So I've watched all three episodes of Get Back and loved it, loved it! Though it did reinforce my prevalent Beatle theory, which is that the group was two geniuses and two really lucky blokes.
Because this is about the lads preparing for what would be their final live performance, looking at it through the prism of their breakup is inevitable. It's much more comprehensive than the 80-minute Let It Be documentary, and much kinder to Paul. He's shown here trying to hold the band together, not plotting to break them up.
It's George, I think, who comes off worst. Petulant, defensive and all-around unpleasant. It's understandable, I suppose. Those geniuses -- Paul and John -- are still a unit and they don't really let him in. They are more enthusiastic playing the songs they wrote together as young teens (like "I Lost My Little Girl") than George's new songs ("I, Me, Mine" and "For You, Blue"). It must have been hard to be relegated to the role of junior partner when he believed he had something to say.
Yoko didn't annoy me as much as I expected her to. Is this because she was a producer? Or was she simply a ubiquitous fly on the wall and nothing more? Linda is a pretty blonde counterpoint to Yoko, and it feels like she's only there because, well, John has his new girl there!
Ringo gets who he is in their hierarchy and, unlike George, seems to aspire to nothing more. He's comfortable in his own skin, happy to noodle the beginning of his new song ("Octopus' Garden") for his mates.
Get Back gives us a more positive Paul than Let It Be was. He clearly loved being in the studio with those guys. He wanted to get back before the fans. He wanted to maintain the whole "group" vibe, even though John is only intermittently engaged and George seems to be suffering from chronic Lennon/McCartney-induced dyspepsia.
He is, of course, a human with flaws. And those flaws amused be because they are mine, too. We learn that Sir Paul:
• loves a plan
• resists change
• admits "there's nothing to complain about," and then proceeds to complain anyway
I have grown up to be my Beatle!
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