So, I made a bit of a goof! I accidentally watched episodes 3 and 5 of series ONE when Jeff, whose commission inspired these posts, actually wanted me to watch episodes 3 and 5 of THIS series. WHOOPS. So there are more videos today! Huzzah!
We’ll do the videos first, and then my thoughts about series two:
“Potato”
[vimeo 58151824 w=500 h=375]
“Beer”
[vimeo 58151823 w=500 h=375]
“Chains”
[vimeo 58151825 w=500 h=375]
- Right off the bat, I could tell during “Bells” that this show had undergone a lot of changes. It was set in a new time period, it was almost always indoors, the writing vastly improved, and the characters had largely new personas. Blackadder himself was far more shrewd and cruel and less of bumbling fool. It seems Baldrick got all of that. Thankfully, Lord Percy Percy is pretty much the same, and bless his heart. I love him.Â
- Miranda Richardson! Hugh Laurie! Stephen Fry! Tom Baker! So many great British actors were in this season.
- There is a quite liberal use of Shakespeare for pretty much everything in this series. If the characters themselves aren’t mentioning him by name or poking fun at his lines, then “Bells” itself is pretty much Twelfth Night.
- I liked series one. It was a quirky show! It wasn’t the best thing I’d seen, but I enjoyed it. Series two, however, was SO MUCH BETTER. Look, hands down, “Beer” is the best of the bunch, and easily my favorite episode of the twelve I’ve seen. IT’S SO PERFECT.
- I thought “Head” was great, but was this aired out of order or something? Unless it was meant to be a joke, why did Lord Percy Percy have a beard for no reason that suddenly disappeared again in “Potato”? Actually, that was probably a joke.
- Oh god, Tom Baker was a TREAT as Redbeard Rum in “Potato.”
- One of the funny things about this show is the absurd passage of time that’s barely ever acknowledged. Nearly two and a half years pass in “Potato,” and it’s like it doesn’t even matter. This show’s deliberate attempt at telling continuity to piss off is awesome.
- The whole “privy-breath” joke/sequence in “Money” is fantastic.
- THE WHITEADDERS ARE THE BEST. THE FUCKING BEST. Oh my god, I have had a good time watching this show, but it hasn’t quite hit me yet. I get it, but sometimes I feel like I’m not, like I’m missing out on something. “Beer” was proof that this show can be unendingly funny, and I’m so happy I watched it.
- “Chains” didn’t strike me as funny as “Beer” did, but Hugh Laurie seriously stole the show.
- OH MY GOD NURSIE’S COW COSTUME WAS SO AMAZING I WISH I COULD HAVE SEEN MORE OF IT.
Awesome! I’ll put up a post for series three this upcoming Tuesday. Please check the Master Schedule for all commissions that are scheduled for the future!
