But earnest and responsible aren't words that should be in the same sentence as Waugh. What makes his works so great are his ability to create humor out of surreal situations, always told in a straightforward tone as though these incidents were perfectly normal. This three-parter tries very hard to recapitulate that tone but it just isn't there; you can almost sense the laborious effort behind the scenes, and that's a shame. Still, it's always good to see Grimes and Philband and Prendergast and all the others; in fact, it's these minor characters who come closest to pulling off the show.
Review of Decline and Fall
