Every week we’re bringing you recommendations for great movies or TV shows streaming on Netflix. This week’s selection is…
“Derek” (9 out of 10) Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais; Starring Ricky Gervais, Kerry Godliman, David Earl, Karl Pilkington, Holli Dempsey, and Bret Goldstein.
Ricky Gervais is a comedian who appeals pretty closely to my particular sensibilities and I’ve followed his career and admired him for many years. It’s always a treat when he makes a cameo in something I’m watching, even more so when he has a chance to run the stage and have control. His version of “The Office” introduced me to Martin Freeman and the mockumentary style of television. His feature films like “The Invention of Lying” have provided comedy that speaks to me and my worldview. But my favorite thing Gervais has ever done is his latest series, “Derek” which effectively ended with a one hour special finale that began streaming on Netlflix yesterday.
“Derek” does something that I’ve never seen done in television before, it tells stories that feel authentic. In a recent interview with Yahoo News Gervais talks about how modern culture is one of seeking fame. That everyone wants to be a singer or an actor, everyone craves the limelight. This was something I became aware of the first time I saw “Fight Club.” During one of Tyler Durden’s monologues he says “we’ve been all raised by television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars, but we won’t and we’re slowly learning that fact. and we’re very very pissed off.” And he’s right.
Movies and television become an escape from the everyday because the worlds they portray don’t follow the rules of real life. In TV the protagonist is only fifteen minutes away from their big break, their problems don’t feel real because we know they’ll resolve themselves. Liam Neeson is only three big fight scenes from saving his daughter, John Cusack is only one grand romantic gesture away from getting the girl. It’s fun to watch, it’s satisfying, but it isn’t real, and it creates a false sense of guaranteed success in our minds. “Derek” doesn’t tow that line, it shows life as it is, the characters aren’t pretty, things almost always go from bad to worse, and there is a consistent sense of loss, yet somehow it still feels optimistic, it still presents a positive model for life.
The character of Derek is perpetually happy, optimistic to a fault, and almost never disappointed. Gervais describes him as being a mix between a child, full of optimism and hope before the world has a chance to beat them down, and a dog who is always happy, always having a good time. While he is certainly naïve, and is sometimes taken advantage of, you can’t help but look at Derek and wish you were like him.
Throughout the series you see a stream of characters come into Broad Hill, an old folks home, and each of them leaves better than they arrived, even if they’re leaving in a casket. Derek’s unfettered optimism is infectious, he becomes the moral and emotional compass of everyone around him, despite his mannerisms and naivety you can’t help but realize that he’s right. The show broaches topics of love, life, trust, and perhaps most consistently, death. The show can be raunchy and hilarious, and in a moment it can take a turn and suddenly tears are welling. Derek is a character that even through the screen elicits an emotional response, a desire to align with him.
Gervais perfectly melts into the role, if you were unfamiliar with him before seeing the show you would believe that he is exactly as he appears on screen and he provides a character that gives us all a model for our own lives. In any question you could ask yourself what Derek would do and you will never steer wrong.
Despite Netflix’s desire to take “Derek” to a third season, Gervais has made the decision to end the series now in order to avoid a decline in its quality and while I’m sad to see it go, I’m glad to know that its legacy will be preserved. What Gervais has crafted is nothing short of a masterpiece. The special that began streaming on Netflix yesterday ends a wonderful piece of fiction in a satisfying way but without destroying what makes it great, which means that everyone doesn’t necessarily get what they want or what they deserve. The hour long episode centers around Hannah planning her wedding with very little money and a baby immediately on the way, and Kev having an emotional crisis at the hands of alcohol. Despite its heavy themes it leaves the viewer with a sense of completion and hope. It leaves you with the knowledge that you don’t need lots of money or prestige, so long as you have people you care about and who care about you, and you try as best you can to help the people around you. “Derek” cements the idea that all people have worth and that love and kindness will bring the best out of people.
You could write a philosophy book on the way Derek lives his life, not an episode goes by without him giving you something to think about, or a new way to face your problems. Derek leaves us with one final piece of advice, “If you want happiness for an hour take a nap, if you want happiness for a day go fishing, if you want happiness for a year win the lottery, if you want happiness for a lifetime help other people.”
If you haven’t watched “Derek” at all, don’t cut yourself short, start from the beginning before watching the special. While each episode can stand on its own and remain almost as powerful, the arc of each character makes every moment deeper. It is a gem among so much static, it would be a disservice for you to miss it.
“Derek” earns nine stars out of ten, it’s as close to a perfect show as I’ve ever seen. I only wish Karl Pilkington had stuck around longer.