Why Rake is must-see TV
Australian television’s most popular legal larrikin has traded the courtroom for Canberra. Yes, as the fifth and final season of Rake (which begins screening tonight on Sky TV’s Rialto Channel at 8.30pm) opens, Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh, pictured) is coming to terms with being a senator.
Aimed initially at merely stymieing his sister’s political ambitions, Cleaver’s candidacy has unexpectedly proved successful, despite a declared commitment to ‘‘doing and saying nothing’’.
But while there are those convinced he was just the byproduct of ignorant or lazy voters (who most-likely thought they were voting for the Green Party), our anti-hero is determined to make the most of his new status.
It isn’t long before the independent senator causes a scandal. A very public jocular conversation with the Governor General leads to the latter being forced to resign, while Cleaver’s opening speech takes in a long-held grudge against communications company Telstra, a controversial penalty try that cost Cronulla a grand final and describing Parliament as ‘‘a place of pretty unsightly selfgratification’’. Then there’s his feud with his new neighbour, who objects to him letting out his spare room and his penchant for nude sunbathing.
Feeling just a twinge of guilt, Cleaver decides he needs to hire a press secretary. But to everyone’s surprise, it’s the ageing Frank O’Brien (Jim Daly), ‘‘the hardest footy columnist in the business’’. Sure, it might be because Cleaver still owes his brother a few grand from a poor betting choice, but that ‘‘doesn’t detract from his skills as a journalist’’.
It looks like he’s going to need him. Dark government forces are moving against him as embattled Prime Minister Angela Way (Helen Thomson) seeks a way to reduce at least one headache. Just as they prepare to expose Cleaver, a bigger problem emerges. Parliament is the victim of chemical attack, which leaves the Defence Minister dead and just about everyone else with severe nausea. With US Defence Secretary Linus Potemkin (Anthony LaPaglia) due in less than 24 hours for peace treaty negotiations, action is required. To make matters worse, he’s less interested in signing any documents and more concerned about catching up with an old carousing mate from his days in Sydney two decades ago.
One of the most consistently funny shows of the past decade, Rake’s shift in venue for its supposedly final bow is a masterstroke. With real-life Australian politics in disarray, there is opportunity for satire, and creators Roxburgh, Peter Duncan and Charles Waterstreet milk that for all it is worth. They are also blessed with a terrific ensemble cast that includes Kiwis Mark Mitchinson, Errol Shand and Sara Wiseman. But Roxburgh is undoubtedly the star of the show and he appears reinvigorated by the new surroundings.
Rake would be worth watching for his performance alone, but, aided by sharp writing, memorable dialogue and outrageous scenarios, it is the very definition of must-see TV. – James Croot