UMVA has learned that the finale of Channel 4's new queer drama Tip Toe has left viewers reeling with its devastating conclusion, hailed as powerful must-watch television.
The five-part thriller, created by Russell T Davies and starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, follows the lives of two neighbours in a Manchester suburb whose lives are turned upside down when queer bar owner Leo gives his straight neighbour Clive a spare key to his house.
The show's harrowing finale episode sees Leo hanged from a lamppost outside his home by Clive and his friends, after the electrician's masculinity is called into question in a shocking and disturbing turn of events.
Viewers have taken to social media to express their shock and distress at the finale, with many describing it as one of the most horrific and heartbreaking things they've ever seen on TV, praising Davies for penning a powerful and thought-provoking episode.
"The last 15 minutes of Tip Toe are some of the most harrowing 15 minutes of a TV drama I've seen for quite some time," wrote one viewer, while another described it as "takes your breath away" and "so important" for its portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community and the culture wars raging around them.
Russell T Davies is known for his unapologetically political dramas, and Tip Toe has been praised for its nuanced and urgent insight into the LGBTQ+ community, with one viewer saying it provides a "terrifying insight into the white British male mindset".
The show's themes of identity, community, and acceptance are timely and thought-provoking, with one character saying "I used to walk into a room and go 'Ta-da!' Now I tiptoe, just in case" - a poignant reflection on the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in today's society.
