Ciaran Hinds is insanely awesome. If he and Charles Dance ever challenged each other to a stern-visage-off, the world would probably fall off its axis.

Indeed! I love how she's taking her power in a such a different direction than Cersei and the others. I suspect her Princess Diana routine will pay handsomely.

He's definitely not getting any positive feedback, no matter how many smiley faces he draws on the shipping form.

"The rhinoceros - he's waiting for the train. Tch . . . brilliant. Just brilliant."

"The rhinoceros - he's waiting for the train. Tch . . . brilliant. Just brilliant."

"You should see the other guy!"

"You should see the other guy!"

Seeing Malcolm rendered utterly speechless was painful; that's one of those things that you expect - in fact, hope - you'll never see in life.

Seeing Malcolm rendered utterly speechless was painful; that's one of those things that you expect - in fact, hope - you'll never see in life.

Very interesting indeed!

Very interesting indeed!

The Malcolm/Jamie dynamic really is great, particularly their verbal shorthand and general comfort with each other.

The Malcolm/Jamie dynamic really is great, particularly their verbal shorthand and general comfort with each other.

"Can we send out a revised biography and not that photograph of me with that fucking mustache? I look like a disgraced geography teacher."

"Can we send out a revised biography and not that photograph of me with that fucking mustache? I look like a disgraced geography teacher."

Heh, I had forgotten Terri's back story, so thanks for reminding me. And actually, her incompetence was the source of one of my favorite lines in the whole series:

Heh, I had forgotten Terri's back story, so thanks for reminding me. And actually, her incompetence was the source of one of my favorite lines in the whole series:

"Get me John at Culture on the phone - think I'll have a bit of a shout now!"

"Get me John at Culture on the phone - think I'll have a bit of a shout now!"

I think it's just the sheer volume of jokes, many of which are delivered overlapping or in hushed tones. I'd say that the density of humor in The Thick of It is greater than, say, Veep, so it definitely benefits from multiple viewings.