Derek – Boy on Film

I love a good cry. I don't cry at everything, but when the right kind of TV show, movie, or book gets to me, I let my cry-flag fly. While watching Derek, I enjoyed little cries, big cries, and two deep, soul-cleansing, sob-filled cries that I had to hold in until the end credits rolled so that the boyfriend (who was also quietly crying) and I wouldn't miss any dialogue. It was the best. 

Derek isn't only about tear-inducing sad moments, though. In fact, this seven-episode dramedy on Netflix is ridiculously hilarious. The show is the latest brainchild of Ricky Gervais, who both produces it and stars as the title character Derek Noakes. It takes place in a British nursing home, focusing on its workers and residents. Like Gervais's The Office, Derek has a workplace-as-family theme and uses the mockumentary approach. I'll admit it—the first time a character spoke in their "interview," I had the thought that Gervais was just repeating himself, and (insert snarky tone) in such an obvious manner. I didn't wonder for long, though, because I was soon sucked deep into Derek's world.

Derek is kind and sees the best in everyone, from the home's elderly residents to his coworkers and friends. It's not difficult to see why he adores Hannah, the home's manager (played brilliantly by Kerry Godliman), who always puts others ahead of herself. But he also adores his friends Dougie, the home's caretaker and a tremendous sourpuss, and Kev, who has no job, no home, and spends most of his time talking about his own penis. Kev provides some of the show's most ridiculous moments, from the lewd names for body parts he paints onto crabs at the shore to the screenplay he has written (and tries to perform with Derek) about the beginnings of 80s rock band Duran Duran. (Yes, I was sold the minute I saw the episode description mentioned Duran Duran.)

Some critics have made a big deal about whether Derek, who is slow and has odd mannerisms, has an identifiable mental handicap, and thus, if Gervais is making fun of him. (Gervais has made it clear in interviews that Derek is not autistic, nor does he represent any particular condition.) Personally, I think those that are stuck on this issue are missing the point. What struck me about Derek is how the home's workers, and by extension, the show, treats everyone as three-dimensional human beings. It's just as easy to over-simplify and dismiss elderly characters—there are plenty of tropes, ranging from the forgetful or cute old man to the sex-crazed or wise old woman. What the show does quite brilliantly is portray all of these characters as full-fledged people, with a past that has shaped their present. We learn that Derek has a difficult past that isn't fully laid out for us, but can be seen as a darkness behind his eyes. (Gervais has featured the character in stand-up routines in the past, but much of the history developed there has not yet been presented in the TV show.) And I love the use of old photographs to give us a small glimpse into the elderly residents' rich life histories. 

Derek, like the nursing home itself, creates a place for those often marginalized and unwanted by mainstream society. Perhaps more people should be asking why characters like Derek and the home's residents are so rare. Derek's uniqueness (whether from a specific condition or not) and the issues faced by the home's elderly (separation from family, illness, and, most realistically, death) should be welcome on screen. For those who stick with the series, it's clear that Gervais is not laughing at the characters. He is giving us a chance to briefly join them as they laugh, cry, and celebrate life.