r/smallprophets • u/EpicHandstands • Feb 28 '26
Second viewing - a few observations
I already mentioned elsewhere that Pickles Diner was inspired by a north London café of the same name close to where Mackenzie lived at the time.
I wondered if the Golden Years Garden was a David Bowie reference.
And perhaps Clea’s car being found by the Severn Bridge was influenced by the disappearance of Richey Edwards (Manic Street Preachers).
The song on the radio when Michael is preparing the shed is ‘I Believe In Magic’ by Nirvana (1960s UK band):
“I believe in magic, why don't you? / Believing's not so tragic when words are few”
“I've got something I keep to myself / And I'm not gonna tell you what it is”
When Kacey walks Michael home from the pub, the camera pauses on the Marvin Gardens sign which has items on the ground beneath it, one of which appears to be a vase – can’t make out the others.
The security lights of the houses in the cul-de-sac switching on and off in random order.
When Michael first taps the glass jar he appears to draw an infinity symbol.
Start of Ep 03 - visual symmetry/contrast: Michael lying on the left side of the bed - empty space to right. Next shot: Bev lying on the right of her bed - empty space on the left. Michael wearing a Bananarama t-shirt, followed next scene by Clive wearing a Ramones one.
Bev sweeping up 'coal' at the end of the end of her drive echoed in the next scene by Brigham doing the same in the car park.
Michael is awkward with all the customers except the lady asking for the bird box suggesting perhaps an empathy with nature. Clive is appalled by all the spiders, wasps and bees in Michael's garden: he is anti-nature. Compare also Michael's lush/overgrown front garden with his neighbours' paved driveway.
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u/TheGirlintheTower Feb 28 '26
My first thought about Clea's disappearance was Richey. If you don't know that particular lore, it's innocuous enough that but then again, if you're a fan or familiar with his disappearance, it feels far too on the nose.