Roadkill is perhaps my favourite political drama in quite some time. Penned by renowned playwright Michael Hare and starring America’s favourite cynical doctor Hugh Laurie.
There are so many attribute that make Roadkill what it is; a plot that pulls you in from the first moment, a mystery that grips you tighter and tighter throughout, flawless acting and excellent direction. This combination worked together in creating a binge watch that turned a four part series into a 4 hour film.
The selling point for me however was Hugh Laurie, it was him who persuaded me to watch and Peter Lawrence that persuaded me to stay.
Peter Lawrence represents the celebrity politics of today. He has a seemingly endless supply of popularity, as the embodiment of Conservative Party meritocracy (the existence of which is debatable) he boasts of humble beginnings and manages to radiate a sense of unpretentiousness and relatability to the smiling constituents and selfie requesting fans.
It is quickly apparent however that this is a façade, Lawrence is clearly a man of political ambition matching that of Francis Urquhart. Although his power grab is much less obvious as the series is more preoccupied with his messy private life and approaching scandal. You are well aware throughout the series that Lawrence is not a hero! He’s probably not even an “Alright guy”. But Laurie gives more than a standard Richard III performance, he creates enough nuanced to make you feel conflicted, maybe secretly rooting for him. Is he actually something of an antihero?
He’s not the hero Alex! Don’t be so silly!
Are we ever supposed to root for this man? Surely not! He represents the worst in Politics, his entire public persona is a lie. His warmness is manufactured, he treats his staff with contempt and his family as non-existent. He proudly exclaims his gratefulness for the NHS while plotting its privatisation. He plays a role of relatability that doesn’t translate to his private life (Not unlike many high profile politicians). Most notably he is a criminal, he perjured himself in court (ruining a journalist’s career) He used his position to earn a ludicrous £500k and while he may not have planned the death of a journalist, it was done in his best interest, by the thinktank he is so deeply in bed with, nor does he show the slightest remorse. He’s another neutral evil politican; preaching one thing and saying another.
But why don’t we hate him as much as we should?
I suppose the easy answer would be that nobody wants to watch an irredeemable bastard be an irredeemable bastard for four hours, especially a conservative one.
Even in his uglier moments Lawrence possesses a genuine charm that is difficult to refute (probably due to Laurie’s own charm). But what I personally find more intriguing is his seeming genuineness. He holds Libertarian principles that seem to come before party loyalty (He’s not really capable of loyalty). While his party may like his free market approaches, they are less enamoured with his pro-immigration and prison reform leanings that eventually motivate his leadership bid.
His position as Justice Minister was an important one is creating more likability as prison reform is a concept an audience can get behind, unlike an Education Minister selling of schools to the highest bidder.
I for one became fully team Lawrence as he argued with a self-interested civil servant, hacking away at the most important parts of his reform bill. Its telling that he appears to be one of the few represented who isn’t motivated entirely by cynicism.
He frequently shows just enough decency to win over an audience. While he is very much the kind of man to bury his illegitimate daughter; he instead risks his career to allow her into his life, (although scandal doesn’t appear to deter voters now) with something resembling an unconditional paternal love. He wants to comfort his other daughter after her mishap with the press and he does appear to want to make amends with his continually estranging family (although it could be argued that his desire to do so is political).
He does represent a part of the conservative party that is less motivated by cronyism and Public School Ties; a self-made person who genuinely believes that conservatism (or in his case Libertarianism) is the way forward and while this doesn’t make him heroic, it does put him above most of his contemporaries.
So can he be our friend?
No. Peter Lawrence is a bad man who does bad things. Although not a crony, he is certainly corrupt. He is narcissistic to the point of criminality and most watching will be very weary of any success he has.
However the series have created an excellent character study of a complicated man. A character that will frequently challenge your own opinion on his character and who while no hero, is certainly a few steps above the typical Machiavellian villain.
Further reading:
Roadkill the series – Available on Iplayer.
Interviews – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gryK8DwtF_s
Variety – https://variety.com/2020/tv/reviews/hugh-laurie-roadkill-review-1234819286/
The Guardian – https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/18/roadkill-review-greed-and-corruption-at-the-heart-of-the-government
The Independent – https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/roadkill-bbc-review-hugh-laurie-politics-david-hare-helen-mcrory-b1047508.html
The BBC – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54597180
T H E N A I V E F I L M M A K E R 