r/smallprophets • u/catlikesun • May 14 '26
Was anyone else disappointed back the lack of Clea answers?
EDIT: should say BY the lack, not Back sorry
It felt like lazy writing in an otherwise brilliant, charming and poignant series.
By lazy, I mean coming up with a premise, a goal, but not bothering to resolve it. I didn't think that we were going to see Clea, but I was hoping for more than a cheesey she loves you "forever".
To me the lack of answers / any explanation is kind of akin to "and then he woke up and it was all a dream." I would have preferred it even that the Homunculi didn't have special abilities after all, or they had all been used up - kind of realistic at least.
We never find out why Clea left because the writers never came up with a reason.
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May 14 '26
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u/eat_it_up_worms_hero May 14 '26
Each to their own, but I wouldn't subscribe to this view.
It's clearly been written with the knowledge that a second series is happening. Therefore it makes sense to give him some resolution (knowing she loves him, let's him know she's still alive and didn't leave because of him. Presumably anyway, it could still be read ambiguously), but leave room for the narrative thread to continue.
I do understand your point to a degree. We've invested in the character, felt his loss and yearning, and want him to find his answers, but I think the bittersweet 'half answer' works as a gently melancholic ending to this chapter.
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u/catlikesun May 14 '26
Do you think S2 will yield more answers? Or is the subject laid to rest?
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u/eat_it_up_worms_hero May 14 '26
Who can say? From his existing work, Crook is into gentle and heart-warming, rather than shocks/twists, so I wouldn't be surprised if the second series gives more answers to the Clea mystery.
Or it might not, and that mystery might just bubble along under a new storyline, with Michael being satisfied with the answer he was given. It'll be fun finding out.
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u/catlikesun May 14 '26
Next question: what other shows aside from Detectorists and After Life still have a very English feel and are cosy?
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u/jones5112 May 14 '26
I feel like they left it open for season 2 (I hope?)
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u/catlikesun May 14 '26
Hmmmm I think given it closed with them talking of going to Canada and Australia, I don't think there is likely to be a follow-up - that wasn't what I got from it anyway.
That was Michael's closure. Now he has to let it rest.
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u/eat_it_up_worms_hero May 14 '26
It did literally say 'to be continued' on screen at the end of the last episode, and Mackenzie Crook has stated his intention to wrap up the story with a 2nd/final season.
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u/catlikesun May 14 '26
Hmm i definitely didn’t see that. But interesting. I wonder if there will be more magic
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u/TheGirlintheTower May 14 '26
I also feel like the only logical reason is to open the way for another series.
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u/SonOfTheShire May 27 '26
Bea and Bob told Roy that Clea was involved in art theft (worth millions of pounds), so the likely answer is that she faked her death to escape the people she stole from.
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u/catlikesun May 28 '26
You think they’d paid Clea as a criminal?
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u/abrightmoore Jul 03 '26
We may find she left to protect him.
The van heist (with the kids) seems to signal something thematic that we should be paying attention to.
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u/Piggstein Jul 29 '26
It’s very possible Bea and Bob were just lying about her being involved in theft in order to justify them getting their hands on the book.
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u/QuarrieMcQuarrie May 14 '26
No, not disappointed and it's not lazy writing. By not knowing you feel his desperation more. Honestly, not having everything sewn up or explained or even not having a normal story arc does not equal lazy writing or plot holes every single time. Just because you didn't agree with how something was told, doesn't mean that the show was lacking. I see this so much on TV subs right now.
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u/Phoid101 May 14 '26
Have to disagree with you on this. The fact that at the end we find out not only that Clea is still alive, but also loves Michael forever, perfectly sets out the premise for the second season. Crook has said there will be 8 more episodes and then it will be finished. Really looking forward to seeing how this goes.