This Is England '90

Overview

This Is England '90 looks at rave culture and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. It features Shaun, Kelly, Trev, Harvey and Gadget who are involved in the rave scene. Woody and Milky have opened a scooter shop, while Combo is released from prison after serving his sentence for the manslaughter of Mick in This Is England '86. Flip and Higgy from the moped gang in This Is England '86 are more prominently featured in the cast in this series.

Similar to the film and the two previous series, '90 featured a montage of the era at the beginning of the first episode, featuring the resignation of Margaret Thatcher in November 1990 which is set to the 1988 song "There She Goes" by The La's (which was re-released in October 1990). Each episode is set against a different season of the year starting with Spring.

Production

Much of the filming took place in Sheffield, particularly in the Gleadless area, with the Park Hill flats serving as the location for Harvey and Gadget's flat.

Spring

Milky, Woody, Lol and the gang are all reunited in the classic era of 1990s rave culture, Following on from the events of 1988, Woody and Lol are back together and have a little baby, Jimmy. Lol has a job as a dinnerlady at the local school with Chrissie, Kelly and Trev, while Woody stays at home with Milky and the kids.

Gadget, Harvey, Kelly, Trev and Shaun are all following the Madchester rave scene, smoking cannabis in bongs and taking whatever drugs they have.

After a conversation with Cynthia about the events of '88, Shaun goes to find Smell who dumped him in '88 for cheating on her with Fay after the Christmas production at college. When he finally managed to find her ending a day at her new college course, Shaun tells Smell he has missed her and invites her to a Manchester-themed discothèque at the town hall but Smell is reluctant to go, then tells him she has met someone else, which hits him hard, prompting his crying.

Meanwhile, Woody and Lol have gone round to Woody's parents' house where there is a certain surprise for Woody, after seeing that his ex – Jennifer – is staying over, after a row with her parents. A certain blast from the past bursts out of the cupboard... Mr Squires, Woody's old boss. He offers Woody a partnership but Woody gets upset and angry because he doesn't want to end up like his dad and then an argument erupts.

Later Shaun is seen round at Harvey and Gadget's flat taking in bongs. Shaun tells the lads what happened when he saw Smell and then Harvey jokes about it, impersonating Smell and cheering up Shaun.

Afterwards Woody, Lol and the gang are all round at Lol's mums talking about the disco, then Kelly and Trev persuade Lol to attend so the girls get ready and head off. Shaun, Harvey and Gadget are heading into the disco when Shaun suddenly starts bending with pain and nausea, a reaction to the bong hits he previously took, but Harvey gives him some speed to perk him up for the night.

The girls meet the lads in the disco and "Fools Gold" starts to play and everybody gets pumped up and raves. After the disco a Goth-like lad called Harrison goes over to Shaun to tell him that he is Smell's boyfriend, and he is sorry Smell can't make it, but then Shaun, feeling disrespected in front of his mates, over-reacts and a skirmish occurs.

After things have calmed down everyone goes home and we see Woody asleep and Lol getting ready to go to bed.

Summer

Shaun, Harvey, Gadget, Kelly and Trev all pack into a small car, venturing into the countryside in search of a rave. On the way they meet Flip and Higgy, whose car has broken down, so all seven squeeze into one car. After a long day trying to find their intended venue, they give up and begin to camp out in the woods for the night. In the distance, they hear the sound of drums and assume it's the rave they've been trying to find. Walking down into a field they stumble upon a commune of new-age travellers and spontaneously join their party. Shaun finds comfort with an attractive older lady, whilst Kelly takes drugs before indulging in sex with three men in a trailer.

Lol, Woody and Milky stay at home, spending the afternoon having a barbecue in their front garden. In the evening, the phone rings and Lol says it is her mother and takes the call in another room. She later tells Woody that it wasn't her mother, but it was Combo, who is about to be released from prison and has nowhere to stay.

Autumn

Lol and Woody invite everyone round to their house for Sunday dinner. After the meal, they announce that it wasn't Combo who killed Mick, but Lol. Lol also tells her sister Kelly that Mick raped Trev the night before he was killed. Kelly refuses to believe that her dad was a bad person. Lol and Woody continue with the news that Combo is about to be released from prison and has nowhere to stay. Once it becomes clear that Combo will be staying with them, Milky, whose daughter (with Lol) also lives with them, refuses to allow her to stay under the same roof as the man who beat him half to death.

Winter

While Lol and Woody plan their wedding, Milky plans revenge against Combo who is now about to start his first day working at a local community centre. Harvey catches Kelly smoking heroin in his bathroom and instructs her to leave immediately. When Gadget finds out he has a blazing row with Harvey before leaving to find Kelly.

Shaun has started his photography course at college, making use of his new camera bought by his mother and Mr. Sandhu. He and fellow photography student Juliette begin an assignment together. While out taking photographs, the pair meet a distressed Gadget as he looks for Kelly. Shaun joins Gadget in the search. They eventually find her in an isolated spot where her father's ashes were scattered. Both offer to find her a place to stay, but she refuses their help, mocks Gadget's pity and leaves with a man friend who is unknown to Shaun and Gadget.

Combo enjoys his first day at work at the community centre. After saying he is going out for lunch, he is surprised by Milky waiting outside, wanting to go for a cup of tea and a talk "man to man" about the racist attack that Combo launched on him seven years ago that left him clinging to life. During a long drive into countryside, anxious that several cafés have been left behind, Combo becomes suspicious.

Sitting in a cafe, Combo tells Milky he was a coward for what he did, and that he was secretly jealous of the love Milky had from his family. Milky's relative, Rudy (played by Vauxhall Jermaine), arrives with other family members and it soon transpires that promises were made to avenge the attack. Combo apologises to Milky again, saying he hopes Milky will one day forgive him. He is then ushered into the back of a van. At some disused dockside buildings, Combo is handed over to two men. Crying and screaming he is dragged away. He is not seen again.

Two months later, at the reception after Woody and Lol's church wedding ceremony, Smell, who is with her boyfriend Harrison, tries to create a scene after meeting Shaun's new girlfriend, Juliette, whom she describes as a "hot mess". Her angry behaviour mirrors Shaun's reaction to his meeting with Harrison at the disco. 'Missing' Kelly is then seen sitting by herself in a room in a run down drugs-den.

During a quiet interlude from the wedding festivities, when alone in the snooker room of the working men's club, Lol asks Milky if he has seen or heard from Combo. He evades the questions, reacting in a non-committal way, rather uneasily. Lol has noticed that Milky is subdued and not quite himself.

Kelly leaves the house and walks to her sister's wedding reception. She attempts to leave a card and disappear before she is seen by anyone, but is spotted by Lol. The two sisters reconcile during a deep conversation and eventually Kelly agrees to stay and join in the wedding celebrations, becoming re-united with her family and friends.

The episode ends with a wedding-dance party scene containing most of the major characters from the film and television series, such as Meggy and Pob. The happy montage is intercut with a lone Milky standing at the bar brooding over his part in Combo's disappearance.

Awards

The show won three BAFTA Television Awards in 2016, for Mini-Series, Supporting Actress for Chanel Cresswell, and Director for Shane Meadows.

Potential sequel

Although This Is England '90 was previously expected to be the final instalment in the This Is England series, in interviews close to the May 2016 BAFTA awards, Meadows talked about the potential of one final film as a way of "bookending [the series] for cinema and TV", saying "I think there's a film that's left in there ... there is still one little gem in there". He implied this would be a future release to end the series, shown simultaneously in cinemas and on television.