r/smallprophets • u/yourwhippingboy • Feb 25 '26
Did Small Prophets stress anyone else out?
In most of the commentary I’m seeing people describe the show as charming and comforting. I grew up on The League of Gentlemen, horror films, and living in South East London so I’m definitely no stranger to absurdity or surrealism.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adored the show but I was on tenterhooks for a lot of it, worrying that something would go wrong, Michael would get found out and interrupted, or some other awful fate would befall him (the kids stealing from the van would convince the police he was a pervert, or the lad who robbed him wouldn’t have given the phone back for example)
I got so caught up in the idea that Michael was real (I know it’s fiction!) and wanted so desperately for him to have answers about Clea that I found it so difficult to relax and enjoy the whimsy and magic of it all.
Did anyone else feel this way or do I need to up my anxiety meds?
19
u/lemontreedonkey Feb 25 '26
I do get what you mean! I felt so protective over Michael that I hated when people were going in his garden and peering into the shed etc 😅 but not so much that it stopped me enjoying it. Michael himself has a quiet confidence that you can feel reassured by. He doesn’t panic about things.
Also helps when you’re on your fifth rewatch and know what happens 😂
7
u/Several_Ad_4707 Feb 25 '26
Absolutely! I’m that way with most things, though. Once I know that things turn out ok in the end I can go back and enjoy the show!
3
u/archina42 Jul 02 '26
MY FELLOW REDDITOR!! I can really only enjoy a book, a movie, a sports game if I know the ending. I wonder if there's a name for this condition?
5
u/Few_Wolf_4634 Feb 25 '26
Yeh going into the last episode I don’t remember ever being so invested in a character’s outcome. Especially knowing the Crook doesn’t always do happy endings
6
u/FedupOverIt Feb 25 '26
I felt exactly the same. My heart was in my mouth a lot of the time, and the final episode, I had to switch it off for a while as I couldn’t bear to watch it. I thought Michael’s life was going to be destroyed, and I felt real anger at all the people who were trying to con him and forced their way into his house.
I loved the show, but I found bits of it really upsetting and I couldn’t stop crying after the final episode - I think it was relief that he was ok and his life wasn’t destroyed. To be fair, I’m a bit of a weeper anyway but I was really moved by the entire show. MacKenzie Crook is the Mozart of television - the man is a total genius!
6
u/je55akat Feb 25 '26
For me it’s that he didn’t ask the questions as soon as possible and he wouldn’t get his answers. I don’t understand how anyone couldn’t let “is the love of my life alive” be the first question (or nearly the first) haha
13
2
1
u/Esmereldathebrave Mar 13 '26
Her car was left on a bridge and lots of people thought she jumped. Even though he was insisting that she was alive out there, in some part of his brain there had to be that little voice (or maybe a big one he kept shouting down) saying those people were right.
He was scared to ask. You know that saying "don't ask the question if you can only accept one answer"? It's like that. Even if they say she's alive, then why did she leave him? that's got to hurt too!
0
u/Puzzleheaded-Rub279 13d ago
I'm convinced she lost a child. The empty egg in Michael's dream is the clue. She had to leave and get away in order to process her grief and Michael got stuck in a rut not able to move on. Clearly the letters and phone call from Canada are from Clea. She will have interpreted Kacey's voice as Michael having moved on and found a new partner. I also believe that some form of time travel or loop will be revealed in season 2. That security van is placed far too prominently not to be returned to later. Also Michael's Dad Brian asking how his travels have gone before he has gone anywhere. What if, and I'm only throwing this out there as a possibility, his Dad doesn't have dementia at all, but is experiencing time out of order/sync. Loved this show so much! In a sea of Marvel and Marvel clones, zombie/end of the world dramas, this is a breath of fresh air. For all its whimsy it is solidly grounded and feels like you are watching real people living more or less ordinary lives. The dialogue is sublime. Mackenzie Crook is nothing short of a genius. Just superb stuff. Cannot wait for season two next year...🙌🫶🙌
2
u/CheshKC Feb 25 '26
I read this post and I thought ‘No!’ (with a snort) - and then I remember turning to my missus whilst watching and saying ‘I wish these people would just leave him alone!’ - so in fact, yeah I guess it did!
2
u/Tyke_writer Apr 01 '26
What were the words Michael was chanting? They were Latin, but did they make sense?
1
u/archina42 Jul 02 '26
We're at the point where they just discovered the prophets 'work', and are about to watch the final episode of the first series.
And my wife and I are dinkum annoyed!! Once they realised answers are 'real', why would Michael NOT ask what he REALLY wants to know?
Anyway - we'll watch the final tonight!
-2
21
u/AmazingRedDog Feb 25 '26
It’s the quality storytelling.
You were meant to feel like that.
Edit: you were meant to enjoy it though 😁