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Josh Thomas tears up as Please Like Me fans praise 'devastatingly raw' episode

Rob Moran

SPOILERS

Last night's episode of Please Like Me, Josh Thomas' award-winning ABC comedy, has been heaped with praise online, after a beloved character's shock death sparked an emotional outpouring from viewers.

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As Josh faces an empty house, coupled-up friends and a flagging love life that even a threesome can't seem to fix, he may also have to face the idea that it's time to grow up.

In the episode, titled Burrito Bowl, Josh's mum Rose, played by Debra Lawrance (aka, Pippa #2 from Home And Away), was found slumped and lifeless on her bedroom floor, clutching a note.

The character, who struggled with mental illness, had gone through multiple suicide attempts throughout the series.

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The show follows Thomas' real-life experiences, including his actual mother Rebecca Thomas's attempted suicide and undiagnosed mental illness when he was a teenager growing up in Brisbane. The pair appear in Fairfax Media's Good Weekend this weekend.

The series was trending on Twitter this morning, as fans took to social media to rave about the scene's honest vibe, a major upheaval that the show played typically low-key.  

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"Tonight's Please Like Me was the most devastatingly raw, incredibly well-written half hour of television I've seen," wrote one commenter.

"Tonight's Please Like Me was extraordinary. I'm gutted," added noted fan Leigh Sales, while comedian Hannah Gadsby, who stars on the series, tweeted some comfort for viewers: a photo of her dog spooning some socks.

The show, which has drawn praise for its understated aesthetic, tackled the scene in suffocating deadpan, focusing on the minutiae of the moment: dad distracting himself by cleaning out the fridge, friends making jokes about handjobs amid the mourning.

The season's previous episode, which earned a five star review from Fairfax critic Debi Enker, involved Josh taking mum and dad on a 15-course degustation, where Rose delivered a tipsy, teary-eyed address, where she spoke warmly of her love for her divorced husband and told Josh he was "special".

As viewers noted, it gained added resonance following last night's events.

Thomas was attending the AACTAs, where Please Like Me was nominated for best comedy, as the episode aired. He later thanked viewers over the response.

Thomas has previously spoken up about suicide, particularly the high rates among young men.

"Men up until the age of eight or nine – boys – they cry the same amount as girls and then they get taught to stop; they are not allowed anymore and that's ridiculous. Then there's this fear of looking weak or feminine or looking gay is stopping men from talking about their feelings and then they kill themselves," he told a Q&A; panel in 2014.

The ABC had hinted at a major cliffhanger in the episode, the penultimate of the season, urging viewers to be discreet with their tweets.

The unconventional call was for the spoiler-free service of viewers overseas: the series was just picked up by Netflix globally and Hulu in the US, who will be airing the current season early next year. 

Lifeline: 13 11 14

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