A visit to Rab's local GP leads the Govan philosopher to learn that his liver is in the early stages of cirrhosis, and if he doesn't give up booze, he'll be dead within a year. The news of course, not only come to the shock of Rab and his long-suffering wife Mary but his pals at the Two Ways who decide to swear off the drink. Much of course to Rab's irritation, as he remains indignant about not wanting to quit the one pleasure he has in life.
Episode 4 of Series 1, Drink revolves around the titular work-shy anti-hero having to confront his own mortality, and having to choose between that and the one main thing that seems to bring meaning to his shallow, empty existence. This of course in context is rather poignant and sad given that he is a married man, with two sons. He seems more concerned with continually drinking himself into a stupor, and potential oblivion rather than staving off the drink to prolong his life and be there for his family, much to Mary's despair. His mates at the Two Ways, on hearing that their fellow drinking partner could soon be shuffling off this mortal coil, become alarmed at this, with Jamesie being the most vocal, stating "When the great bag-man up in the sky decides its time to call last orders, then it's every waster for themselves", choosing to abstain from drinking any more booze, in fear of they may eventually share the same potential fate as their long-time friend.
What Drink does, as the whole of the Govan-based sitcom did is hold up a mirror to a social sub-division of Scotland, and was a sharp, hilarious tragi-comedic commentary on what was and is still a black spot on Scottish society. Rab C Nesbitt was often at its peak when it mixed pathos with comedy. The indomitable, string-vested "wasters", reluctance to quit the demon drink, and the domestic conflict that arises from it, are piercingly observed by Rab's GP, played by David Troughton in exceptionally exasperated and frustrated form, as he tends to both Rab's physical and emotional wounds. He eventually sends him to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, which proves as effective in attempting to get him to change his ways, as it would be to try and get toothpaste back into the tube.
Ian Pattinson undercuts it all with some sublime absurdity which includes Rab being confronted by a hysterically funny anthropomorphic hallucination much to his distress. This is on not just one but two occasions that inspires him, albeit through fear to start living a life of sobriety. While he is also not only the perpetrator of an act of comically OTT violence on his best mate, and drinking buddy Jamesie, but finds himself on the receiving end of it himself when confronted by an irate Mary when he returns home from a drinking session.
Drink measures up as one of the high points of the show's first series, which continued its high consistency of quality comedy, and is still fairly relevant today in regard to its social commentary, bolstered all the more by brilliant and astute performances from both it's regular and guest cast members. It's all rounded up by a final shot of Jamesie sitting on a park bench, which ends this outing with a punchline (which I won't give away) that brings it to a close rather fittingly.
Episode 4 of Series 1, Drink revolves around the titular work-shy anti-hero having to confront his own mortality, and having to choose between that and the one main thing that seems to bring meaning to his shallow, empty existence. This of course in context is rather poignant and sad given that he is a married man, with two sons. He seems more concerned with continually drinking himself into a stupor, and potential oblivion rather than staving off the drink to prolong his life and be there for his family, much to Mary's despair. His mates at the Two Ways, on hearing that their fellow drinking partner could soon be shuffling off this mortal coil, become alarmed at this, with Jamesie being the most vocal, stating "When the great bag-man up in the sky decides its time to call last orders, then it's every waster for themselves", choosing to abstain from drinking any more booze, in fear of they may eventually share the same potential fate as their long-time friend.
What Drink does, as the whole of the Govan-based sitcom did is hold up a mirror to a social sub-division of Scotland, and was a sharp, hilarious tragi-comedic commentary on what was and is still a black spot on Scottish society. Rab C Nesbitt was often at its peak when it mixed pathos with comedy. The indomitable, string-vested "wasters", reluctance to quit the demon drink, and the domestic conflict that arises from it, are piercingly observed by Rab's GP, played by David Troughton in exceptionally exasperated and frustrated form, as he tends to both Rab's physical and emotional wounds. He eventually sends him to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, which proves as effective in attempting to get him to change his ways, as it would be to try and get toothpaste back into the tube.
Ian Pattinson undercuts it all with some sublime absurdity which includes Rab being confronted by a hysterically funny anthropomorphic hallucination much to his distress. This is on not just one but two occasions that inspires him, albeit through fear to start living a life of sobriety. While he is also not only the perpetrator of an act of comically OTT violence on his best mate, and drinking buddy Jamesie, but finds himself on the receiving end of it himself when confronted by an irate Mary when he returns home from a drinking session.
Drink measures up as one of the high points of the show's first series, which continued its high consistency of quality comedy, and is still fairly relevant today in regard to its social commentary, bolstered all the more by brilliant and astute performances from both it's regular and guest cast members. It's all rounded up by a final shot of Jamesie sitting on a park bench, which ends this outing with a punchline (which I won't give away) that brings it to a close rather fittingly.
