I have seen a lot of love for this on the blogs so wanted to see what everyone thought of the final episode last night?
I never thought I would say this (I was hoping for another Christmas special!), but I really hope that this is it for Lance & Andy now – I thought last night was the most perfect way to end it for good, Those final scenes were fantastic & I can not think of a better way to leave it.
I love that we didn’t witness the reaction to the find & instead saw it from afar. The proposal scene was brilliantly done too & I feel that everything tied up nicely.
Bravo to Mackenzie Crook for writing & directing what IMHO has been the best comedy we have had on our screen in years.
Agreed. To carry on would mean breaking up the happy ending in some way – falling out with Simon & Garfunkel, say. I was surprised how pleasing it was to see them making up. And as you say, the proposal scene was lovely.
I thought it was nigh on perfect, filled with beautiful touches…’Garfunkel’ welling up when an olive branch was offered, the homage to the barn rising scene in Witness, the loving looks between characters, the understated proposal…I could go on and list every scene and every actor…
It was wonderful, very touching and really moving. Plus it had added Kevin Eldon, a sure sign of quality.
I forgot about the Kevin Eldon scenes! We had to rewind it to make up for the bits we missed whilst laughing like loons!
Eldon [and the whole auction scene] was fabulous
It was perfect. It made metal detecting seem like a great way to spend a day – and there’s no higher praise I could give it than that.
I think I shall start again from season one, episode one during the festive break.
It was brilliant. I wondered if it would just be left with everyone finding their own treasure, but the last scene as the camera panned up into the sky was absolutely perfect.
Bit of a latecomer (only watched this series) so going to have to watch it from start to finish now. Christmas special from a couple of years back is on Sunday evening on BBC2, I think.
I’m only here to echo what everyone else is saying. Perfect perfect perfect. Not a false note in sight. Crook has done a miraculous job. Great chemistry between Andy and Lance. Loved every minute of all three series. S3 E1’s coda featuring The Unthanks was a spooky highlight, along with last night’s barely visible reveal as the camera rose majestically above the treasure tree, leaving us only to imagine the reaction of our heroes. “I’m waiting for you…I’m waiting for you…”
I see that the DVD of Season 3 of the Detectorists comes out on Monday. I shall buy it immediately it’s released…
No blu-ray though, and there are some irate reviews already because the Christmas special only appears in the complete box set.
That’s disappointing as I already have the series 1-2 set. Only bought it last summer though did note at the time its release date was early December 2015, immediately after season 2 ended but just a couple of weeks before the Christmas special aired. If only they’d waited then, but suppose they wanted their smallish bite at the Christmas gift market.
Strange manufacturing decision too as usually these complete sets are just boxes around the individual season releases. It must mean they’re having to produce different versions of the third season disc – one without the special to sell on its own and one with to put in the complete set.
Oh well, I’ll just wait till this complete set comes down in price, or they succumb to pressure for a standalone release of the special. Or, better still, for the blu-ray version this exquisite show deserves.
The Christmas Special’s on youtube though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEBwxNyJf9s
Actually turns out the special is on the series 1&2 set. I was going on the Amazon listing and cover image which doesn’t mention it, rather than locate wherever my copy is in my to do pile last night.
Located it just now and it has the special.
So I’m fine. Just need to get series 3.
Couldn’t resist posting another moment:
The loving look between Terry and Sheila. It was so brief – Terry is concentrating on his detecting, then he looks up and across to Sheila, who is sitting with a book at the side of the field. Nothing is said, but you know exactly what is meant. A small moment of grace.
and what a wonderful character Sheila is. Beautifully played by Sophie Thompson
She really is. Her scene with Lance at the end of series 2 was so wonderful. As they sit outside a pub, Lance explains that he is struggling to connect to his daughter and Sheila hints at a tragedy in her own life. The happy, smiley side to Sheila slips and just for a moment we get a sense of something tragic and painful. Great writing, brilliant acting.
Me too, but I loved the look Terry had. As close to being in heaven as a man ever could be, almost something in his eye.
What a wonderful series.
And it’s echo in the look between Lance and Toni …
By mostly being on BBC4 the series has been something you had to search out or stumble over while others speed past towards Mrs Browns Boys. Very apt.
I agree with all of the above, but can someone explain the Belinda Carlisle thing from earlier in the series?
That scene was the highlight of the series for me!
Lance is telling the DMDC a story, but all we hear is his last sentence ” … I will change my name by deed poll to Belinda Carlisle”. They can’t stop laughing and tell Lance what a funny story he’s told. Sheila calls Lance “Belinda” and everyone starts laughing again. Terry tells everyone how brilliant Sheila’s timing is. They all carry on laughing.
Cut away to …
The Dirtsharks pub. They’re all laughing too. At Paul. Art says “I can’t believe you said something so stupid”. They quickly stop laughing.
I think the point of the scene was the contrast between the warm, inclusive laugh of the DMDC (which goes on forever) and the cruel, mocking laughter of the Dirtsharks (which quickly stops).
I thought it was brilliant. There was no significance in “Belinda Carlisle” it could equally have been Cyndi Lauper. Or maybe Martika.
I was out last night at The Unthanks, whose song The Magpie was an inspiration for this series according to Mackenzie Crook, so I’ve just watched it now. Wonderfully done. It couldn’t have ended any other way of course, but the final shot of Lance and Andy walking towards the Oak had my mouth hanging open.
The scene in the Dirt Sharks’ pub was fantastic, wasn’t it? A more dismal place it would be hard to imagine.
Agree with all above. The whole three series have been a wonderful journey. I was worried a third series would be taking it too far, but it wrapped it all up nicely.
I love the bit in this series where Mackenzie Crook comes quietly to terms with the fact that he is destined to be a ‘hobbyist’ in life, and that’s ok.
That’s a mantra to repeat to yourself to give your life meaning when it seems that being small and humble is unappreciated in this big, bad world. It applies to all of us here to various degrees, I suspect. Whether we’re making podcasts about music or writing our top tens of the year or going to car boot sales or playing in covers bands or writing reviews of films… we’re all ‘hobbyists’. It doesn’t matter that we’re not world-shakers.
Oh, Arthur.
It’s especially galling when you get you “work hard-play hard” types who declare with a sneer that you’ve embraced your mediocrity.
Archimedes put it best: “give me a trampolene and Kaisfatdad some time to bounce upon it and I’ll shake the f**king world alright..”
Just caught up with E6, so I can read this thread. The whole thing was just lovely – best closing scene since the very last Blackadder, I reckon.
I’m slightly disappointed that Garfunkel’s real name turned out to be Phil, not Arthur 😉
More than made up for by Toby Jones’ facial expressions when getting on the narrowboat. “Water looks a bit choppy”
I liked that during that scene, he was carrying a box with the word ‘Fragile’ written on it. And an arrow pointing up, towards him.
I didn’t notice that! It is why I love the show, so many subtle bits like this in it.
I think my favourite little detail was that during the brilliant car/motorbike chase (episode 3?) they used their indicators.
Been avoiding this thread until I got time to watch Episode 6 tonight.
Episodes 1 and 2 of this season were quite slow I thought and I was a bit worried that Season 3 would disappoint but once they sent Maggie packing it all came good. Just lovely stuff.
I was really glad for the reconciliation with Simon and Garfunkel. Perfectly judged Mr Crook!
Oh, @Milkybarnick, don’t watch the Christmas Special until you have seen the end of the preceding season as it follows on directly with spoilers galore.
Did you notice the sign on the wall outside the Dirt Sharks’ pub:
“Bear Baitin Saturday”.
A wonderfully judged series all round, all about a myriad of superb details adding up to a superb whole.
Pretty much faultless – from the unspoken love between many of the characters to the acknowledgment that most people have frustrations and sadness in their lives, but it’s the warmth of people and the little triumphs – mostly unnoticed by the world at large – that sustain them/us.
I loved the fact that characters such as Hugh ( great name decision for the sole Asian character) in a lesseer programme could have been just the butt of jokes – ‘ a bit of a drip’, but was in fact revealed as just a quiet, fairly shy chap with plenty going on upstairs, that they all loved dearly.
Take a bow, Mackenzie Crook.
I was wondering why there was such a fuss being made about this series – which is enjoyable enough but hardly epoch defining (©bricameron) – and then on catchup all become clear: Unthanks track in episode 1.
I think what you’re witnessing on this thread is that tv shows, like aeroplane journeys, no matter how long or otherwise pleasant, rely for a favourable evaluation upon a satisfactory ending. Those who invested a lot of their time in these characters felt that the finale “knocked it out of the park”.
TBF, S-Bot, it was about much more than the finale. It was about the ending of every episode, and the beginning of every episode and the middle of every episode, and all the special bits in between. As I said above, not a false note in sight as far as I’m concerned.
I have nothing much to add here and no particular reason for reviving this thread, apart from just to say I have been recently rewatching the whole three series of Detectorists again. Can’t remember what sparked my interest again, it must have been mentioned somewhere. Anyway, it’s as wonderful as always, and really stands up to repeat viewing. Performances are universally terrific, the mix of comedy and pathos is a delight, the wildlife and nature inserts are vibrant, and soothing and the structure/writing are a textbook example of efficiency.
I’ve just thoroughly enjoyed reading through the whole thread. Must go and watch it again.