#matt boyden

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The Bill » Top 100 Episodes (In No Particular Order) » 14x103 - Section F

Derek: I'd be amazed if Brownlow doesn't transfer me. I would! I'd transfer me if I was him and I talked to myself the way I did.

One of the all time classic comedy episodes and a great chance for the senior officers to stretch their legs a bit.

Jack and Derek are a fantastic comedy duo, though this is arguably more Derek's episode than Jack's. Both have been after promotion for a long time now, but while Jack's wish to regain his rank has been a continuous background trait since day one, it is still very much that, whereas Derek's ambitions have always come with a degree of on screen conflict with Charles which continous to play out here. Derek finally letting loose on Charles is cathartic for both Derek and the audience, and I've always had a massive love for heavy pivotal character moments coming in comedic episodes so a+++ there. The Old Marrieds energy is strong in all directions in this ep, with Andrew also getting in on the action despite his rather brief appearance. (That being said, there's a very clear implication that so much of this ep happens specifically because Andrew isn't there to keep things under control).

Everyone else trying to deal with Jack and Derek stomping about the place and the predictably disastrous results is also gold. On a personal level I do love Matt asserting his authority as Custody Officer, it nice to see Stuart Lamont getting lines, and the sub-plot with Rod, Rod's dodgy car, Dave and George is a nice little through thread.

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The Bill » Top 100 Episodes (In No Particular Order) » 16x62 and 16x63 - Old Friends / New Friends

Roxanne: Only two people I’ve ever known have treated me like a woman. One is Mickey Owen. And one is you.

A return from an old regular and a heart-breaking end to one of the show's best Regular/Guest star dynamics.

George Costigan is wonderful as Roxanne, with an effortless warmth, dry wit and charisma that does a really good job of following on from Paul O'Grady's earlier performance. I want to save a deep dive into the Ted/Roxanne relationship for another post, but it needs to be said both George and Tony do a wonderful job of conveying a lot with a relatively understated script.

Ted's return is also very well handled just from a returning character perspective. Where the character is makes sense with how he left, and he gets to interact with just about everyone you'd expect him to and his immediate digging at Andrew, Matt and Jack is a lot of fun. Having him mention Roy and Frank also makes me very happy.

The dynamic with Jim is the main one here, though, and it's delightfully layered. Jim trying to pull the clever moves on Ted and having it backfire because he just isn't Ted, or Frank, or really that kind of copper at all is a nice touch, as is Jim showing backbone regarding Ted's attitude towards his alcoholism (and Ted's own).

This two-parter is actually really strong for Jim over all. Between the drinking, the growing cynicism and complacency ahead of his tenure, and the resulting spiral of his anger issues, Jim hasn't gotten to just be good in a long while, and it's nice - if a bit sad - to see these glimpses of the man and officer he could have been in a kinder world.

The supporting cast is also really solid. We see Andrew making the effort despite everything because it's the right thing to do and Matt getting to be a bit of a dick without sliding into petty spitefulness. Most of CID also get to show their faces, and there's an interesting glimpse of Claire being visibly suspicious of Don, as these are the last eps before the Beech Scandal arc kicks off.

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The Bill » Top 100 Episodes (In No Particular Order) » 9x24 - Trivial Pursuits

Steve: So to you I’m just another pig. David: And what am I to you? Steve: To me, you’re just another bloke.

A very strong Steve ep, and one of my overall favourites for his character.

Steve and Barry are called to a disturbance at a property to discover an altercation has taken place between two gay men. The older man is quick to insist their presence isn't needed and Steve is suspicious (which automatically makes him tetchy) and the whole thing plays out really well in it's ambiguity. Neither Barry or Steve handle the incident well, but the fact the people involved are gay isn't really what causes this, despite Steve's comments and general attitude towards gay people. The issues are more:

A: It's a domestic, which many officers are dismissive of because the rarely go anywhere procedurally. There's also a very dismissive attitude towards male victims of domestic violence that is still present today, and was obviously worse in 1993, so Barry - the notably more progressive and compassionate of the two - just sees this as a minor spat between two guys and wants to get out the door and get on with the day.

B: Steve is already in a bit of a mood, and is riled up by the fact that there is clearly Something Going On and they are being lied to about it. This automatically makes him very aggressive in his approach, and since it's Steve, this comes across as very intimidating and does nothing to help the victim feel safe in opening up. In 8x11 - Lost Boy Alistair specifically refuses Steve's presence on the case because of his lack of sensitivity, and here we see that reasoning play out. It isn't just about not using slurs to peoples faces or making assumptions based on stereotypes, but the level of tact and compassion necessary when dealing with vulnerable victims even when they are witholding information from the police because they ultimately don't feel safe, both because of the present situation and the uncertainty of how their sexual identity will affect how they are treated.

Neither Barry or Steve manage to get past these barriers, and this absolutely comes back to bite them in the arse later. Had a more outwardly sympathetic officer been present in the room, it's unlikely we'd have ended up with things escalating into a mini armed siege. The show doesn't bash you over the head with this through heavy-handed dialogue either - it's very clear that things go wrong because Steve and Barry did not handle the matter correctly the first time, and it's ultimately resolved because Steve is forced - albeit at gun point - to deal with David's emotional spiral in a measured and compassionate manner. And he does well with it. There is a difference between active, hateful prejudice and ignorance and while Steve does fall into the latter category, this episode illustrates why ultimately that's just not good enough and how important awareness and sensitivity can be.

There's also a lot of very cute Steve/Barry moments happening throughout the ep. At one point Steve mentions transfering to the K9 unit which, given how he ends up, is kind of heartbreaking because yes Steve that would absolutely be a good move for you 😭

Reg gets to carry the b-plot between two sisters arguing over the inheritance left by their deceased mother. It's a nice little story for him, if not especially gripping, but we do get to see his stronger points at work. We're in the period of the show where Reg is definitely softening, though depending on the writer he still occasionally bounces quite jarringly between a workyshy and spitefully petty chronic complainer or an awkward but ultimately very empathetic and reliable character, but the latter portrayal is in full force here and there's better episodes to deep dive into Reg on, so this is a good - if small - outing for him.

We also get a nice little guest appearance from Robert Perkins as a Barton Street PC six months before he comes in as Ray Steele.

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The Bill » 11x54 - A Quiet Night In

Polly: Steve, we're sending the AA out to help you...

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The Bill » 8x54 - Snakes and Ladders

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I wish we had seen this side of Craig more often!

(as opposed to this side of Matt 🤣🤣)

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Matt and Craig sitting in a tree....

[tv-taughtmehowtofeel]

Why I'm no longer obsessed with The Bill

Fairly early in 2003, I went from TOTALLY OBSESSED with the Bill to only vaguely curious because it was either dull or depressing. Why? 1. 3 words: CATHY FUCKING BRADFORD. 2. All the bad lack seems attracted to the people I still like. 3. The people I still like are few and far between. 4. Wait, didn't this used to be a CRIME SHOW? 5.Jack for God's sake MICKEY JUST CARES ABOUT YOU 6. Don't get me started on Polly. 7. Can the fire just give it a BLOODY REST?! 8. HOW COULD YOU KILL MATT BOYDEN JUST AS HE WAS BECOMING MY FAVE AGAIN? 9. Most importantly NO-ONE WILL EVER REPLACE MY BELOVED CRAIG GILMORE WHHHHYYYYY. 10. Gina WHY WERE SO MEAN TO CRAIG BUT NEVER TO LUKE IT WAS ALL HIS FAULT. 11. GUYS stop shouting at Smithy. 12. HYPOCRISYYYYYY