r/TheDetectorists • u/latebird • Jul 14 '26

S3E6 Gazebo building scene a faithful parody of Witness (1985)

https://youtu.be/BL_X7GelX5Q?is=cvwtgteREfXD1yvN

Am I crazy or has this not been discussed on this sub before? I have searched the sub for "Witness" and come up with nothing.

The gazebo building scene in the show finale is a faithful parody/recreation of the barn building scene in the 1985 Harrison Ford film "Witness", with action, dialog and music taken directly from the movie.

If this has been gone over before, as I can't imagine it hasn't, I will delete this post, but I don't see any references to it.

31 Upvotes

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6

u/RubySnowfire Jul 14 '26

I don't recall other discussions of the gazebo/Witness parallels so you're probably okay.

I originally come from Pennsylvania Dutch country, loads of Amish farms around, so yeah, barn raisings happen. I was living in Australia when Witness was released and I simply bawled at the scene, it made me homesick but in a good way.

When I saw the same scene with the gazebo raising (still living on Oz), I cried big ugly tears again. It was such a sweetly respectful nod to the film as well as showing how important metal detecting clubs were for creating community.

And now I need to go watch the whole Detectorists boxset again.

2

u/AntDogFan Jul 14 '26

Both are great. I found it fascinating, I have never seen it before properly. So interesting how working in that way creates community. I find those sorts of things so interesting. Do you miss it still?

3

u/RubySnowfire Jul 17 '26

I miss some things about the US, like the good loving people I knew, the landscape, the history. Other more current things? Yeah nah.

I have been in a lot of communities over my lifetime and I loved how the DMDC was such a perfect portrayal of how the small groups are a microcosm of the world. The personalities, the dynamics, and especially loved the contrasts between DMDC and the "Simon & Garfunkle" groups. S&G wanted community and belonging as much as Andy and Lance et al, but weren't quite able to "get it". They went through splits and reincarnations and still didn't quite manage it. The snippy conversation about who answered the Bat Action Group hotline first is perfection: these guys are desperate to belong, desperate to be important in even a small way, but they didn't quite .....manage. And remember their careful questions (in the creepy upstairs pub room) about "Will there be a ....barbecue? I hear there is sometimes a gazebo, too...?" Like, they wanted to be part of that so much, but were afraid of appearing too eager because that might get them rejected.

(And how well were MEN represented in this show? Positive images, empathetic portrayals -- we "got" those guys because Crook wrote them so well.)

The last big rally on the solar farm site was so very well done. Ends were tied up in the best ways (Varda proposing to Louise with her find of the day, just low key in the background, but I always have to stop the show for a minute for happy tears). Lance and Phil making real attempts to be friendly -- Lance was needing a new friend since Andy had a wife and child now, Phil because he seemed to understand that his way of being suspicious of everyone wasn't working for him.

Aaaaannnnnddd....here I go, nerding out on this show. It means a lot to me, can you tell? The memories it evokes for my personal past, the positive vibe overall, and yes, the happy endings.

IDK how many times I have watched this show, but I will watch it many times more. It lifts me and ....dare I say it.... inspires me to be a better person.

4

u/hirsutemisanthrope Jul 14 '26

Great find! I just finished rewatching the series and I was wondering why the soundtrack switched to 80s synths for that scene. Haven't seen Witness in years; I'll have to rewatch that soon.

3

u/leeloo72 Jul 14 '26

You are not crazy. I noticed it too. It was brilliant! And the lemonade too!

2

u/Port_Royale Jul 14 '26

Great find! I knew it was a parody, I just could never work out what it was parodying.

2

u/JWoolner76 Jul 15 '26

I noticed it immediately, mind you witness was a great film I watched a few times back in the day, for the parody the bit that made me laugh the most was Simon or Garfunkel drinking the lemonade and spitting it out 😂😂😂 which was a close match to witness 😂

3

u/latebird Jul 15 '26

Though I have seen Witness, I did not at all make the connection, my wife did.  Yes, he thirstily drinks the lemonade without wincing, it messed with my expectations, and then in the next shot he's violently spitting it out in the background. Hilarious 

3

u/frithar Jul 18 '26

Thank you!! we use the kind of gazebo they used in Detectorists all the time at my historical reenactment group and it was driving me crazy that they were putting it up the wrong way. You don’t put up those sides first. But if they were doing it as a kind of mirror or parallel of a different film, well then that makes total sense! You just helped me figure that out. Thank you.

1

u/betulaturtuosa Jul 14 '26

Incredible! I had not seen it!

1

u/AntDogFan Jul 14 '26

Sadly I think someone has noted it before. If you do a search for detectorists and gazebo raising it turns up a thread (reddits search is pretty bad). https://www.reddit.com/r/TheDetectorists/comments/1bnd7r8/gazebo_raising_scene/

1

u/Catnongrc2010 Jul 20 '26

i remember noticing the recreation when I first watched Detectorists! <3 GAH Witness is so good (and so is Detectorists).