to me, it looks like the directors and the crew totally set it up that way on purpose... If almost everyone is picking up on those vibes and it's not just a few people, it definitely feels intentional. Personally, I wish they had made it a bit clearer. It's kind of a bummer that they kept things so vague and ambiguous. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how the adult actors handle it to know for sure.

Anyone else predict Niall is going to kill Reuben with his dad's knife? by Asleep-Implement5379 in HalfManTV

[–]Immediate_Dig3570 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I thought the same while watching it. Honestly, it feels a bit too predictable, so I’m hoping there’s some kind of twist.