The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret
E4
I’ll tell you shitheads this much: there’s an awful lot of talent in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. David Cross (Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development) stars and co-writes with Shaun Pye (Monkey Dust co-creator and the posh boy turd from Extras). Todd Margaret is a know nothing office douche mistaken for an aggressive go-getter by his boss (Will Arnett, G.O.B. Bluth from Arresturd Development) who is instantly recruited to a post in the UK on a six-figure salary heading up a hugely optimistic push to sell a gazillion tonnes of hateful energy drink Thunder Muscle. Todd lied about his knowledge of the UK. He lies a lot, in fact and makes many Poor Decisions which we bear witness to like some kind of sitcom audience with dominant specularity.
Having left his cat alone with a sayonara and a bucket filled with 30 cans of tuna, Todd heads to land of the twee, and the home of the Dave. That’s Dave, Todd’s sole employee (Blake Harrison, Neil from The Inbetweenturds). Dave knows that Todd is a fraud and takes unholy pleasure in egging him on with his Increasingly Poor Decisions. I’m a little uneasy with this as it just seems wrong for Neil to take so much pleasure in someone else’s suffering. I’d like to know where they’re going with him – he’s not very likeable at the moment.
“Having left his cat alone with a sayonara and a bucket filled with 30 cans of tuna, Todd heads to land of the twee and the home of the Dave.That’s Dave, Todd’s sole employee (Neil from The Inbetweenturds)”
Todd Margaret is likeable but that’s not helping him much. Increasingly Poor Decisions make his life a 24/7 craptacular and the only solace he has is in the company of the moderately attractive cafe owner Alice (Sharon Horgan, Pulling). Alice is big into her molecular gastronomy; Hesturd Blumenthal is a god to her which must make the real God a bit pissed if He exists (which He doesn’t but can bet hedging capitalisation really hurt?) I’ll wager Todd messes up a few romantic entanglements with her.
Because making mistakes is what he does. Drinking too much Thunder Muscle during a presentation and offering to “fuck the old” out of an elderly lady; getting his luggage vaporised by a bomb disposal unit and, a little implausibly, making the mistake that fags always means homosexual in Britain. Really, Todd Margaret? You never heard about British fags? They’re everywhere!
The show is fun, though – Cross throws himself into the action with the kind of energy you might get from Thunder Muscle, it’s a very strong cast and the script has an entertaining mean streak. They are going to want to do something with Dave other than have him soullessly torment Todd. Tormenting a tragicomic hero is for the gods, not for a tabula raasclat character whose only function is to nause. Fix that, and we’re in business.
The verdict on The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret: “Got some good signs on it” (Marlo Stanfield)
Marks out of 10: 7.5