Larry Lamb has sent a message to Gavin and Stacey fans after the final ever episode, which contains what might be his character Mick's finest ever moment.
That's saying something, since Mick has been brilliant all through the 17 years since Gavin and Stacey first started, but the show really stuck the landing and saved some of the best moments for last.
First off, Mick delivered a beautiful speech about how he and Pam (Alison Steadman) had tried to have another child after Gavin (Matthew Horne) was born but weren't able to, and how the hurt went away after Smithy (James Corden) came into their lives.
Advert
Mick then told Smithy he was part of the family, and may as well have said that he was a second son.
No wonder, then, that when everyone who knew Smithy stood up at his wedding to say they didn't want him to get married to Sonia, it was Mick finally rising to his feet that sealed the decision.
Mick had made it clear he didn't think stopping the wedding was the right idea, but when Smithy turned to him for guidance he stood up with the rest and let the lad he loved like a son know how he felt.
The moment when Mick stood up at the wedding has been widely celebrated in the aftermath of the finale, with some fans describing it as 'cinema' and others echoing one of Pam's iconic lines by saying 'I've gone, I've actually gone'.
Advert
They called it 'epic, heartfelt and touching' while others said that Larry Lamb's performance during the episode had them 'in floods'.
Crying at Christmas is not normally a good sign, but it's alright if the nation is watching a performance that's giving the heartstrings a mighty tug.
The man himself sent a message addressing all of the praise that had been coming his way after the finale, as Lamb posted on social media to say: "Thanks so much for all your lovely words ..so proud to be part of such a wonderful show !!"
When responding to fans, he also said that 'playing Mick has made me more like him', and that sounds like a very good thing.
The actor was also eager to spread the praise around, as he said that the toast he gave to Smithy at his stag do was 'a gift of a speech from two extraordinary writers'.
Advert
So much effort went into Gavin and Stacey: The Finale, including keeping the actor who played Sonia (Laura Aikman) in separate hotels to help keep the secret of what Smithy said to Nessa's proposal.
Pretty much everything in the show except for the fishing trip was wrapped up and given an ending.
Even Nessa's old flame Dave Coaches (Steffan Rhodri) was given a redemption as it turned out he was Gwen's (Melanie Walters) new boyfriend and dealt with a prolonged freakout from Bryn (Rob Brydon), lending his coach to get the Shipman and West families to Nessa in time to stop her from sailing away.
It's peak television, is what it is.
Topics: Gavin And Stacey, TV and Film, BBC, Celebrity
Joe Harker