YMMV / Patrick Melrose

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Was Nicholas Pratt an abuser the same as David Melrose? His words at David's funeral seem to suggest such. Did he feel remorse? Was he trying to goad Patrick into killing him at the funeral. When he suffers a seizure and collapses, Patrick tries to undo his collar so that he can breathe more easily and it looks as though Nicholas tries to prevent him. Alternatively, given the glowingly positive way he always talks about David, it's possible that he was in love with him and wanted to join him in death.
• Awesome Ego: Patrick describes himself as a "narcissistic, manic-depressive, suicidal alcoholic" and while his mental illnesses and addictions are played for drama, he himself is a frequent source of laughs given his sense of superiority and acerbic wit, both of which would make Sherlock proud. At one point he sits down before Princess Margaret at dinner.
• Awesome Moments: Anne Moore dishing out a vicious "The Reason You Suck" Speech to David Melrose and Nicholas Pratt over dinner. Even David, who is normally The Dreaded is at a loss for words.
  • Robert Melrose subjecting the leader of Patrick's mothers cult to a shorter but equally effective speech. "Why don't you leave, you stupid man!"
  • Even though we don't see it, David's death. It was of natural causes but a Sherlock Scan on Patrick's behalf confirms that it was painful, he was afraid and didn't want to die. It's basically one massive offscreen Kick the Dog.
• Funny Moments "I realise death can change people but I don't think it's enough to transform my father into a rather small Jew!"
  • Patrick yelling at the servant coming to tell him and Johnny about the fireworks.
• Just Here for Godzilla: A lot of people just watched it to see Benedict Cumberbatch playing another Deadpan Snarker and Cloudcuckoolander.
• Heartwarming Moments: Whenever we see Patrick with his wife and children.
  • Anne telling Patrick to wait for her on the stairs and that she'll come back to say goodnight to him. He denies that she will and when she's gone he goes upstairs. She still comes back and shouts goodnight up to him which he hears and still remembers when he meets her again as an adult.
  • Johnny listening to Patrick tell him about his father's abuse.
• Memetic Mutation: Patrick's self-introduction: "Narcissistic, manic-depressive, suicidal alcoholic. Nice to meet you."
• Nightmare Fuel: When not Played for Laughs, Patrick's drug-habits are this. During withdrawal he seriously contemplates suicide and has severe breaks from reality. When he gets high and reminisces about his father, we get an idea of what sort of a person he was before we're introduced to him. Then in the second episode, we are and the whole episode is pure Nightmare Fuel.
  • Hugo Weaving's performance as David Melrose is made of this; he is, quite simply, utterly terrifying. His presence onscreen is enough to induce one's stomach to turn.

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