Peter Boyd is a loathesome character
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Waking the Dead
Davidux — 17 years ago(July 11, 2008 09:27 AM)
Although I enjoy Waking the Dead and very much admire the great acting and writing, I can no longer stand the character of Peter Boyd. He is, to be honest, despicable. He is an angry, hypocritical and possibly bi-polar pr*ck. I cannot find one redeeming quality to his character. It has come to the point that his antics make watching Waking the Dead a trying experience. How his staff can work with him continues to amaze me. They are saints.
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swizzlestick1990 — 17 years ago(August 13, 2008 07:23 AM)
I LOVE Peter Boyd's character. My favourite character of any TV programme EVER.
I love the fact that he has an angry wild streak to him, he'd be so boring without it!
And yeah, series 7 finale, you can't say that he's horrible in that. -
Davidux — 17 years ago(December 12, 2008 01:30 PM)
Perhaps Boyd's son's descent into drug abuse and petty prostitution (in order to get money to buy drugs or in exchange for drugs) is perhaps the result of Boyd being such a useless father. This is, perhaps, indicative of what a failed person Boyd is, his success and skill as a police investigator notwithstanding.
Professionally, there would be no denying in Boyd getting his man, even though it would be hell to work under him. Personally, Boyd has been a terrible father and is a man with many unresolved demons. -
robotrix — 17 years ago(October 19, 2008 01:14 PM)
I think it's refreshing to find a character on television who is as multi-layered and abrasive as Boyd. Not everyone on the face of the planet is lovable and cuddily. And those shouldn't be requirements for his job.
And if you're looking for a redeeming quality in Boyd, what about his sense of justice? Even when he's skirting the rules it's because he wants to get the bad guy and give the families and end to their questions.
Look at his reaction to the father who wants to know if the body in the church is his missing son in "A Blind Beggar" and to the young woman in "Burn Out".
And I get the feeling he was like this before his son went missing - that just made it even MORE important to him. And that's when he starts going over the lines.
(And please, please, please [spoiler][/spoiler} any talk of the Season 7 finale here, please? Some of us are still trying to get Season 4.a/k/a Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck at
http://forum.rifftrax.com/index.php-- "Join us!"
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BizzyMom6 — 17 years ago(January 31, 2009 09:06 PM)
I, too, have enjoyed WTD immensely over the years and absolutely adore Trevor Eve, but have disliked the direction of the character of Peter Boyd for some time. Other than his insatiable desire for justice, esp. for those unable to defend or speak for themselves, he is a grumpy, angry, overbearing, childish, out of control jerk. In real life no one would be able to work for this man and there would be serious complaints against him, and/or transfers out of his unit. He shouts at people for no reason, belittles people for making the slightest comment he doesn't agree with or understand, and completely (and usually publicly) berates any one who dare make a mistake or an oversight. I am finding him harder and harder to take myself. I want to drool over Peter like I used to, and I just can't anymore because I would hate him in RL. So I go back and watch the old eps a lot.
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akali83 — 16 years ago(October 04, 2009 06:35 AM)
"So I go back and watch the old eps a lot. ;-)"
Watch em from where? I used to love the show, but Boyed just got so annoying that I stopped watching it. Now I make sure i catch the ones i missed. For some reason, I'm starting to like Boyed again :S
I know doesn't make any sense, hes gotten worse!
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nijn70 — 16 years ago(September 06, 2009 03:56 AM)
Haha I understand your remark and agree that it would be impossible to work with such a character in real life. However, it's an absolute joy to watch on TV. Have you ever watched Cracker? If anyone's an annoying person, Fitz is.. My ABSOLUTE number 1 series, followed directly by Waking the Dead.
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Gary-161 — 16 years ago(September 23, 2009 01:52 AM)
What I can't understand is why Trevor Eve refused to do more than one series of Shoestring and then appear in endless series of this repellant nonsense. At least Shoestring had moments of charm between his rages. Maybe the words "the cheque is in the mail" finally had more resonance than "typecasting."
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Potterreader35 — 16 years ago(September 27, 2009 02:43 PM)
Of course!
Follow any interviews with him, he regrets the fact that he was persuaded not to do more "Shoestring".
"Waking the Dead" is not as good as "Shoestring" but then few things are, it was an absolutely classic show. However, you would need a time machine to make more "Shoestring" now, the winning creators and cast are all a lot older now (or dead?). And who knows, it might have got really dull after the second series. I don't think "Bergerac" got better over time (made by the same people).
So I think you're comparing apples with oranges. -
pstevensondyolfknip — 16 years ago(September 23, 2009 04:56 AM)
He was always borderline up until the death of his son last season but I agree he's now gone over the line way too much.
Having said that though,
I reckon the internal investigation into the unit is going to see the end of the show.
Spence hasn't been happy for a long time with Boyd's behaviour and I reckon it was him who blew the whistle on him. I also wouldn't be surprised if the new girl was put there as an "inside" woman to keep an eye on him and collect evidence.
Of course if all this was going on then no doubt Grace would be in on it. So why is she going along with it?. Simple she'd rather see Boyd booted off the force than see him in a prison cell and with his current behaviour that does seem like a real risk.
This is just guess work btw. I can't say I'm privvy to any spoiler info. But I wouldn't be surprised if this is the end of Waking The Dead. -
billpeter — 16 years ago(October 18, 2009 10:26 PM)
He is not meant to be liked. He is a GREAT CHARACTER. OK, he is grumpier than Victor Meldrew. However, that is just one of the reasons why Waking the Dead is such a good series. Morse and Frost were grumpy as well. It makes for good, and interesting, although complex, characters. It makes you WANT to hate them.
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SiamezeCat — 15 years ago(May 27, 2010 05:20 AM)
Interestingly, I like Boyd most of the time. Exactly because his grumpiness is linked to a keen mind. And that often makes people impatient and irritable.
Interesting comparison with Frost and Morse. I particularly like Frost, with those cranky one-liners; rather like Lennie Briscoe in Law and Order. Morse was
often very demeaning to Lewis for no good reason.
But I'm surprised that no-one seems to mind that Grace. I find her intensely irritating; always trying to get into Boyd's head, "putting him right". And to some extent with the rest of the staff too. Her being a psychologist doesn't rob her colleagues of the right to keep certain things to themselves if they want to. She just seems like some nosy nagging housewife. -
gus_the_jack_russell — 15 years ago(September 20, 2010 05:04 AM)
I think Boyd is a great character. Ive been watching WTD from series 1 again & have found him to be quite funny at times. I thinks his temper tantrums etc is just what the show needs & it's good to see his softer side come out too. Trevor Eve is simply awesome!
I am
NOT
a guy!!