History YMMV / InTheLoop

%%* EvilIsSexy: Just don't ask...

* MagnificentBastard: Malcolm Tucker. Facing enemies more powerful than anyone in UsefulNotes/{{Whitehall}}, humiliated by his hapless colleagues, stripped of his power and almost driven to a VillainousBreakdown, he ''still'' manages to bounce back with a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. Unfortunately he eventually crosses the line between MagnificentBastard and full-blown villain.

* MoralEventHorizon: "I will marshall all the media forces of darkness to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kelly_(weapons_expert) hound you to an assisted suicide]]". Malcolm eventually pushes his [[MagnificentBastard Bastardry]] to the point where it ceases to be [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent]].

* SugarWiki/DevelopmentHeaven: Creator/ArmandoIannucci managed to film inside the US Department of State by essentially committing industrial espionage.

** Jamie explains the uselessness of builders by remarking that you never see films in which the hero is a builder. "Bat-Builder? Spider-Builder? That's why you never see a superhero with a hod!" One of the {{Big Bad}}s in Creator/JonathanHickman's ''[[ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers Avengers]]'' run was an alien race called the Builders.

* FoeYay:
** Jamie to Judy: "I'm quite aroused by the idea of giving you a long...hard...disciplinary hearing."
** Followed by a nice moment for Judy, when she actually manages to ''shut Jamie up'' by coolly remarking that she would [[TooKinkyToTorture quite enjoy]] the "big...fat...compensation payment" she would receive as a result. The look on Jamie's face after this indicates that he just might need to go home and have a wank.

* MagnificentBastard: Malcolm Tucker. Facing enemies more powerful than anyone in {{Whitehall}}, humiliated by his hapless colleagues, stripped of his power and almost driven to a VillainousBreakdown, he ''still'' manages to bounce back with a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. Unfortunately he eventually crosses the line between MagnificentBastard and full-blown villain.

* MisaimedFandom: ''Series/TheThickOfIt'' has so many fans in {{Whitehall}} that the crew were given a ''very'' rare opportunity to film there. That's ''the actual Number 10'' in the film's opening scenes (which at the time of filming was undergoing some restoration work, hence the construction).

* TearJerker: The entire DownerEnding. [[spoiler:Malcolm ended up doing the dirty work of a man he swore he didn't work for; After repeatedly waffling, Simon's career is all but finished when he's sacked rather than being able to resign to make a statement; Clarke's resignation loses its power when Miller refuses to do so; Liza's working for a man concerned with which movies are on a soldier's approved roster; and you have to even feel bad for the selfish and self-righteous Toby, whose career is over before it even begins and he leaves quietly when the new aide arrives. And ''everyone'' has to live with the inevitable war that's going to happen, and one Miller knows no one is prepared for.]]

** General Miller also counts, for various reasons that include being the OnlySaneMan in the Pentagon, not being afraid of Malcolm, and he's played by [[Series/TheSopranos James Gandolfini]].

** Jamie to Judy: "I'm quite aroused by the idea of giving you a long... hard... disciplinary hearing."
** Followed by a nice moment for Judy, when she actually manages to ''shut Jamie up'' by coolly remarking that she would [[TooKinkyToTorture quite enjoy]] the "big... fat... compensation payment" she would receive as a result. The look on Jamie's face after this indicates that he just might need to go home and have a wank.

** Similarly, some Pentagon generals rather liked it, both because of James Gandolfini, who apparently has a following there, and because they appreciated Gen. Miller's only sane man tendencies (not to mention the fact that even though Miller opposes the war, with sound reasons given (not just because he's a dove) but when war is declared, his immediate priority is providing leadership to his soldiers (although this is depicted at least partially as being an act of moral cowardice on his part as well).

** For all of Simon's cowardly flip-flopping and refusal to take a side, his outburst that he's frustrated about being forced into an inevitable position where he's sending boys off to war, which is the exact opposite of what he wanted to do when he got into office.

** Jamie explains the uselessness of builders by remarking that you never see films in which the hero is a builder. "Bat-Builder? Spider-Builder? That's why you never see a superhero with a hod!" One of the BigBads in Creator/JonathanHickman's ''[[ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers Avengers]]'' run was an alien race called the Builders.

** Jamie explains the uselessness of builders by remarking that you never see films in which the hero is a builder. "Bat-Builder? Spider-Builder? That's why you never see a superhero with a hod!" One of the {{BigBad}}s in Creator/JonathanHickman's ''[[ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers Avengers]]'' run was an alien race called the Builders.

* HilariousInHindsight: "Right, I'm off to deal with the fate of the planet." [[Series/DoctorWho Indeed you are, Peter]].

* EvilIsSexy: Just don't ask...

* MagnificentBastard: Malcolm Tucker. Facing enemies more powerful than anyone in {{Whitehall}}, humiliated by his hapless colleagues, stripped of his power and almost driven to a VillainousBreakdown, he ''still'' manages to bounce back with a CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Unfortunately he eventually crosses the line between MagnificentBastard and full-blown villain.

** Followed by a nice moment for Judy, when she actually manages to ''shut Jamie up'' by coolly remarking that she would [[TooKinkyToTorture quite enjoy]] the "big... fat... compensation payment" she would receive as a result.

* OneSceneWonder: Steve Coogan is in the movie for probably five minutes at tops. He's nevertheless one of the best things in it, which is pretty impressive considering what he's up against.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: As with the main series, Jamie "The Angriest Man in Scotland" [=McDonald=] steals every scene he's in despite being only a secondary character.

** Similarly, some Pentagon generals rather liked it, both because of James Gandolfini, who apparently has a following there, and because they appreciated Gen. Miller's only sane man tendencies (not to mention the fact that even though Miller opposes the war, with sound reasons given (not just because he's a dove) but when war is declared, his immediate priority is providing leadership to his soldiers.