MovieChat Forums > This Is England '90 (2015) Discussion > Gadget losing it with Harvey

Gadget losing it with Harvey

posted 9 years ago by The-Last-Prydonian
8 replies | jump to latest

Although arguably understandable given his feelings for Kelly Gadget's condemnation and anger at Harvey throwing her out was totally unjustified and out of order. Especially after Harvey was pretty much doing his mate and her a favour in the first place. He didn't have to give her a place to stay but because Harvey was generally a decent enough bloke and sympathised with her circumstance he did. And what does she do in return? She chooses to attempt to take heroin, a seriously illegal substance under his roof. Needless to say it goes without saying what the potential ramifications might be, the police come knocking at the door and criminals coming after her for money she owes being the two most obvious two. Each of these would have potentially put Harvey's life, liberty or even reputation in jeapordy so too right had every justification in expelling her from his home.

Gadget had a real nerve to try and guilt trip and make him look guilty for what he did. If she wanted to flush her life down the toilet then that's up to her, (not that I condone it) but at least have the decency not to do it under the roof of a guy who's been good enough to give you a place to stay. I liked Gadget but he was a real ingrate as was Kelly.

[–] James_R_Woolley 9 years ago

Many things like this didn't make sense in TIE '90. The characters were at the mercy of the plot rather than the other way around - which is often what happens in soap operas like Eastenders.

I put the blame firmly at the feet of the other writer who worked on Skins previously. Why was Shaun moved to being a peripheral character? Why did we even have Kelly's whole drug addiction storyline if it never even went anywhere? Why re-introduce Combo into the story merely to have a 'shock' ending that felt straight out of Skins?

[–] Sanctuary20 9 years ago

Um, I thought it was Harvey who was a bit of a dick this series. He seemed very aggressive and nasty throughout.

My strength is greater than my weakness

[–] The-Last-Prydonian 9 years ago

Um, I thought it was Harvey who was a bit of a dick this series. He seemed very aggressive and nasty throughout.

I'd have to watch the earlier episodes again to confirm your opinion but fact is I'm not talking about what happened earlier in the story, I'm talking about what happened then! In this instance I feel Harvey was justified in kicking Kelly out of his flat. And to be honest I felt he displayed a fair bit of restraint when doing so because other people might have completely lost it and physically thrown her out right there and then. He at least gave her the chance to collect her things before leaving which is more than what some would have done. Gadget never saw any of this and proceeds to give his flat mate a hard time which frankly I found totally unjustified! Especially when Harvey was doing him and her a favour in the first place!

[–] RyanBell95 9 years ago

I feel Harvey being nasty and aggressive is in his character, as we first meet him as Shauns schoolyard bully. He is also makes a joke saying "we dont want another black baby" in 88, in reference to Milky and Lols affair and in 86 he is shown to have been physically beaten by his Father so i think him being portrayed as a man with anger issues is fair.
I was slightly disappointed with Kellys plot, it seemed like the rape scene in episode 2 had more to show Kellys decline into drugs than when she was kicked out of Harveys, and i feel her just coming to Lols wedding and being part of the group derailed the arc of her too quickly.

[–] Spikeopath 9 years ago

And what does she do in return? She chooses to attempt to take heroin, a seriously illegal substance under his roof.

Harvey was dealing in Ectasy (always illegal!) and always had it at his flat, the legal ramifications of drugs on his property is utterly irrelevant.

The point here with those sequences - and we see Harvey brooding in silence about throwing Kelly out - is that not only is he a hypocrite, but also Gadget's insinuation that maybe Kelly needs her friend's help is actually the bigger picture.

The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217

[–] Mayrise 9 years ago

2 points I'd like to bring up:

1) Remember that this was set in 1990 - around the height of the HIV & Aids awareness campaign. There was lots of advertising about the dangers of dirty needles etc on TV, radio and street advertising. Imagine yourself in Harvey's position at that time - I would have wanted her out of my flat ASAP!

2) Harvey was dealing (or possibly dealing) drugs such as weed and ecstasy and could be considered a hypocrite for throwing Kelly out for drug using. However, these are completely different types of drug. Ecstasy, although illegal and dangerous, is a social 'party drug' and is not used habitually or has any sharing ramifications, whereas heroin is a destructive anti-social drug who's users become dependant and can suffer huge health problems.

Gadget I thought was in love with Kelly, and the guilt tripping was a way of trying to get Kelly back into his life. Harvey was aware of this.

YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY!!!

[–] gtpunch 9 years ago

Yeah heroin's illegality is irrelevant. It utterly *beep* up the lives of people who took it and those around them, which is more the issue. To Harvey, pot and E and speed were all no worse than cigarettes & alcohol, but skag is a different thing altogether.

[–] Bajoran99 9 years ago

Given that Harvey was a drug dealer, and poly-drug user himself, I'm not sure he could justifiably take the moral high ground. I thought the scene was quite interesting and realistic because it highlighted the absurdity of drug users (cocaine, weed, amphetamine, ecstasy) considering other drug users (heroin) as scum.