100% agree with every word of this insightful Brassic 3 review, it IS the best series yet!

TV Recommendation: Brassic

Teddy Webb: The third season of the wild comedy-drama Brassic has recently aired, and despite its fairly prominent marketing by its creators at Sky, I’d still argue the show is incredibly underrated. Brassic is a whirlwind of a comedy series, carefully balancing an absurdist style of humour with a social realist undercurrent that makes for a properly unpredictable show. On top of this, Brassic is also a brilliant example of how to represent diversity in television without veering into the patronising territory of the Very Special Episode.

Brassic follows a ragtag group of small-time criminals trying to pull of heists and capers in which anything that can go wrong will go wrong. From antique furniture heists in Season 2 to the series of misfortunes that led the gang to try and offer a boa constrictor as a ransom payment this season, the scheme-of-the-week format of the show has audiences laughing along with the thieves they’re rooting for, almost in line with legends of Robin Hood. The core cast of the show are a genuinely sweet portrayal of male friendship, in which they can rip into each other as often as any band of brothers on telly without resorting to the “locker room banter” or casual bigotry you might see in a 2000s bro comedy. Even during their arguments, like leading man Vinnie’s fight with wise-cracking Tommo over the latter trying to smuggle drugs to sell on an outing that Vinnie’s young son unexpectedly tagged along for, there’s so much compassion between the characters.

Brassic definitely falls into the satire category, with the way it ridicules classic heist plots by filling them with absurd side characters acting as obstacles, or having the cast steal beehives instead of diamonds, but it never uses that satirical angle as an excuse to punch down. As a viewer, it’s hard not to extend them the same love. It’s a very human portrayal, in which almost every episode features characters behaving in selfish ways while simultaneously putting their necks on the line for each other.

The protagonist of the show, Vinnie, is perhaps the best example of subtle representation weaving perfectly in with the tone of the show. Inspired by the real-life experiences of actor and show co-creator Joe Gilgun, Vinnie has struggled with his bipolar disorder since Brassic’s first season. The discussions of his mental health are often intercut with brash sex jokes from his hapless therapist, in accordance with the show’s comedic style, but the subplot adds a dark underpinning to the character’s impulsive schemes and behaviours, which can now be read as a symptom of mania in a man who’s not being truly supported.

Once again, Vinnie’s bipolar doesn’t turn the show into something it’s not with heavy handed dialogue or simple linear arcs of healing. Instead, its undercurrents blend into the character’s personality and mannerisms, in a way that I think only someone with close personal experience with the condition could effectively write. There’s a personal level of honesty in the storyline, and this third season is the strongest yet at developing it amongst amongst all the farce we expect.