Track 4: Pretty Vaaayc**t – As the fourth episode of Pistol begins, the Sex Pistols perform on television on August 28, 1976. Jeannie (Catriona Chandler) calls Francie (Sade Malone) to see if she is watching their performance. Malcolm (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) says Anarchy in the UK is a call to arms for all the kids who feel rock ‘n’ roll has been taken from them. Jeannie and Francie read about the band and Malcolm. He goes on about how it is like having an army behind you cause all the bands that rose out of the Pistols are great. The girls cut their hair. After that, the band works with Dave (Kit Warrington) to record one of their first singles. Johnny (Anson Boon) insults him while Glen (Christian Lees) claims Johnny is just jealous because he wrote the tune and most of the lyrics. Glen reveals his mom gets a hard time at work because of their antichrist lyrics.

Johnny claims he is the one people notice so he is the one who bears the consequences. He doesn’t care what Glen’s mom thinks. Viv (Talulah Riley) complains about Malcolm’s recent article which she calls a stream of unpunctuated hot air. She likes the anarchy bit though. Viv wants to change the name of the shop because it isn’t there to reinforce the band. Instead, it is there to expose hypocrisy and provoke revolution. When Malcolm mocks her, she grabs his hair and says his idea of ambition is to be the new George Epstein. Her idea is to be the new Boudica. She wants to ride a chariot down Oxford Street and burn the city to the ground. Viv goes on to reveal that she wants to call the shop Seditionaries. When Steve and Chrissie (Sydney Chandler) aren’t having sex, she teaches him how to play the guitar.

He calls her a great guitarist. Steve argues they make great music together. When she tells him it is hard speaking in metaphors all the time, she has to explain what that means. Chrissie warns him that the northern towns are going to hate him. After getting the van started, the band heads to Barnsley in South Yorkshire. When they perform, the audience begins fighting so Glen goes for help. Viv and Malcolm get the store painted for a bombed-out look. Malcolm wants the workers to bash some holes in it, but they won’t because the asbestos could kill them. He closes the door and does it himself. When the band stops for gas, Johnny complains that he is starving. Steve goes into the convenience store to steal food for everyone. Jeannie and Francie try to figure out how they’re going to reach the Sex Pistols.

Next, the band performs in Doncaster. Jeannie tries to sneak out of her house only to be caught by her mother. The band moves on to Whitby. Bernadette (Grainne O’Mahony) leads them to the ballroom and gives them a rundown of the schedule. She tells them that the North Yorkshire Hairdressers’ Association is beside themselves with excitement. Although she hasn’t heard them, she has read a lot about them. While they eat, Johnny wonders what Malcolm is playing at by sending them on this tour of England’s biggest twat holes. They take the stage and begin playing. While the women leave, one guy stays around and dances. Bernadette comes back to ask them to turn it down a bit because they have bingo in the other hall. Bernadette changes into punk clothes, runs out, and hugs Quentin who is the only one still dancing in the audience.

They turn up the volume and play one for the couple. Later that night, Steve hears the sea. He wants to go see it because he has never been to the seaside. Steve gets mad at Johnny when he calls him poor and underprivileged. Glen sits next to Steve and tells him that he is the same as him and not some rich kid. Steve argues he went to that posh school, but Glen explains he went to grammar school because he passed the entrance exam. Glen reveals he plays bass because of loneliness. All of those grammar school kids thought he was scum. They thought he was posh. He didn’t start a band while Steve did. It is the best thing that has ever happened to him. Glen insists he isn’t thick and is the one who gets things down. He goes on to say Steve is smarter than all of them. They all begin fighting and playing around on the beach.

The band plays at the 100 Club on October 8, 1976. Jeannie complains that she can’t handle it much longer because she feels like a prisoner in her own home. Francie argues it is time for a youth revolution. At the Glitterbest Office, Malcolm welcomes the band to mission control. He introduces them to his aide Sophie Richmond (Olivia Emden) who thinks what they’re doing is important. Sophie will be giving them their weekly wages of 25 pounds. Malcolm insists it is only until they start selling records before showing them their freshly negotiated EMI recording contract. He says it includes 40k for recording their new album. Glen looks through the complex legal document that says Malcolm gets 25% and they pay his expenses. While the others are eager to sign, Glen asks to see the check first. When he finds out it is made out to Glitterbest, he asks about that.

Sophie reveals it is a limited liability company that merely handles the money which still belongs to them. Malcolm tells them they could hire lawyers, but they’re all corrupt. He wants them to go on Thames Television live tomorrow evening to discuss the phenomenon they’re about to become. They’re surprised they’re going to be on Grundy’s show because Glen’s mom loves him. Steve and Paul (Jacob Slater) talk to Tom (Tony Hirst) and Sylvia Cook (Dorothy Atkinson) about going on the show. Sylvia doesn’t think Steve has told his mom they’re going to be on television. Paul goes with Steve when he tells Mary (Charlotte Randle) about the TV appearance and recording contract. Ron (Jay Simpson) suggests the whole world will get to see what his poor mom has had to put up with all these years. What Ron says sticks with Steve.

Malcolm checks to see if he is okay, but Steve claims he has never been better. As they prepare to go on television, Malcolm tells everyone to turn it back on him. Paul’s family gathers around to watch the interview. Ron doesn’t want to believe that they’re going to get 40,000 pounds. Johnny says a curse word and Bill Grundy (Kevin Eldon) asks him what it was. He says it again. When Bill comes on to one of the girls, Steve calls him a dirty sod. Ron feels like Steve is talking to him and he continues calling him a dirty b@stard among other things. When they get into the back, Malcolm says he didn’t tell them to destroy their entire career. Johnny says Malcolm is always the revolutionary until the barricades go up and then he runs home to grandma. Malcolm says no one has ever said the word “fuck” on British TV in history.

Johnny says Brendan Behan did. He explains it is a matter of great pride to the Irish community in Britain that poet Brendan Behan was the first person to use the f-word on British television. Malcolm gets mad and leaves. Steve recommends going back to the hideout and getting pissed. Chrissie wakes up Steve in the morning to show him the headlines that he can’t read. When journalists bang on the door, Sid Vicious (Louis Partridge) decides to answer the door in his underwear. Johnny doesn’t want him to do that and threatens to tell mom that he led him into this depravity. She will ban him from the house forever. Sid relents and doesn’t open the door because he loves Johnny’s mom. The television appearance brings widespread attention to the band. In the club, a man breaks a bottle and stabs Johnny.

Sid tells him they should’ve kept an eye on him since he is the face of the band. Johnny believes Sid is his only real mate. Sid suggests getting another for later because he’ll be dead by the time he turns 21. Jordan (Maisie Williams) finds that the building has been spray painted with foul words. Malcolm gets a call confirming EMI has dropped the band although the advance is not refundable. Someone throws a brick through their window. Viv asks Malcolm what he has done with their lives. He claims he has made them matter. He meets with the band and tells them they’ve been banned from playing across the country so society fears them and they matter.

He tells them that Jamie (Alexander Arnold) is there because they’re a recognizable band and available. Julien (Lorne MacFadyen) will be working with Jamie who will be the head of marketing. He also mentions Helen (Francesca Mills), but Helen and Julien say they’re independent. Malcolm begins running down what each of them would be in a movie. Johnny insults Glen who says it is no wonder everyone in this band hates him. He apologizes. Jamie says that is anarchy. They need to create a visual style that supports the fundamental anarchy that lives within and without the band. Malcolm reveals Jamie is on with Sophie who didn’t want that out. He agrees that they’re one big, unhappy family, but none of that matters if they stick together.

Jeannie and Francie try to find SEX. It is hard to stop now that it has been changed. They stop Johnny on the street and follow him. Johnny enters the shop where he asks to talk to Malcolm. He finds out he isn’t there so he storms out and leaves the girls before they can talk to him. Jordan asks what they want. They tell her they want to change their lives completely. Viv tries to get them involved in her project to showcase the means of oppression that have been hidden away. Viv uses Jordan to demonstrate how you can wear it on the outside to avoid getting wolf whistles. It can turn the male gaze back up on itself. When Francie says they can’t afford it, Viv says it is her show and they’re going to be on the catwalk. The girls go to one of the band’s gigs. Later that night, Malcolm wants to talk to everyone in private. He tells them that A&M wants to offer them a contract for 125,000 pounds.

Glen asks if the check will be non-returnable in case they get dropped, but Malcolm hasn’t read the fine print yet. After that, Malcolm tells Steve that Glen is right and they could be running out of labels to sign with. Malcolm tries to turn him against Glen who he claims doesn’t fit the brand. He also claims that John won’t work with him anymore. Malcolm thinks he should get rid of Glen because he has to do what is right for the band. Steve leaves everyone to follow Jeannie and Francie outside. He convinces them to come back to his place, but Jordan gets in the taxi and rides off with them. Steve goes back inside where Glen gives him a beer. Steve pulls Glen into the bathroom. Glen knows that Malcolm is trying to get rid of him. Steve says it is his band and he is sacked. Glen suggests he just bends over whenever Malcolm feels like shafting him.

Steve tries to fight him. Glen believes he’d love that so he wouldn’t have to tell everyone that he bent over. Paul and John enter and find them. They are invited to the Roxy. Glen says let’s go. Johnny asks why not. Steve storms out by himself. Jordan tells Jeannie and Francie that they’re going to need the pieces back. Although Malcolm lets the band keep their clothes, she imagines he deducts the cost from their earnings. It is what he does with her. They give the clothes back and receive train tickets to Huddersfield back home. Jordan tells them they have nothing, know nothing, and will become nothing if they stay here. They claim she is old and they’re the new generation gap. Jordan asks how long until they’re the old, new generation gap. She encourages them to go home, learn things, and make their own destiny.

Chrissie confronts Steve about getting rid of Glen who is the best musician and songwriter. She asks what Malcolm has over him and why he can’t stand up to him. Steve says Malcolm stood up for him in court and said he meant something to him. He gave him a chance. Steve thinks it is like Chrissie with her music. She just needs someone to give her a chance and they will. Johnny enters and says they have a replacement and they’re about to give an individual a chance of a lifetime. Chrissie asks if it is her, but it isn’t. Sid enters and says he is a Sex Pistol.

 

Pistol Review

The fourth episode of Pistol didn’t push the story ahead a lot besides putting an end to Glen’s time with the Sex Pistols and adding Sid Vicious. While it was a decent episode, I am not sure it was as impactful or emotional as some of the others. The series makes me want to delve deeper into the history of the Sex Pistols to get the real story because I often feel like this is being twisted for one reason or another.

As long as one realizes that this has been modernized and adapted for entertainment’s sake, they’ll likely enjoy Pistol. It should get more interesting and chaotic now that Vicious is a Sex Pistol. The fourth episode scores a 6.5 out of 10. Recaps of Pistol can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support Reel Mockery at this link.