Rodney (great performance by Will Sharpe) is a user and a sociopath. One of his exes literally says this in the first episode. And yet, within minutes of meeting him, nearly everyone wants to help him/befriend him. Are they that enchanted by his catty remarks? Intrigued by his bizarre fashion choices? I honestly did not get it. If most people encountered a trainwreck like Rodney they'd say Sayonara!
shareyou have no idea what a sociopath is.
shareHere's the definition.
A mental health disorder characterized by disregard for other people. Those with this disorder tend to lie, break laws, act impulsively, and lack regard for their own safety or the safety of others.
Rodney exhibits all these behaviors.
So...how is his character not a sociopath?
That's like saying "I have a headache and feel dizzy - it's clearly a brain tumor!"
These characteristics fit a lot of potential psychological issues, but that is something the layman doesn't know.
It is also telling that you had to google a definition, that is not "knowing", that is the opposite of it.
My point, that you have no clue what a sociopath is, remains.
What you call "disregard for other people" is called empathy, or rather the lack of it.
Rodney does not lack empathy, on the contrary. He is extremely empathetic and the series goes out of its way to show this. The way he genuinely(!) cares for strangers, like Taki, like Mori, like Sarah (and what he is willing to do later to help) makes that clear. He is an addict, he is almost never sober, he has massive psychological issues and trauma besides his addiction related issues - obviously. Him acting like a dick at times(!) doesn't make him a sociopath.
He acts like a dick deliberately trying to use it as a shield because he is afraid to let people too close and get hurt.
For fucks sake his whole relationship with his lover is all about this! Did you even watch the series?
But you go on, go explain to everyone what a sociopath is because you know how to google.
You're a funny one. Are you a professional psychiatrist or do you just play one on the Internet?
Tiff called Rodney a "f****** sociopath" in the very first episode. Just because a character occasionally does something decent doesn't mean he/she can't be a sociopath. Real question is, did you actually watch the series?
So because a TV show character called another one names in a moment of high emotional stress it suddenly means it is the truth?
Was Rodney's lover a professional psychiatrist?
No?
Oh...
See, it doesn't matter what I say, you already gave that away with this double standard and honestly, I do not care one way or another. The fact remains that you have no idea what a sociopath is which you have proven in every post of yours so far, and that's that.
Oy vey. No use continuing down this road.
Look, based on the number of posts about this show, it's obvious not many people have seen it. We've both seen it and enjoyed it. Just so happens we have a difference of opinion about one of the characters. I think he's a sociopath and you think he's misunderstood.
So, now that that's out of the way, what did you like about the show? I thought the story and acting were both excellent and the location shifting was great. Also thought Justin Long gave a fantastic performance and absolutely nailed a Pittsburgh accent. One of the best shows I've seen in a while. Wish more people knew about it.
He's definitely a terrible, pointless character. A gross and unlikable degenerate, featured way too heavily & for me ruining what otherwise could have been an interesting series
shareNice to hear from someone who also watched the show. Agree with your assessment. Will Sharpe's acting was excellent, but I disliked the character so much that I wished there was less of him and more of others.
shareI've always seen this dynamic IRL between gay dudes and modern people.
In contemporary culture men are not allowed to challenge gay men (even verbally), restrain their behaviour or shun them socially, because they're seen as a protected class... This is something they men do regularly with one another, but they're not allowed to do to gay dudes. Therefore, in a group setting, the natural tendency is to treat gays as non-threatening males, or for women to seek validation from gays...
Imagine a man telling a noisy gay guy like Rodney to be quiet or to stop being dramatic or to behave appropriately, regardless of the context. It would be seen as bigoted behaviour, especially by the women in the social group, but even by the modern men.
Apply this to the show, and you can see that Yuto, a Yakuza, pretty much ignores Rodney, whereas Kenzo treats him as some kind of Bambi. Sarah treats him like a small baby, or seeks validation as he replies to her date on the phone or allows him to flame out during their Yom Kapour dinner. Taki seeks his validation.
Even when he goes to visit Tiff's parents, the father stands there and takes Rodney's lecture rather than tossing the junkie out of the house...
This dynamic all comes down to the weakness of regular men.
P.S. Sharpe nails the performance. We've all met a Rodney.
Excellent post. You accurately captured Rodney's unique social status and every character's reaction to it. The only character to actually challenge him (through physical violence) was his pimp, who we can assume was also gay.
The scene with Tiff's parents was a perfect example of his protected status. If Tiff had been a woman and Rodney had spoken to them that way, the father would have likely kicked him out immediately. But in the world of the show, if he'd done something like that he might've been charged with a hate crime. So, in a sense, no straight character can really censure Rodney without being accused of bigotry.
Appreciate the discussion. Posts like yours help make this site a worthwhile place.