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    Plot 

Series 4 of The Thick of It takes place in an alternative universe of Series 2.

The Opposition won the election instead of The Party.This explains why Nicola is head of The Party (known as The Opposition in this universe) and why Robyn (a character not seen since series 2) is still in DoSAC, why both Glenn and Terri are part of the Opposition, why Ollie is actually competent, and why Glenn whitewashes walls twice, both in Series 2 AND Series 3 and both at around the same time.The official universe series ends with In The Loop, meaning that Malcolm is still there, as is the actually USEFUL PM, and everyone is fine if relatively stressed.

    Character 

Phil is going to make one of his naff geek references to Game of Thrones

Phil is already a massive embarrassment to the geek community, so doubt he's going to keep mortifying us. It's probably going to involve casting himself as Robb Stark and Malcolm as Gregor Clegane. Even though it's obvious that he's Theon Greyjoy and Malcolm is Jaime Lannister.

  • As of S4E3, you are indeed correct, although from context Phil appears to have been comparing himself to... King Joffrey, of all people. (Incidentally, I wonder what Phil thought of the casting of Illyrio Mopatis?)
  • He called himself "the King's Hand" so in his little world, does he think he's Tyrion? Or Tywin Lannister?? **facepalm of embarrassment** Yes, I expect he'll be commenting on how "The Mannionater" resembles Illyrio Mopatis any episode soon!
    • Phil also makes a bizarre reference to Jon Snow and "balancing the good and the bad", and in a deleted scene describes the Minister of Dosac as being the equivalent of the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, which in a strange way, it is.
    • Clearly Phil is referring to the famous newsreader there rather than the (at least to a UK audience) much less famous Go T character.

Malcolm sent Cliff Lawton flowers and a note telling him he was a "fucking waste of skin" after the events of S01E01.

That's how Malcolm farewells everyone he has sacked.

Cliff Lawton actually does like to stuff a cat up his arse and have a wank.

He has the air of a repressed conservative, and we all know the sorts of things they get up to in their time off. And he mentions it as an example of 'personal reasons' to resign very quickly.

The other versions of the characters appearing in In the Loop (Toby\Ollie, Michael\Glenn, Roz\Terri, Suzy\Emma, Jonathan\Julius) are alter egos that exist in EVERY government department.

The actors who double up roles in the series and film...

... do so because both take place from Malcolm's point of view, and he sees most of the people around him as basically interchangeable, or at least variations on a few basic archetypes, which explains why the film characters act very similarly (while not being exactly the same) as their TV counterparts. The exceptions are characters like Sam and Jamie, whom he actually likes and/or respects enough to regard on a personal and individuated level, and indeed the actors who play them appear in the film as the same characters they play in the series.

Emma and Stewart WERE married in Vegas, and ARE very happy together.

Her Sarcastic Confession was actually the truth. That's why she mysteriously has more power in Series 4, even though she doesn't technically appear to have had a promotion. It also explains why Stewart mentions being married in S04E06, even though previously he referred to the fact that his wife left him.

    Crossovers 

Malcolm is a chameleon-arched Doctor

Thus the reason he looks like the Twelfth Doctor.
  • If this is the case, then Julius may be a chameleon-arched Master, and perhaps Malcolm keeps Jamie around out of subconscious memories of Jamie Mac Crimmon?

Malcolm is Mycroft's best friend

Because that's much more terrifying than them being enemies...

In the ThickVerse, Yes, Minister is called The Thick Of It

That's why Malcolm has a DVD called The Thick Of It on the shelf in his living room. He watches it to get tips from Sir Humphrey Appleby.

Alternatively, The Thick Of It is same slightly-different Britain as Yes Minister

The Department of Administrative Affairs was eventually folded into DoSAC. And (as far as I can remember) in TTOI, nobody ever explicitly mentioned Thatcher (probably because of No Party Given), leaving the possibility of a Hacker ministry.

The Thick of It, In the Loop and VEEP are the same Ianucciverse

In The Loop is told from Malcolm's memory of events that happened earlier in that PM's government. Because most of the people he encounters don't mean much to him so he can't be bothered to remember what they look like, he pictures them as people he more recently encounters who share similar personality traits, like applying Olly's likeness to the similar Toby. Notice the characters that Malcolm does care about are the same as the show (Jamie and Sam). He pictures Simon as Cal Richards just for kicks and giggles, like imagining a really uber-masculine guy in a dress.
  • This could also mean why he referenced YouTube and There Will Be Blood in around the time the War on Terror was declared; he didn't bother to remember the name of whatever video-sharing platform was in use at the time, nor did he bother to remember which film Jamie talked about. The names change over time, depending on what's relevant at the time Malcolm is reminiscing of the events of In the Loop.

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