This article contains spoilers for the final episode of Half Man.

Throughout its six-episode run, Richard Gadd’s new drama Half Man has proven itself to be one of this year’s most daring series.

Focusing on the toxic relationship between Niall Kennedy and his pseudo-stepbrother Ruben Pallister, the series takes risks while examining shame and queerness in a way that many shows shy away from. Niall and Ruben are drawn to each other, despite Niall’s shrewdness and Ruben’s penchant for violence, igniting between them a spark that quickly festers and begins to ruin each of their lives.

Richard Gadd, the show’s creator and star, who won Emmys for his Netflix series Baby Reindeer, is fascinated by how toxic masculinity impacts relationships between men. Yet, the show has a glaring problem that many series focusing on white queer characters do: Half Man doesn’t reckon with the intersection of race and toxic masculinity and how it impacts characters of color.

When Niall leaves for university, he meets Alby Safadi (played by both Bilal Hasna and Charlie De Melo at different stages of the character’s life), a gay student of colour who is one of the few people he can open up to.

Their relationship slowly becomes romantic, with Alby allowing Niall space to finally admit to himself that he likes men. Time and time again, Alby is a shoulder for Niall to cry on, often casting his own interests, and safety, to the side. Just when it appears that Niall has finally found a confidant in his tumultuous life, Alby’s encouragement for Niall to come out ends with Ruben interpreting this revelation as a personal attack, resulting in him brutally assaulting Alby.

It’s here that Half Man begins to ask its audience to dispel any disbelief that Ruben’s targeting of Alby has nothing to do with his race and everything to do with his queerness. Yes, the series centres on the tumultuous relationship between Niall and Ruben, but by making Alby a man of colour, Richard Gadd fails to engage with how Half Man is stilted by its precarious representation of race. (The show also never mentions his nationality or ethnicity.)

The assault results in Alby being put into a coma and left permanently disfigured, and also results in the collapse of Niall and Ruben’s already fraught relationship.

Alby’s character is mostly thrown to the wayside, even throughout a trial in which Ruben claims the assault was the result of Alby groping him. The series is set from the late 1980s to the present day, so to say that Alby’s race is not a factor in how Ruben, his family and the justice system see him is laughable.

From here on, Alby’s presence in the show, despite being revealed to be Niall’s husband in present day, is one of a ghost. His existence has been irrevocably changed by the series narrative, yet it is never given the space or screen time to have any significant impact on the story.

Save for Heated Rivalry, Interview With The Vampire and a handful of other shows, the landscape of queer television has long focused on white characters or white ensembles, where queer characters of colour are often relegated to sidekick roles or the love interests of white protagonists, like Alby is.

The positioning of these characters as secondary to the plot isn’t necessarily the problem; it is instead the way in which they are treated within the narrative and by the writers who created them. Alby’s existence in Half Man is a pillar of the show’s conflict in the 1990s timeline, yet it is only Niall’s trauma from the assault that is allowed to be known.

Displayed to audiences through harsh breaths, moments of confusion and glances of horror toward Ruben, the impact of witnessing Alby’s assault consumes Niall. Alby’s reaction to his own assault is only ever clear through the physical scars we can see on his face, with no regard for how this attack impacted his schooling, his subsequent career and even his rekindled relationship with Niall.

Obviously, being attacked to the point that you end up in a coma is significant, but the trauma the sole character of colour in this series endures is never given the same amount of space as the other characters.

If Alby were to only exist in the past timeline, there really wouldn’t be a need for this to be explored. But, he and Niall get married in the present day, in which Ruben’s presence at their wedding causes both men to panic. The mental and physical scars on Alby clearly exist, so the diminishing of each feels like an ignorant dismissal. It follows a worrying and growing trend within queer television.

The series finale, instead of giving us any inkling that Alby and Niall’s relationship is as damaged or fascinating as Niall and Ruben’s, displays Alby as passive and nearly docile once again. Then, when he and Niall reunite after Ruben is sent to prison in the late 2000s, he tells his partner he should attempt to reconcile with the man who has destroyed both of their lives. In doing so, Gadd proves that Alby is nothing more than a pseudo-therapist for Niall, who since their university days has become a despondent addict entrenched in shame and obsession.

Half Man is a story about how toxic masculinity shapes and warps men and their relationships, yet there are so many cracks in the narrative.

There’s no denying that the series is one of the best of the year, but with it, Gadd has proved himself as a writer who has no desire to tackle how toxic masculinity is directly linked to both Ruben and Niall’s whiteness.

Since Alby’s assault, villainisation and subsequent reappearance, Half Man has forced me to question why Alby was cast as a man of colour if its creator didn’t explore how their violence directly impacts the lives of the men of colour around them.

By using Alby as a therapist for the show’s white protagonist — and as a punching bag for its white antagonist — the otherwise bold and tightly written series is softened by its disregard for racial politics, pointing to a larger problem that continues to grow in queer television.

All six episodes of Half Man are streaming on BBC iPlayer.

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about why airline staff ask us to keep the blinds shut during takeoff and landing and the surprisingly sensible reason some planes still have ashtrays, even though smoking’s banned on board.

So, what about those tray tables – the ones that fold down from the seat in front of you, which you’re always told to keep up and secured at the start and end of a flight?

As you might expect, it’s all about safety.

Flying in a commercial plane is statistically the safest way to travel. But takeoff and landing are by far the riskiest parts of a flight, Business Insider explained.

For instance, even though takeoff and the plane’s initial climb only account for 2% of the overall flight, over 14% of reported accidents happen in these short stages.

This is part of the reason why the tray rule was introduced, Captain Steve Schreiber, a former pilot who posts on social media under the name Captain Steeeve, said in a YouTube Short.

“If you have to get off the plane in an emergency and in a hurry, if your tray table is down, you might not get out of that plane in 90 seconds,” which is the maximum length many regulatory bodies require evacuations to last, he said.

Additionally, you might block or slow down the people behind you, causing a pile-up or delay.

Speaking to Travel + Leisure, ex-flight attendant Kelly Kincaid said the same thing: tray tables have to “be up for takeoff and landing so that [they] won’t block you from evacuating in the event of an emergency”.

And, she stated, folding up your tray table also means you have to put the things you had resting on it (like your laptop or coffee) away, meaning there could be fewer potentially dangerous projectiles in the event of an emergency.

Keeping channels to emergency exits clear is key for passenger safety, especially during the parts of a flight most vulnerable to accidents.

That’s also why you can’t recline your seat during takeoff and landing.

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, a spokesperson for the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Flight Operations Specialist Group explained: “There are two primary safety-related reasons why aircraft seats must be in the upright position for take-off and landing.

“The first is that the seat gives the occupant maximum impact protection when upright, and its structure locks into position accordingly… The second reason is that reclined seats reduce the space available in the row behind for occupants to escape quickly if an emergency evacuation is required.”

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

I will be the first to admit that furniture building is not my strong suit.

Despite following instructions, I just can’t quite seem to get it right – no matter how hard I try.

But the Dreams Cosmopolitan Quick-Build Bed has absolutely changed the game. Forget Allen Keys, forget small little screws, the bed comes together so quickly and so easily, it’s practically foolproof.

You simply unfold the frame (which comes flat-packed), insert the centre bar, attach the slats to the top, pop on the frame cover and you’ve mastered it in about 5-10 minutes – it’s wonderful.

If you want to get the job done fast, you can rope in a friend to help – but I think it’s certainly doable with one person (it might just take a little bit longer, although it’s still a far faster process than your usual flatpack furniture build).

Having the right bed frame can impact your overall health: if you don’t have a solid, sturdy frame, it can impact sleep quality, which can – in turn – impact physical and mental health.

Bed frames can also act as a very handy storage solution. I don’t have many places to store things in my flat, so I went for one that can also hide my bits and bobs underneath. It’s been incredibly practical and I’d definitely recommend for people living in smaller homes where space, and therefore storage, is limited.

I can say for a fact that I feel completely supported when I’m sleeping. The bed is strong, sturdy and doesn’t move at all (and I have wooden flooring so I’ve experienced this issue before, it’s not fun).

While it doesn’t come with a headboard (you’d need to purchase one separately), the Dreams Cosmopolitan Quick Build Bed is the ideal purchase for anyone who wants a quick-build bed that’s stylish, contemporary and has a decent amount of storage space.

At just £199, I think it’s absolutely worth the investment.

This year, I decided it was time to start growing my own herbs. I’ve already written about my success with mint, which basically grows no matter what – but I’ve kept pretty quiet about my basil project.

That’s because I keep making mistakes. I don’t pinch the plant enough, so it’s grown tall and stringy instead of lush and bushy. While I divided and separated the roots of my supermarket plant, I still don’t think my pots are big enough for the job.

All of this, however, a basil plant can survive. My main issue was the one that can cause it to “rot” and sometimes die: I overwatered it, leading it to wilt and yellow in patches.

Thankfully, I’ve managed to save the affected plants since (though as you can see from the pictures below, I’m still doing a terrible job of pinching off leaves for bushy growth: I find it hard to let go of my growth!).

Per the RHS, overwatering seedlings can lead to fungal diseases, like fatal damping off.

For adult plants, Homes & Gardens added, too much water can lead to a condition called root rot.

This (as the name suggests) leads the roots to brown, become mushy, and partly decay.

As root rot gets worse, it endangers the plant because it stops it from being able to absorb the nutrients and water it needs to grow and stay alive.

Basil likes free-draining soil, which is why it needs drainage holes if stored in a plant pot. Letting it sit in moist soil spells disaster.

At first, I thought that meant I needed to apply smaller doses of water. I was only pouring a little into the saucer under my basil plants (always water them from below: watering basil plants’ leaves can cause fungal growth, too), but I was adding it every day.

Speaking to The Spruce, Jordan Mara, founder of Mind & Soil, explained that that’s about the worst watering mistake I could have made.

You’re far better off giving it deep and infrequent waterings rather than lighter applications of water more regularly, he said.

This not only keeps it hydrated for longer, but “trains the roots of the plant to search down more deeply for water, creating a larger root system,” too.

A deep watering from the base about once a week should do if you’ve got an established plant, Mara said, though factors like the weather and whether your plant is potted or planted could affect that.

Martha Stewart’s site echoed the advice, suggesting about 2.5-5cm of water once a week unless the weather’s really hot.

Meanwhile, Southern Living recommends a more customised approach.

Plunge your finger into the soil, they advise, and only water if the first 5cm is dry.

• A bad smell coming from your soil,
• Yellow leaves, especially at the base or top of the plant,
• Wilting stems,
• Brown spots on leaves,
• Droopy, dull leaves,
• Mushy, weak, and/or discoloured roots.

I saved most of mine with six steps (and saved my sanity with a seventh):

Kim Roman, instructor for Square Foot Gardening, told Martha Stewart: “At the first sign of yellowing leaves, you must immediately inspect for the disease as the spores are fast-moving”.

This, it turned out, was true. The basil plant I figured would work it out in the end has since gone to the great well-drained garden in the sky. Check your plants for signs of overwatering at least once every couple of days.

It might sound obvious, but putting more water in your soil at this stage definitely won’t help, Food Gardening Network said.

I had some mild root rot, which I confirmed by lifting the soil out of the pot and looking at the roots. If that’s happened to you, shake off any excess soil, run the roots under lukewarm water, and cut off any affected areas (these will be weaker and discoloured).

This can help to get rid of any remaining spores which could come back to haunt your basil.

If your old pot doesn’t have drainage holes and/or your previous soil was heavy with clay, change them for more free-draining options (terracotta pots with good drainage and a saucer are generally better for basil). Don’t compact your soil, either, as that can cause it to hold onto more water.

If a lot of your roots have gone, much of your plant’s energy and water channels have been cut off too. You may want to remove some of your plant’s leaves after this process, especially if it’s a big plant.

Sadly, BBC Gardener’s World said, it can be tough to treat root rot in established plants. This is especially true if it’s already affected a lot fo your plant’s roots and leaves, as happened with one of my four plants.

Still, now you get the chance to start all over again. And depending on how long you’ve been growing your basil, odds are you’ve already got a decent return on investment for that sub-£2 supermarket plant.

Long before we knew her for the likes of Mamma Mia!, Mank and The Dropout, Amanda Seyfried found international fame playing Karen in the 2004 teen comedy Mean Girls, and witnessed her co-star Lindsay Lohan’s struggles in the industry up close.

Opening up about her friendship with Lindsay in a new British GQ interview, Amanda recalled how, although they were the same age when they appeared together in the Tina Fey-penned movie, the level of attention they received was nowhere near equal.

“[I] wasn’t working at that level,” she said. “The spotlight was on her, no matter what she did.”

Amanda said she saw in real time how Lindsay went from being Hollywood’s hottest star to having the tabloids praying for her downfall.

“The outsized bashing is ugly,” said Amanda. “It’s like, a fear of mine. I would not want to be spotlit for being infamous in any way.”

During the same GQ article, Lindsay spoke fondly of the Oscar nominee, opening up about their continued friendship.

“We’ve stayed close because there’s genuine trust and respect between us,” the Freaky Friday actor claimed. “What started as shared experience has grown into a meaningful friendship over time.

“Now we talk more about life, motherhood and our families. She’s always someone I can rely on. That consistency is rare and something I really cherish.”

Although Amanda may have been mostly unscathed from the press during the era of paparazzi upskirting starlets and tabloids plotting the downfall of young women, it wasn’t because she didn’t go out clubbing.

“Did I find myself at Val Kilmer’s house one night at 1am with [Mean Girls co-stars] Daniel Franzese and Jonathan Bennett? Did I find myself there with them in the pool? I was 18 and I had just moved to LA and we had gone to a screening of Reefer Madness. I was at Val Kilmer’s house – I don’t even remember meeting him, but I was at his house,” she recalled about her “ridiculous” 20s.

On the red carpet of the 2024 Mean Girls musical adaptation, Lindsay also sang the praises of her 2004 co-stars Amanda and Lacey Chabert, who played Gretchen Wieners.

“I love Amanda and she’s done so well with her career,” Lindsay said. “She’s such a great actress and Lacey as well. We’re good friends and that’s what matters most.”