It's A Sin - Channel 4

[Brianbadonde]

My La. T-shirt arrived today! I love it! So far selling it has raised over £160k for the Terrence Higgins Trust

 

[Pulltheotherone]

I’ve recorded it to watch over the weekend! I have a question though, I wasn’t born then but I’m just wondering...the fear around AIDS, was it something that everyone was scared of in the beginning? Like I know there was mass panic to begin with, was the fear felt by people comparable to the fear felt in this pandemic or not? Hopefully this doesn’t come across as ignorant, I’m genuinely curious

There was a huge amount of panic and the TV continually played this awful advert and sent out leaflets to every household.
There was a huge amount of stigma attached in those days.

 

[The Devils Arse]

I just didn't realise how quickly people could decline once they had it. And that it caused dementia.

I also just can't get out of my head how scared they must have been. Dying alone, in "shame", with your mind coming and going.

 

[What's the craic Jack]

Loved it!!!! La!!

 

[MissTeddy]

I think my favourite scene was at the protest when Richie appears from nowhere on the policemans back to defend Jill. I spontaneously wept at the joy of that scene.
the scene on the peer was a punch to the stomach but I didn’t cry - I felt too angry with his mum.

 

[Ensay]

I tried to watch it again a couple of months ago but couldn't. I got half way through the 1st episode and turned it off knowing what was coming.
It's a series that really sticks with you maybe because of the emotional roller-coaster it involves. I loved it but its so hard to watch again.

So true. I didn't go into it thinking they'd all survive but it's somehow so brutal. The worst was Colin - just came out of nowhere.

 

[Cocobaby09]

I watched it all on Saturday night and then again last night, it is probably one of the best peices of television I have ever watched.
I find it incredible how quickly the characters took a place in your heart, Henry and Jaun Pablo were only in the first episode but it broke me when that episode finished, seeing him hiding in the house, in the hospital at the end, how Colin went to visit him, it was all so heartbreaking. Colins character was my favourite, i felt his relief when Mr Hart spotted the magazines and newspapers, actually breathed a sigh of relief alongside him. Was gutted when it lost him his job and then was feeling like a proud mum when he got the keys to the printer shop, his ending had me crying like a baby, I was unsure whether the encounter with football shirt boy was consensual, had to watch again and it appears it was, but get the feeling the boy had no respect for Colin as a person and was using him while denying his own sexuality.
Roscoe was amazing, loved his character, loved the part when he went to see cassius again and realised he'd been played, it was so funny, and pissing in Mrs Ts coffee, amazing.
Richie was brilliant, I felt the world stand still alongside Jill when she was at the harbour with his mum, totally did not see that coming.
There is just too much to write about, really considering a 3rd binge.

With Colin, it was consensual but no feelings, intimacy or love involved. Football shirt boy was a closet case self loather from what I could make of him. I felt the same about Colin, I don’t have a maternal bone in my body but just wanted to mother him and cuddle him. The actress who played his mum was wonderful, she was so loving and non-judgemental.

 

[SkinkaareFan]

I absolutely loved it. Said I wouldn't binge. I binged. My husband and I were hooked. It's funny, heartwarming and moving. I was born in 1991 but love everything 80s. Obviously there's a bigger story in this that pulls at the heart strings and I was sobbing.

You could tell it was coming because of what the show is about but it still broke me and even my husband got a little tearry eyed and he never does over TV shows and films! I haven't stopped thinking about it since we finished it. There's so much I want to say but I'll wait until its fully aired on C4 as don't want to spoil it for anyone!


La!

We have now adopted the La.

 

[Mookiegoose]

He was obviously an old perv hoping to get him undressed but I also think the continuing themes of hygiene with him was about him being closeted and the stigma of homosexuality being dirty


Colin's story was so distressing to watch. I finished watching the whole series a week ago and I still can't stop thinking about it, especially Colin. Powerful is the perfect way to describe the relationship with the landlord's son; I think it was written so ambiguously for viewers to make their own perception maybe. I personally didn't think of it as consensual, the son was very forceful and then although Colin may have seemed to hint at times he'd be home I thought that was more about his naivety and want to experience his sexuality. More than those scenes though the other scenes with his friends and his mother convinced me it wasn't something he really wanted. It may have been shame about his sexuality that lead to him never disclosing that information until he was going senile but I perceived it as sexual assault shame.

Also, the scene with Colin and his Mother and they say something about France - does anybody know what that was about? I was a little bit confused by that, was it simply to show early signs of the dementia or something else?

The whole series was so powerful and emotive. Me and my husband cried the whole way through, it was beautifully written and acted.

The France thing was just before he had his second fit so I can only assume something sparked in his brain.

I completely saw the sex with 'football top' as consensual. Colin certainly seemed to enjoy it, and also seemed to invite it, when he told his landlady he was happy to stay home when they were out. 'Football top' obviously saw it as something to be ashamed of given his disgusting language during and his mother's attitude in the hospital. Given that Colin obviously caught HIV from him, he'd obviously been at it with other people but hated himself for it.

I think I might watch it again, because you always see things you missed the first time (especially as I was watching while working at the same time).

 

[CosmicCreepers]

Me and my housemate have just watched the entire series in one sitting. We both cried our eyes out and the ending really got to me. As someone who is only out to one parent, I live in fear of how my Dad will feel. Will he be okay? Will he hate me? Jills speech at the end saying how he felt unloved was the reason he kept it secret. It really hits home and cut deep, in a good way. It was absolutely amazing and broke my heart at the ending.

 

[aimzalicious]

It's past 1am and I just binge-watched the final 3 episodes and am in bits. My thoughts:

- The scene in the car where his old schoolfriend said how Ritchie could do anything he wanted and had his whole career ahead of him was very upsetting
- Jill and Roscoe being in the Isle of Wight whilst Ritchie was still alive and being robbed of their reunion whilst he died alone in his bed
- COLIN!!!!! I found his final scenes very upsetting and disturbing. His mum was a lovely lady. I also enjoyed Colin's friendship with his work colleague at the start (can't remember his name but played by Neil Patrick Harris)
- We all need a friend like Jill. I was full-on ugly crying when she sat with that lonely man Marcus at the end and he looked so grateful for her company. I want to be more like Jill
- How understanding Ritchie's dad was by the end

Does anyone else think it's interesting they've released it now? There are so many covid deniers these days, just as there were many HIV deniers back then. I wonder if RTD is sending a message there.

Also, nice to see Heaven featuring a couple of times, I miss that place!! Loved going there with my gay friends back in my London days

 

[Missmopps]

I wish channel 4 hadn’t asked RTD to shorten from 8 to 5, you could feel it had been edited and shortened to much as the timelines seemed too squashed together considering the resulting episodes spanned almost 10 years.

That said, I loved it. Callum’s acting as Colin and the actress playing his mother was superb, so naturalistic. Absolutely heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, her unconditional love and acceptance of her beloved Colin right to the end.

I learnt a lot from this series that I was completely unaware of previously. I’d love everyone to be more Jill and Colin’s mum, the world would be so much of a compassionate and loving place to be in

 

[Delia Smith]

It was brilliant, i'm going to binge watch the rest later!
RTD is a client at my workplace and he is LOVELY

 

[Xoxgossipxoxo]

I loved the bad ass lawyer

 

[Iwantyoutoknow22]

Binged it all and loved it. The guy who played Colin is excellent (and a bit of a looker when he’s not in a beige suit!) and has hardly been in anything! Think we’ll see a lot of him. Olly Alexander is great, loved to hear him singing too in those brief scenes

 

[aimzalicious]

I found both of these scenarios so sad. When his mum just matter of factly said he had died, I wanted to punch her. I binge watched it again last night & was full on sobbing.

I immediately got goosebumps when she just threw out there that he had died. Like, the skin of my scalp actually prickled and my jaw dropped open!!

I was trying so hard to be understanding of his mum's behaviour during the hospital scene where she called Jill a bitch. I thought a huge bombshell has been dropped on her, she didn't know her son was ill until it was too late so of course, she would take it out on Jill who is the closest to him but she really held onto that bitterness till the very end.

And to act like Jill was going to be fine, and come to the cafe with her and regale her with stories of Ritchie's life in London? Pathetic! I'm glad Jill gave her a piece of her mind!!

 

[Shutterbug99]

I was tellin a friend about it and how upsetting it was seein these boys dieing alone and she said well what about now with covid! Least now they have the doctors n nurses caring for them and can have contact with family. These poor boys were left alone and locked away especially at that start.! I was wasting my time tryin to explain the difference to her.

Wow.
Does your friend know anyone who has been disowned by their family because they are suffering from Covid?
Are people with Covid being shunned by large tracts and society and being made to feel ashamed of who they are?
Don't think so!
People are dying alone in hospital of Covid, yes, but not for the same reasons as men were left to die alone of AIDS in the 1980's.
There is no comparison.

 

[Tabby23]

I finished watching this last weekend but I have spent a lot of time every day this week thinking significantly about the show, the people, the impact.
I was sobbing about Colin and my husband, simply trying to comfort me said, it’s ok Colin is just a character. I said yes, Colin is a character in a tv show, however there are hundreds...thousands of real Colins out there. And I feel like I knew him. I felt like I knew all of them! Fabulously written, produced and acted.
Also I ordered my La t-shirt the other day, with £20 going straight to the Terrence Higgins Trust.

 

[lime]

I'm so pleasantly surprised by what a massive hit this show is. I watched it all the night it came out after eagerly anticipating it. Laughed, cried, loved it but also found it gut wrenching. I did not expect it to be the type of show my mum is texting me about. Yes it's achingly sad, but moreso than that I think this show feels like liberation for all the gay men in this country who died alone, who died of shame, who died stigmatised and cast aside. Who were forgotton (not by the LGBTQ community but by society at large), until now. It feels like a massive celebration, as well as an education. The balance is just perfection. Russell T. Davies can be extremely hamfisted I find but what an achievement to write his best work ever at this stage in his career. He deserves a BAFTA next year and so does the young actress who played Jill, the exceptional Keeley Hawes and the multitalented Mr Olly Alexander.

 

[Twopenniesworth]

I think it was very clever how that line about his death was delivered, too. It wasn't some grandiose announcement, it was almost a throw-a-way line delivered very matter-of-factly. That's what made it more shocking as there was no build-up to make us expect it.

Jills face broke me when she realised. She went there thinking she was going to get to see him and found out he had gone the day before. I really ugly cried at that part, along with the Colin scenes.