The End Of The F***ing World: James’ 5 Funniest Quotes (& 5 Most Heartbreaking)

James is half of the main duo in Netflix’s The End Of The F***ing World. Let’s revisit his most hilarious and most heartbreaking quotes on the show.

This British television series is based on a comic by Charles Forsman, who also wrote the I Am Not Okay With This comic. Though it originally aired on the British Channel 4, the series is also available on Netflix. Its two seasons follow the adventures of James and Alyssa, seventeen at the start of the series, nineteen in the second season.

They begin as two misfits escaping their old lives and end up falling in love, only for James to be shot by the cops who have been on their tail. In season 2, James finds his way back to Alyssa, who’s about to get married. The series documents the characters’ heartbreaks, but it retains a sense of dark humor channeled through its two leads. Let’s revisit James’ funniest and most heartbreaking quotes on the show.

10. FUNNY: “Okay.”

An important part of James’ character is that he just allows things to happen to him, which is why “Okay” is his default. Sometimes, it can be pretty funny.

When Alyssa tells him she smashed her phone on purpose, he says “Okay.” It’s what he says when she asks if he wants to run away, and again when she tells him she needs psychological help. Even when he learns of the seriousness of his injury after getting shot, he just says “Okay”.

9. HEARTBREAKING: “You Had To Focus On The Good.”

James takes stock of his situation as he and Alyssa wait for the scrapyard to close so they can retrieve his dad’s ashes. He realizes he’s not in the best position as a penniless orphan on the run with a married woman. His voiceover says that at times like these, it was important to focus on the good.

He looks at Alyssa as these thoughts come to his mind. He repeats the statement, but he looks sad because even though Alyssa is the only thing keeping him going, he can’t have her.

8. FUNNY: “Can I Just Get My Dad? He’s Dead, He’s In The Car.”

In season 2, James is almost never seen without his dad’s ashes tucked under his arm. When his car gets towed, he begs the manager to retrieve his dad from the car with this quote. The manager is visibly freaked out until James hurries to explain that it’s not his body, just his ashes.

But the manager is merciless and Alyssa devises a plan to return illegally after they close. Unfortunately, that doesn’t go so well, and they draw way too much attention to themselves.

7. HEARTBREAKING: “I Got Shot Near There, So … Sorry.”

When Alyssa and James finally come to terms with their feelings for one another, Alyssa says she wants to kiss him. James says he can’t have sex, to which Alyssa replies, “I didn’t say sex. I said a kiss.”

He breaks down into tears as he explains that where he got shot may affect his sexual activity, bringing his insecurities to light. Alyssa comforts him and kisses him anyway, more sincerely than any of her other kisses in the series.

6. FUNNY: “A Bit More?”

At the end of season 2, James is making a statement to local authorities in relation to Bonnie’s crimes. But even though she did some terrible things, James and Alyssa feel sorry for her. They can empathize with her on at least some level, and they think she should be spared legal punishment because she’s been through so much trauma and self-inflicted punishment already.

He asks the officer what’s going to happen to Bonnie, and that she probably needs some help. The officer just says, “What can you do?” in an offhand way. Instead of his usual “okay” or “yeah”, James smiles hesitantly, and says, “A bit more?” It’s so surprising and incongruous for James to question a cop like this, and James Lawther’s delivery makes the line funny, and thus memorable, even though the circumstances aren’t funny.

5. HEARTBREAKING: “I Have No Idea.”

When Alyssa’s aunt finds James parked on the road by their house, she asks him what he’s doing, where he’s going. He’s just let Alyssa return home to her husband, and thinks he’s never going to see her again.

Heartbroken after Alyssa broke off what he thought was a promising continuation of their relationship, he doesn’t know what to do next. He has no home, friends, or family, and no purpose. All he says is, “I have no idea,” and he really means it.

4. FUNNY: “As A Rule, I Didn’t Dance.”

When Alyssa starts dancing in Clive Koch’s house, James’ voiceover says, “As a rule, I didn’t dance.” It’s pretty obvious without him telling us, given his stoic, serious, reserved nature.

He barely speaks and doesn’t like taking any kind of risks, which is also why his being a psychopath is so ridiculous. But he does get up and dances, albeit a little awkwardly.

3. HEARTBREAKING: “The Note. You Left A Note.”

Alyssa disappears at the end of season 2, leaving a note that says she’s going to do something and to look after James. Dread starts building as James searches for her everywhere. He’s already witnessed his mother kill herself and thinks he understands what’s happened to Alyssa, especially when he pieces together the clues.

But he finds her at Clive Koch’s house and he struggles to hold back his emotions until they burst forward in a flood of tears. Alyssa doesn’t get why he’s so upset since she only came to clear her head. James says, “The note. You left a note.” He’s shaking when he falls into Alyssa’s arm.

2. FUNNY: “It’s More Expensive.”

Alyssa and James have just fled the crime scene, burned their old clothes, and decided to keep on traveling to find Alyssa’s dad. They reach the train station, and while Alyssa is wracked with guilt and worry that people might suspect them, James is inspecting the timetable.

He says they should wait a bit. “If we get this one, we’re traveling peak. It’s more expensive.” Alyssa stares at him while her voiceover says, “I think there’s something wrong with him.” The humor of this is accentuated by the fact that Alyssa only starts to think he’s weird when he starts acting more normal.

1. HEARTBREAKING: “That Was The Day I Learned That Silence Is Really Loud. Deafening.”

James’ first display of emotion comes after Alyssa leaves him in the diner. He leaves, not knowing where to go, and sits down to reflect. Without Alyssa’s constant chatter and snarky comments, James is faced with a lot of silence. His voiceover says, “That was the day I learned that silence is really loud. Deafening. I think maybe my dad spent his whole life trying to avoid silence. When you have silence, it’s hard to keep stuff out.”

James is referring to the way his dad can never face his wife’s suicide and instead spends his days distracting himself with T.V. Now that James doesn’t have Alyssa or their journey to distract him, he’s faced with the reality of feeling and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.

[Originally shared with ScreenRant.]