|
But what seemed like an unbearable character on paper proved to be quite sympathetic in the skilled hands of Lenny Henry, who cleverly hinted at the humanity beneath Blackstock's hostile surface. He played the chef as a victim, cursed by his obsession with the preparation of food and suffering in his private life because of it. Blackstock found it difficult to nurture friendships and impossible to make small-talk, and was unable to treat his wife with the same respect that he treated food. As the show progressed, Blackstock's tender side surfaced more, and it became obvious that underneath the bluster was a decent guy trying to get out. He even managed an uneasy but enduring friendship with the kitchen hand, Everton, although Janice grew increasingly fed up with her position on the backburner of her husband's life and they separated at the end of the second series. She continued to appear, however, as the couple attempted to conduct their divorce arrangements in a civilised way, and Gareth was desperate to instigate a reconciliation. But Janice was certain that despite his insistence that he would give up cooking for her, the lure of the kitchen was too strong.
|