Vengeance, pure and raw, defines the essence of Richard Gadd's latest television venture, Half Man, a follow-up to his critically acclaimed series Baby Reindeer. In this new BBC iPlayer drama, Gadd and co-star Jamie Bell deliver performances so frank they border on feral, creating a show so violent it leaves viewers feeling as if they can taste blood in their mouth. Gadd's ability to hit a nerve remains unparalleled, cementing his status as a master of transgressive storytelling.
The Birth of a Monster Revisited
Part of the thrill of Baby Reindeer was witnessing the emergence of a monster through Gadd's dramatization of his own stalking experience. Unlike comedians who gently poke at their foibles in scripted dramas, Gadd set fire to safety nets by portraying his vulnerability with brutal honesty. This approach not only won him major awards but also transformed him into one of television's most powerful creators. The queasy disconnect between his real-life victimhood and on-screen success was fascinating, making the prospect of a new Gadd show both exciting and frightening.
A Shift in Perspective: From Target to Monster
Psychologically, Half Man is intriguing because it flips the narrative. Instead of casting himself as the target, Gadd positions himself as the monster. Muscled up beyond recognition with a straggly beard and brutal bowl-cut, his new alter ego is all id—vengeance incarnate. The six-part series, available on BBC iPlayer from Friday, delves into the story of two "brothers," Niall and Ruben, whose relationship begins on the outskirts of Glasgow in the 1980s.
Niall, played by Mitchell Robertson as a teenager and Jamie Bell as an adult, is a weedy, nervous individual. Ruben, portrayed by Stuart Campbell in youth and Richard Gadd in adulthood, is a raging psychopath released from a young offenders' institution for biting off a man's nose. Their bond forms when Niall's widowed mother invites Ruben's divorced mother to move in, forcing Niall to share his bedroom with the older boy. This sets the stage for a devil's bargain: Ruben protects Niall from bullies and even assists in his sexual initiation, while Niall helps Ruben cheat in exams and offers him unprecedented kindness.
Painful Symbiosis and Uncomfortable Eroticism
From this point, Niall and Ruben are locked in a painful symbiosis—an uncomfortably eroticized headlock of a relationship that Niall neither consents to nor can live without. An opening flash-forward reveals adult Niall shaken by Ruben's appearance at his wedding, setting the tone for a series filled with vivid violence. With the guide rails of real events removed and female characters often sidelined as unheeded voices of reason, Gadd's preoccupation with broken masculinity runs riot, veering close to pornography.
Past trauma in Half Man doesn't just explain men's self-destructive behavior; it makes it inevitable, leading to dramatically difficult choices. Gadd's exploration of shame as a driver of male misery mixes uneasily with his penchant for shocking sex scenes, limiting Niall's ability to explore desires in non-extreme ways. The dialogue is unsparing, with epic two-handers between Bell and Gadd that analyze both characters to death. Yet, when Gadd hits a nerve, he strikes harder than any other TV auteur, leaving audiences both captivated and unsettled.
Where Does Gadd Go From Here?
As Half Man concludes, one wonders about Gadd's future direction. Can he produce a third drama on similar themes, even more compellingly horrible than the first two? Such a venture might be a bad idea, but given his track record, it's a risk few would dare to challenge him on. His work continues to push the boundaries of television, making him a figure to watch in the evolving landscape of dramatic storytelling.
