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It's been sometime since I sat to watch Mingus and co do their thing on the Lab .Last night episode confirmed I need to watch more of this show;briliant acting, nice subtlities, great plot and great prduction value overall.I remember at one point I thought season one was the heir to the Yizo Yizo crown but I couldn't see much of season 2 cause of the akward scheduling,but three seems to be shaping up nicely and covering newground quickly.
Lets start with the plot from last night episode; story A was all about Mingus and his personal issues ( last born complexs and his abondemment issues) , how this relate to his relationship to his mother and everyone at work. The B story was that of Jaws trying to worm his way back into the company. Of all the characters in The Lab Jaws is the most tragic and saddest of them all, from what he used to be in season one to faith lap dog,ijo!.Then there was good old boy Monty, who is suffering an existential crises brought about the gloom and corrupton that hangs over this country.
Judging from last nights episode,theres a lot of gloom and doom in our little state.Good men like Jaws have been turned into miniture gangsters ,whose ambition for the good life knows no boundries. Maybe Jaws character is cautionery tale on the BEE/Black diamond lifestyle that it comes at a very high price. You could take jaws story from season one and to three and replace it with the ANC and the elites in the BEE world and there's a striking if not shocking similarities.On how ambition, wealth and avarice leads to a downward spiral. Even poor Monty seems to be showing signs of fatigue, is the country that bad that a stand up place like the Lab that was supposed to be a hope of new begining seems to be slowly going down the drain,in more ways than one.But thats not if Mingus has something to say.
Mingus seems to be the glue thats holding the Lab together in more ways than one.He is both the moral leader and the "ghost in the manchine", that gives the company a heart (which funny enough used to be Monty's role). Last nigt episode was a nice "get to know a character better' episode. The man has come far since season one and he seems to be maturing very well.He even can speak more vernacular now. I believe Mothusi Magano gives Mingus the right amount of stiff upper lip-nerdyness and good boy persona without making the man look boring. His interaction with his mother, Pike ( the new life coach aka the white chick from Jerusalema) and his interaction with Jaws are both intriguing and tantalising.His ambitions are to be a better man and better leader are both endearing and naive, with Jaws glittering like a snake and poor Mingus looking like Eve every minute .One wonders were the poor high moraled Mingus will end up when he sleeps in a den of vipers known as Jaws and Faith.
Like I've mentioned Jaws has changed alot. His intereaction with Faith ( played by Khabonina Qubeka) a dodgy but pretty gold smuggler does not bode well at all.Fana Mokoena performance has risen way above heads and shoulder of what he used to do in Generations and Yizo Yizo. He is able to show the emotions of the character without hamming it up,for example when Mingus finaly puts him back into his good books,you could detect a tinge of guilt on his face.Cause he knows he is going to screw poor Mingus big time and maybe he does not want to but hes greed won't let him go.
Faith also seems to send a warning sign about all that sparkles and shines. She looks the part, dresses the part, talks the part and I wont be suprised if she smells the part of the nouveau rich but her business and the way she gets that money is far from glamourise or ligitimate.Makes one wonder about the lot we see in those nice suits, running around in Sandrton city and Melrose Arch. But so far she's been in the background, while Jaws does her dirty work lets see next week.
I was very impressed with Roli Nnikiwe's dircetion of the show last night, a graduate of Tsha tsha who is also credited on A place called home and Rhythm City . He's play with hand held cameras; zooming in on the right moments, the staging of the actors and framing was on the ball yesterday. The show is slick , the production is on the money : on how its shot, edited, directed and written.It's pity they still do not have a bigger budget for costumes,cause some of the leading men really need better suits.
Overall I enjoyed last night episode and I'm eargely waiting for next weeks episode, greed and corruption how sad that this seemingly is what will define our time now instead of the custodians of virtues of freedom and responsibility.The Lab captures this quagmire beautifully.sweet.
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