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| Rowan Atkinson again brings laughter as a new Black-Adder in the series' second season |
QUICK REVIEW:
The BBC sitcom has in its second season scrolled forward in time to 1558, and the new protagonist is Lord Edmund, who is supposed to be Prince Edmund 'Black Adder' from the first season's great-grandson. - A fairly inconsequential, but nevertheless cunning way to continue the show, (as Black-Adder himself would have put it), - and an important one, as the original protagonist died in the last episode of the first season!
The second season is more flippant and sexually focused, (some would say vulgar or coarse), in its humor, involving such things as dildoes, fake breasts, vomit, prostitution and other auspicious subjects for its historic comedy. Another considerable change is that the new Edmund isn't the underdog outsider we knew in the first season: Here he is arrogantly ruling, with his helpers Baldrick and Percy, but always under the grace of Queen Elizabeth I. Unfortunately, Miranda Richardson (The Crying Game (1992)), who plays the queen, and Patsy Burne (Les Misérables (1998)), who plays her 'nursie', are two of the series' worst detractors; both are loud, hysterical and unfunny women.
The first season was apparently, although it is hard to imagine when seeing it today, too expensive for BBC, and the second season was therefore made under heavy economization; it has virtually no expensive scenes.
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| The opening title in the show's second season |
Again there is only few episodes, so I will quickly sum them up one by one:
In the first episode, Edmund falls in love with someone who he thinks is a male servant, (homosexuality is still - as in the first season - a frequent subject.)
In the wickedly funny Head, Rowan Atkinson as Edmund wears a sack on his head and acts as one of the persons, he had the bad fortune of executing prematurely.
In Potato Tom Baker has a brilliant role as Captain Rum, a traveling explorer.
In Beer, Edmund hurries between a drinking contest and a dinner with some confused, puritanical relations.
In the last episode, Chains, Edmund and the queen's helper Melchett get kidnapped by an evil German, but Edmund heroically saves the day, and the season ends with a wonderful dialog between Edmund and the queen:
Edmund: "Life without you was... as a broken pencil."
The queen: "Explain"
Edmund: "Pointless"
The series is still naughty, intelligent, funny-as-hell, theater-like television of the highest, British carat.
Related reviews:
Rowan Atkinson: Bean/Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie/Bean: The Movie (1997) or, A Bean in America
The Black Adder - season 1 (1983) - Historic fooleries with Rowan Atkinson and co.
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| Rowan Atkinson is still a find as the now arrogantly ruling lord Edmund |
Watch the funny, original teaser trailer here
How do you find season 2 compared to the other seasons?
How can we get Rowan Atkinson out of his country-stupor and back to doing comedy?
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