Let's talk Chris Finch…
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Office
ztraybllet — 10 years ago(September 12, 2015 12:52 AM)
So Chris Finch was the real 'bully' of the show.
What is it about Finch that make people call him a bully? Is it that others are afraid to say things or be themselves because he may "take the mickey" out of them? Brent, Neil and Gareth seem to respect him and even like his jokes.
I think he was a different kind of 'David Brent'.
The other staff didn't respond to him any better than they did David Brent. While David loved Finch's act, it would seem like the rest of the staff would only 'put up' with it because they had to (the way they put up with David).
Any thoughts/opinions? -
moviefool09 — 10 years ago(September 12, 2015 05:17 PM)
I believe Gervais has said that Finch is the only
truly
despicable character on the show. The rest are all likeable to some extent (though the misogynistic Warehouse Guys are really pretty awful, especially the way they went after the albeit annoying pregnant woman in the Xmas episode).
I think the main key is that Finchy's humor seems cruel at times, particularly at the expense of Brent towards the end. It's not "inclusive" humor.it seems to put down others in a mean-spirited fashion. He also seems to be trying to "gang up" to win the approval of Neil.
We're all supposed to cheer when Brent puts him in his place in the Xmas episode. By extension, I also read that as a put-down against Neil, who seems to be aligned with Finch by the end.
"The future is tape, videotape, and NOT film?" -
archer1267 — 10 years ago(January 04, 2016 07:37 AM)
I don't know if I'd say bully, but Finch is definitely an beep He seemed deferential of Neil, given Neil's position, but was downright disgusting at other times (pretending to ride Dawn like a pig and make her squeal, for one). I don't think anyone ever told him to cool it, except for David at the end (and Finch just shut up and had no response).
The "bully" thing is interesting, because I just finished re-watching both seasons and think that Tim and Dawn (and later Rachel) went overboard in messing with Gareth. Gareth could be annoying, but their constant wind-ups of him, putting his stapler in jello, gluing his phone, locking him in his office etc. was childish, and I didn't think Gareth deserved the extent of their ridicule. Because Tim and Dawn are supposedly the "everyman/woman" the audience is supposed to relate to and root for, it's not obvious at first, but on re-watching, it just seemed like they were ganging up on him. -
moviefool09 — 10 years ago(January 09, 2016 09:46 PM)
I don't think anyone ever told him to cool it, except for David at the end (and Finch just shut up and had no response).
Yeah, I think Finch was so stunned by David standing up for himself at long last against the insults, that he was rendered speechless. The long shot of Finch and Neil as they watch David walk away is quite priceless.
The "bully" thing is interesting, because I just finished re-watching both seasons and think that Tim and Dawn (and later Rachel) went overboard in messing with Gareth. Gareth could be annoying, but their constant wind-ups of him, putting his stapler in jello, gluing his phone, locking him in his office etc. was childish, and I didn't think Gareth deserved the extent of their ridicule. Because Tim and Dawn are supposedly the "everyman/woman" the audience is supposed to relate to and root for, it's not obvious at first, but on re-watching, it just seemed like they were ganging up on him.
I agree that Tim and Dawn had their own version of cruelty towards Gareth. The wind-up pranks weren't too bad, but I found it ugly and somewhat demeaning how they talked down to him, made faces at him when he turned away, etc. He was their own private joke and it felt a little cheap at times, for these two good characters to do so.
"The future is tape, videotape, and NOT film?" -
mcgmcgmcg — 10 years ago(March 22, 2016 07:15 PM)
Chris Finch represents the ar$ehole stereotype.
Although the character delivers one of the funniest lines, at the end of one episode, where he is banging the Welsh lady outside.
Welsh lady: "My knees hurt."
Finch: "Nearly done."
No cash here!! Here, no cash!!! Cash, no!!!! Robbo? No Cash! -
Bhoooop_Daahuut — 9 years ago(April 06, 2016 07:06 AM)
I'm sure we've all met a Chris Finch or two over the years. The standard issue d*ck head who has learned that if he says exactly what's on his mind in a loud, aggressive manner, a lot of the time people are too taken aback to call him on it and would rather feign a respect for his 'straight talking' and edgy humour rather than take him on.
The character is well drawn and extremely well acted. I'd say he's David Brent's evil twin in some ways. Just as deluded, angry and unfulfilled but a lot more cruel and unpredictable. -
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FlyingSaucersAreReal — 9 years ago(August 05, 2016 03:43 PM)
Yeah. She was one of the people who was offended by some of David's jokes, but Finchy was far worse when it came to that sort of thing. I guess she overlooked it because she was attracted to Finchy.
Or maybe she was judgmental of David because she just didn't like him. She didn't seem to mind all the inappropriate presents she got on her birthday, like the dildo. She laughed about that.
-I was born in a crossfire hurricane. -
ztraybllet — 9 years ago(May 25, 2016 06:38 PM)
Something I noticed while rewatching yesterday: wasn't Finchy meant to be fired for the lewd photocopied Brent picture?
Yes good point. I think Finchy wasn't a full on character yet. The point of that story was probably more about the pay off at the end rather than for it to have had a proper result.
It reminds me of the 'Extras' episode where Maggie was a fan of Orlando Bloom in the first season, but then completely wants nothing to do with him in an episode in the second season.
While the shows are indeed planned out, there is probably still a lot of improvising/changes going on.
I know what you mean though. I would say though for the purpose of the story, after the way David acted, the whole thing (with Finch being the culprit) was probably 'forgotten'. -
Bill_Bones — 9 years ago(June 30, 2016 09:33 AM)
Calling Finch the true bad guy and an actual bully is something I find a bit odd but it's very typical of Gervais and Merchant. If some of the stuff they've done to Karl Pilkington over the years isn't bullying then I don't know what is. Agree with others saying that Tim went a bit too far with Gareth at times.
I get that Finch is lewd and arrogant, and calls Brent useless after they lose the quiz, actually stating that it's "not banter", but who is he really bullying? Lee confronting Tim at the party in the final episode of S1 is probably the closest thing to bullying on the show.
Maybe in Gervais and Merchant's heads it's only bullying if it's done without smiles and affection. For my money that's actually worse in a creepy way. -