Oh, the tyranny of small decisions. Sometimes by the malevolent universe, deciding to pack all the crap it can into one short day. Sometimes by the individual, often in response to the dreadful day he or she’s had. Either way, the result can be spectacularly bad.
Not quite as bad, one hopes, as it quickly becomes for the central character in the new drama series Coma. Simon (Jason Watkins) is a mild-mannered everyman, making his quiet, unassuming way through life. On his way home from the supermarket one day he shakily confronts a group of thugs who are bullying a homeless man. They laugh and chase him off. He gets home to his wife and daughter to find his car has been scratched, his neighbour Harry (David Bradley) is as unfriendly as ever, and there is letter about his mortgage arrears waiting for him. Later, he chases off a group of lads looking as if they are about to steal a car outside his house. One of them, Jordan (Joe Barber), recognises him from the supermarket. Now Jordan knows where he lives. And he promises to come back every night. Simon calls the local police but just gets a recorded message. The only practical measure he can take is to install a doorbell camera. But when Jordan comes calling the next night – and obliquely threatens Simon’s daughter – the camera records what is possibly Simon’s first ever unguarded moment. In fear, panic and rage he loses control and punches Jordan, who falls to the ground and stops breathing, as a pool of blood slowly gathers around his head. Simon administers CPR and the police, on their way to another incident stop to help and call an ambulance. It is assumed that Simon is a good Samaritan, and he tells them that he saw an indistinguishable figure run off as he arrived.
