Thank You Elsie – Episode 1 opens with Elsie’s Masalla (Tanzyn Crawford) frantic search for Robert Masalla (Cliff Curtis). When she does find him in the process of hanging himself, she is so stunned that she doesn’t hear a word he says. Much to his surprise, she proceeds by kicking the chair out from under him.

When the story picks up several hours in the past, it’s revealed that the two are father and daughter. Their conversation turns ironically playful when he accuses her of being just like her mother and she nicks his ear with the clippers in return. She chides him for not being able to afford a proper haircut or the bills for that matter. Once the two part ways, an open computer screen, several IDs, and a false wall in the bathroom medicine cabinet suggest Elsie is selling fake IDs. A quick bicycle ride across town and a meeting with Aisha (Bernie Van Tiel) confirm this to be true. This meeting also suggests that Aisha wants more than a business relationship.

Robert is shown reminiscing over a ceramic elephant when he receives a call from The Mechanic (Eliza Matengu), needlessly reminding him that he was supposed to wash the money, not lose it. He begins to panic when she turns down his request for an extension. The next scene with Jonny (Blessing Mokgohloa) cutting off another client’s (Joe Dias) finger for missed payment explains Robert’s panic.

While Elsie visits Sunshine (Catherine Saun) at Loscoe’s Electronics, The Mechanic gives Tom (Keiynan Lonsdale) the chance to earn $8,000 in a boxing match. It’s not long before a few dirty tactics land Tom on the canvas, but when he springs up unexpectedly with a dirty shot of his own, he puts his opponent down for good. Later when he tries to collect, The Mechanic claims she was only offering him an opportunity to earn $8,000. She then offers him the job of tracking down Robert and collecting on the debt. He turns down the offer, using his parole as the excuse, and rushes off to work.

Robert is surprised when Ibraham (Roberto Zenca) almost instantly endorses his loan. He’s further surprised when he learns that he’ll be required to show proof of income.

Although Tom’s new boss at Loscoe’s Electronics, Sergio (Arthur Angel) gives him a bit of flack over his bruised face, he lets him work his first shift. When Sergio goes outside for a smoke, Tom not only notices Sunshine and Elsie stealing electronics, but he helps them by distracting Sergio when a faulty lighter sends him back into the store. When Elise sells her loot to Hamza (Alex Pinder), she reveals that she’s only a few hundred away from opening her bike store.

Robert is in a bit of a daze due to his inability to secure the loan when he runs into Wharfie (Arthur Gimalidis) and makes plans to meet up later.

Elsie visits Mr. and Mrs. Mufutu’s Pawn Shop (Ben Sofowora/Halli Okello) to sell the rest of her stolen electronics. While there, she not only has a conversation with Tatenda (Alfred Chuol) about dinner later that evening, but she also notices that Robert has pawned his father’s watch. She later confronts him and asks where the money went but doesn’t allow him to explain. He later makes her a sandwich and attempts to apologize, but this only manages to make things worse when she learns the sandwich contains cheese that she is allergic to.

While Tom approaches Sergio with an advance on his payday, Robert reaches out to his contacts in an attempt to raise money for his debt. Neither appears to have any luck, which sends Tom back to The Mechanic to inquire about the job she offered earlier. She gives him Robert’s address and tells him to make the meeting memorable.

Tatenda and Elsie’s dinner plans end up ruined when they get into an argument about the destination. Elsie doesn’t want to spend any money while Tatenda wants them to have a proper date, even if he has to pay the bill. When Tatenda storms out, Tom uses the distraction to attack Robert. The confrontation leads to Elsie learning about Robert’s $26,000 debt. Their ensuing argument and her storming off is the prelude to the opening scene.

Robert is right in the middle of trying to hang himself when Elsie finds him and kicks the chair out from under him. Despite their shared anger, they later make amends when the beam he secured the rope to breaks. The episode ends with Elsie promising to help him repay the debt.

 

Swift Street Review

For some unexplainable reason, I had high hopes for this series. The synopsis sounded kind of intriguing and I’ve always thought Cliff was a bit of a hidden gem since Blow and Training Day. He always seemed to get small roles that he was well suited for. That said, this series felt like a complete disaster from start to beginning. I get that this was the premier and things can be a bit confusing with introducing all the characters and storylines, but it felt like every scene was someone new.

It’s hard to imagine that many of these characters will play a significant role. That, along with the short run time, and rudimentary acting made the entire episode feel sloppy. I’d had to give this episode a 4.4 out of 10. Despite that, I haven’t completely given up on it and will at least try another episode or two.

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