1. The Ultimate Space Invader |
That which is entered is violatedWhen choosing a flatmate, the balance of power never sits with the leaseholder.
Where space is occupied, it is possessed. The question isn’t how much the leaseholder is willing to compromise, but how much he/she is willing to be encroached. In Episode 1, 'Ultimate Space Invader', a desperate man, Lee Firth, invites a prospective flatmate into his home and discovers just how extreme the jostle for power can be. |
2. A Decent Proposal |
The perfect flatmate is a fallacyA fair compromise between two flatmates is a myth.
Compromise is only a temporary agreement until an opportunity presents itself for one flatmate to take the upper hand. The ‘brute’ takes his/her opportunity by force, the ‘diplomat’ by negotiation. In Episode 2, 'A Decent Proposal', Lee Firth battles to differentiate a win/lose from a win/win situation. |
3. All By Myself |
You can't force a friendshipGreat friendships merge organically, they cannot be forced.
If someone is too eager, they’re probably looking to connect on their own terms and for their own needs, leaving the ‘victim’ with no choice but to push away. In Episode 3, 'All by Myself', Lee Firth finds that desperation leads to isolation. |
4. Movie Night Madness |
Not all experiences can be sharedPopular media like film and TV fabricates 'experience' so viewers can live vicariously through the many characters portrayed on screen.
However, real life for an individual remains very finite, thus there is a need to share one’s ‘buzz’ at the same manic rate as the lust to experience. In Episode 4, 'Movie Night Madness', Lee Firth tries to force his ‘buzz’ onto his flatmate Alan. |
5. Bonding and Sabotage |
Fabricating drama breeds resentmentAn insecure soul will always feed his ego by convincing others of his own importance. If blessed with talent, he can do so through great deeds.
For the less talented, however, the only way to draw attention is to fabricate the drama. In Episode 5, 'Bonding and Sabotage', Lee Firth demands to be the centre of attention. |
6. Foot Rot Flat |
Hypochondria is the procrastinator's favourite toolTomorrow is the procrastinator’s favourite day and, to an expert, hypochondria is their secret weapon. They'll search for any reason to delay pain and pass off the needs of today into the future.
In Episode 6, 'Foot Rot Flat', Lee Firth wants a job but he doesn’t want to work. |
7. Athlete's Arse |
Attack is the best form of defence“To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail”
Only through a process of self-discipline and reflection can an individual seek change. The majority of humans are creatures of habit who dismiss depth and complexity for instant rationalisation. And when they persecute another to hide their own inner turmoil, they will always find evidence to support their plight, even if they are wrong. In Episode 7, 'Athlete’s Arse', Lee Firth identifies his flatmate Alan as the cause of all his problems. |
8. Minding Your Own Business |
Lazy people are easily fooled“Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” Man in Black, The Princess Bride
It is man's default setting to follow the path of least resistance, i.e. minimum pain for maximum gain. Anything that offers more for less is an irresistible prospect to the lazy, so much so they only see the fantasy, not the reality. In Episode 8, ‘Minding Your Own Business’, Lee Firth buys a home business and tries his best with the least amount of effort. |
9. O Captain! My Captain! |
Motivation is just emotion, commitment is a discipline.In a world where everyone is looking for 'the answer', someone is always willing to supply one.
Today's self-help guru is no more than a witch doctor or a tribal medicine man. Their tonic? Hype and hyperbole, an intergalactic stage show or super-compelling prose, all positioned to make one believe that anything is possible. In Episode 9, 'O Captain! My Captain!', Lee Firth is compelled into action by his flatmate, Alan, but he quickly discovers that desire is no substitute for talent. |
10. The Blame Game |
It's always someone else's faultIt’s easy to quit when the motivation to succeed has been supplied by someone else.
When the realities of life fail to materialise the desired outcomes, the dishonest man will always search for a scapegoat. To help him absolve any feelings of guilt, he points the finger at the person who inspired him and holds them accountable for his failure. In Episode 10, ‘The Blame Game’, Lee Firth plays the blame game and wants Alan to be his scapegoat. |
11. A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed |
Never engage in intimacy in front of a lonely man“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.” God
Lust and envy pervade all cultures across the globe. There is an inherent void in the human condition with a ruthless yearning to be filled; an emptiness, a lacking so ingrained, so strong, that it has compelled men into action for good and evil since the dawn of time. Some have argued this gap is a disconnect between the self and the divine. Whatever that 'gap', sexual fulfillment has always been the most seductive of fillers. In Episode 11, 'A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed', Lee Firth wants some of what his flatmate Alan’s got - love. |
12. Double Date Disaster |
Aiding the desperate is a perilous task“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry and leave us nothing but grief and pain” - Robert Burns
There is a manic nature about today’s man. His desires are in excess of what he deserves. Man has become a creature of expectation, and in a heightened beta state, he is a danger to himself and those around him. In Episode 12, 'Double Date Disaster', Lee Firth desperately tries to make an impression. |
13. Sharing Is Not Caring |
What is stolen can never be valued‘Riding on someone’s coat-tails’ is more septic to a relationship than envy, jealousy or greed.
Coat-tailing can seed itself into a relationship by masquerading as the supportive friend, a cheerleader or the ‘always there for me’ guy, whereas in reality they offer absolutely nothing. It is a parasitic relationship where the offender is happy to reap the rewards of another man’s toil. In Episode 13, 'Sharing Is Not Caring', Lee Firth capitalises on his flatmate, Alan, having sex. |
14. The Break Up |
Flatmates can't be friends. And the can be brutal.The flatting relationship is seeded in commerce and is vulnerable to the ebbs and flows of fear and greed. A relationship built on such premises is volatile by its very nature. In the end it can be easier to emotionally avoid the other.
However, living with such avoidance leads to ambiguity and a cluster of bad assumptions. These assumptions can build to a point where they must be expelled from the mind back into the very world that created them - a world that has become so toxic it can only be cleansed with the truth. In Episode 14, 'The Break Up', Lee Firth confronts his flatmate Alan about the friendship Alan never agreed to. Repression leads to aggression. |
15. Finale: What's In The Box? |
Man will go to extreme lengths to maintain the balance of power
The majority of humans are driven by excessive pride. The enlightened pursue outcomes mutually beneficial for all. However, the weak seek to swing the pendulum in their favor at all costs.
The desire to control comes in many forms: vulgar displays of wealth; acts of violence; emotional manipulation; even the guise of charity. It is so innate within the masses that the most trivial of conflicts can lead to the most evil of consequences. In Episode 15, Finale: 'What's In The Box?', Lee Firth shows just how far he’s willing to go to maintain his status within the flat. |