Mcnulty and Bunk - The Wire
Natural Pooollice! It can't have been easy for Jimmy Mcnulty and Bunk Moreland working in the homicide unit of one of Americas most trigger happy cities (Baltimore). But they never let the workload compromise their other commitments of getting pissed up in bars and womanising. In fragile Jimmy's case the work often leads to the drink and women whereas the Bunk is simply a chilled out, cigar smoking jazz-bear of a man.
When United the drug lords of Bodymore and the female population rarely stand a chance! They are also shit hot police, the only policing partnership to ever solve a crime whilst only saying the word fuck to each other - my favourite McBunk scene in the Wire. Closely followed by Mcnulty being called by one of Bunk's lady friends to come and get him in the middle of the night. Mcnulty finds Bunk sat on the toilet in a pink dressing gown burning his clothes to remove the evidence of 'Pussy' so he wife doesn't find out.
As Mcnulty puts Bunk in his kid's bed he says 'I get the removing of evidence thing, but what the fuck did were you planning on wearing home?'
Their relationship is inevitably strained when Mcnulty manufactures a serial killer by strangling dead homeless guy's in an attempt to fund more money to catch drug lord Marlo Stanfield. 'You happy now, bitch?'
Walter White and Jessie Pinkman - Breaking bad
Walter White is a science teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and starts dealing crystal meth with former student Jessie Pinkman to provide income for his pregnant wife and disabled son after he has gone…cute.
Pinkman is the kind of underachieving troubled youngster who we've all come across playing the Bunsen burner in science classes. He's the type to speak and act before he thinks which often leads the pair into trouble as they climb the meth dealing ladder. Such as the time he leaves the keys in their meth cooking R.V lab, draining the battery and leaving them stranded in the dessert. He constantly uses the phrases 'that’s right bitch' and 'YO'!
Walt's Jekyll to Hyde transformation from a timid underachieving science teacher to meth dealing skinhead badass is a joy to behold. If you couple his personal rollercoaster with his sidekick Pinkman's you get a spliced sometimes funny, emotional and always frustrating teacher/student relationship. Their relationship can jump from the disturbing to the sublime with Walt's fatherly feelings constantly underlying the transitions.
Walt breaks into Jessie's flat to find Jessie and his new girlfriend passed out through Heroin abuse. When Jessie's girlfriend starts choking on her own vomit Walt watches her die without helping, believing it will save Jessie from long term drug abuse with his new partner. Such grimy scenes come with the territory but the episodes that evoke the most intense feelings are the ones where Walt's maternal feelings towards Jessie come into play.
In series 3 there is even a whole episode dedicated to Walt and Jessie trying to catch a fly in their meth super lab to prevent contamination.
A whole 45 minutes of two men trying to catch a fly? It's still enjoyable YO!
Chris Moltisanti and Paulie Walnuts- The Sopranos
Certainly the most Laurel and Hardy-esk double act, Chris (My personal favourite) is the great Tony soprano's nephew and Paulie is a senior member of the Soprano crew who becomes Chris's capo after Chris gets made in series 3. Like many of the Soprano mob their relationship is fuelled by status and power but they often voice their concerns like extremely dangerous children in the playground. Every now and again though the struggle for power and progression is put behind them and gems of quotes appear
Christopher - You ever feel like nothin’ good was ever gonna happen to you?
Paulie ‘Walnuts’: Yeah. And nothin’ did. So what? I’m alive, I’m survivin’.
Their slapstick relationship peaks in Season 3 episode 11 'Pine Barrens' but shouldn’t be limited to that episode alone. Although it would be a crime not to mention it! The Silver fox Paulie and Chris botch a routine money collection which leads to them venturing into the snowy woods to dispose of a supposedly dead Russian. The wounded half naked, dangerous Russian escapes leaving Chris and Paulie lost in the cold and searching for him.
Chris: For all we know, he could be out there stalking us.
Paulie: With what? His cock?
Far from the only class interchange in that episode but the one that tickles me the most!
Paulie is also a big fan of Chris's smoking hot girlfriend Adriana's underwear draw.
David Brent and Gareth Keenan - The Office
I'm sorry I can't help it; I love the office plain and simple, and what's wrong with throwing a bit of Brit gold dust on the list.
It's not in the same vein as the others as it is a sitcom but The office is actually a show that most of us can directly relate to. David Brent the regional manager of paper company Wernham Hog. Gareth Keenan, assistant regional manager assistant to the regional manager.
Brent -'Keenan, your fired, drunkard….Hypocrite warning'
Some might think that the double act of the office is Tim and Gareth or Finchy and Brent. The fact is Tim has no friends, bar Dawn he's surrounded by morons and Brent and Gareth are two of these morons! Two complete Div's plodding along in their mediocre life naturally drawn to each other. Their relationship begins with an admiration for Brent by both characters and as Gareth slowly and inevitably evolves into Brent you start to see the cycle of 'The office' and any office for that matter. The boss likes the dorky guy who looks up to him, he has him around to boost his fragile ego. The dorky guy brown noses the boss because in his small minded world he's the best person he knows.
Keenan - 'That’s it then is it? The whole team on the scrap heap'
There on the list simply for everything they have ever done. For every time Brent sings and Gareth's in the background being brilliant, for every popularity ladder scraping public interchange. For every time Brent sticks up for the dope and subconsciously fights for his loyalty when Neil becomes boss!
Brent - 'And don’t call my second in command an arse faced weasel'
And for the freelove freeway sing along that still makes me cry with laughter every time I watch it!
Click here for more articles on TV and Film in Sabotage Times
Click here to follow Sabotage Times on Twitter
Click here to follow Sabotage Times on Facebook
