Blackadder II (TV Series) Beer (1986) User Reviews

Beshrew me this is funny, a top notch farce.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 15 January 2016]

Edmund receives a letter from two of his wealthy relatives, Lord and Lady Whiteadder, two staunch puritans, who've invited themselves to dinner that very evening, to discuss Edmund's inheritance. That same night Lord Melchet challenges Edmund to a drinking session, believing Edmund is a light weight, and unable to hold his ale. The Queen decides to infiltrate the competition, desperate to learn what happens on a boy's night. The two Parties must occur consecutively, and each be anonymous from the other. Naturally all havoc breaks loose.

Utterly surreal humour, I think Miriam Margolyes's performance is one of my favourites from the entire series, she is totally wonderful from start to finish. Her delivery, her facial expressions, coupled with the script make for a joyous performance.

Love the bit about 'Great booze up' wonderfully delivered by Rowan, and I utterly love the ending, the little goblin song. Miriam's line utterly steals the show.

'Wicked Child.' Another line I tend to use in everyday life, Blackadder was hugely influential. A great episode, 8/10

"Beer" is very good - one to be reckoned with!

[general-melchett · 9/10 · 30 October 2006]

Beer is probably the most wild out of all the Blackadder Series 2 episodes - lots of shouting and disorder in it. The way Blackadder switches between parties during the main part of the episode is brilliant - he is a character that shall be remembered for his extreme intelligence and cunning. From the start, we knew that an episode that involved a drinking contest would be wild - and Beer definitely lives up to this title. It is probably the most hilarious and immoral of all the episodes - only missing out on a 10 because it just wasn't rowdy enough, and should have had more scenes outside Blackadder's house. But this is only one minor nag - the episode is very well-written, and Blackadder's constant cool and brains make it very fun to watch. On the whole, Beer is very good - funny, well-written and rowdy and fun to watch - Blackadder meets "The Young Ones". Spiffing, but not quite top-hole. One to be reckoned with! 9/10

Beer

[Prismark10 · 10/10 · 11 February 2021]

I was once told to get the door and it fell off the hinges.

So I used Baldrick's punchline from this very episode.

Beer is another cracker. Blackadder ends up hosting a wild party after he mocks Melchett for getting drunk the night before.

The joke being that it is Blackadder who cannot hold his drink.

Unfortunately at the same time. Blackadder's relatives have come to stay. The Whiteadders are a strict puritanical lot but they are rich and Blackadder hopes to inherit from them.

Blackadder ends up having dinner with the Whiteadders and holding a party with Melchett and his friends in the next room. He just needs to make sure his relatives do not catch him drunk.

Fake breasts, an explanation to the meaning of 'a great booze up.' Turnips shaped like a penis which was likely to be a pot shot at That's Life with its penchant for rude vegetables.

Miriam Margolyes is formidable as the scary Lady Whiteadder.

Hugh Laurie makes his first appearance on the show. William Hootkins is a drunken monk. Top men.

Having a party

[lawrenceconwayvulcan · 10/10 · 6 August 2022]

When Edmund challenges Melchat to a drinking contest at his home home he forgets that his puritanical Aunt and Uncle will be visiting at the same time. This setting up one of the funniest episodes of the show. With great performances from both the regular and guest cast. Hugh Laurie makes his first appearance in the show as a drinking member who challenges Queenie if she can hold her drink, SPOILER she can not. All in all one of the best episodes of the show.

Simple and effective concept with many great performances

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 28 January 2021]

Blackadder and Melchett have a drinking contest on the same night that Blackadder's relatives come to visit.

This is another excellent episode from series 2 of Blackadder. I love the situation it puts the characters in, the sharp (as always) comic dialogue and a number of brilliant performances.

The situation Edmond is put in here was a great idea from Curtis and Elton that allows comedy to flow so well. How on earth is someone meant to hold debauched drinking session and entertain a puritanical Auntie and Uncle all under the same roof? With great difficulty and hilarious consequences. It's also works as a great satire of the puritanical movement done in a fairly silly way.

One reviewer has described it as Blackadder meets the 'Young Ones', which I can see to a certain extent with some of the behaviour on display. What I also find is the structure of the plot flows very much like a 'Fawlty Towers' episode as Edmund bounces back and forth between a rock and a hard place as his ill-conceived deception crumbles before his eyes.

It showcases more of the epically funny dialogue that Blackadder is famous for. The 'great boo' scene is very memorable along with virtually everything said by Queen Elizabeth and Lady Whiteladder.

All performances are as fantastic as ever with Rowan Atkinson delivering one of his best Blackadder performances with great support from Miranda Richardson, Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson and Patsy Byrne.

Bum

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 2 April 2020]

Ha ha one of the best. I love the turnip and the face boobs. Great boos up

A Hilarious Wreck

[ericksonsam60 · 9/10 · 8 February 2015]

"Beer" is one of the funniest and most chaotic of BlackAdder episodes.

To begin with, there are plenty of great Blackadder/ Baldrick exchanges. Tony Robinson is in top form here. I particularly love the moment where Blackadder tells Baldrick to get the door only to do so by literally taking the door off its hinges. I also found the gag with Baldrick's mouse and cat trap masks to be priceless as is the entire "thingy"-shaped turnip, which is used throughout the episode.

However, the main attraction is Blackadder's task of having to do both his drinking contest with Melchett while discussing his inheritance with his puritan relatives at the same time. The result ends up being a hysterical mess. Miriam Margoyles, who was very entertaining as the Spanish Infanta in the first series, returns delivering an excellent comedic performance as the fire and brimstone Lady Whiteadder. You can't help but laugh every time she utters the words "wicked child". The whole "Great Booze Up" is a memorable moment too. Not to mention, the parts at the end where Blackadder is finally drunk, which had me laughing pretty hard ("Percy, the devil farts in my face once more").

The episode does seem to go all over the place with its script and yet it has you laughing your head off all the same. It is true that the humor also borders on being juvenile and tasteless but then again this is BlackAdder that we're talking about here. The humor in this sitcom has never been what you would call "proper" and wouldn't be funny if it were.

A Tale of Two Parties

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 1 March 2015]

Blackadder's aunt and uncle, Lord and Lady Whiteadder, have invited themselves round for dinner; this will be a frightful bore as they are puritans who will eat no meat… but Blackadder is willing to have them round as they are wealthy and he hopes to secure a legacy. Then he gets a report saying that Lord Melchett is at death's door; it turns out he is just hung over so Blackadder mocks him as a lightweight. One thing leads to another and Blackadder challenges to a drinking contest that very night. When he recalls that his aunt will be there it is too late to cancel the booze up so he must hold two very different parties at the same time and most importantly make sure the two groups of guests never meet. Matters aren't helped by the fact that Blackadder can't handle his ale; if he is to get his inheritance he'll have to avoid drinking at a wild drinking party.

This episode is a lot of fun; the humour may be a bit puerile are times but it is perfectly executed. As always Rowan Atkinson does a fine job as Blackadder but it is Miriam Margolyes who steals the show as the puritanical Lady Whiteadder… a woman so extreme that she believes mashing vegetables is a sin and that cold is 'God's way of telling us to burn more Catholics'! Tim McInnerny is also on fine form as the less than intelligent Lord Percy. Of the two parties it is the one with Blackadder's aunt that provides more laughs as Blackadder struggles to hide the other party and his real lifestyle from her. The other is still amusing but relies more on crudeness. Overall a somewhat crude but very funny episode.

Funnier than it should be.

[zacpetch · 8/10 · 1 December 2014]

An absolutely fantastic episode, notable for the introduction of Hugh Laurie to the Blackadder family, though he is wasted here. All he gets to do is shout "BUM" a lot. Loudly. Still, he does the best he can with the material he's got to work with and manages to get a few laughs. He's much better in the next episode.

The story is not a focal point either. Edmund has puritan relatives, who's only redeeming feature is their wallets, to dinner on the same evening he's having a great booze up (leading to one of the cleverest pieces of quick thinking you'll ever see) and he is forced to keep both parties separate with tonnes of cash at stake in both. The premise is weak, but it's comedy gold - Just like Melchie's breasts.

Miriam Margoyles is the returning guest star this time (following a series one appearance as a Spanish princess) and she is wonderful here. Every line is hilarious and brilliantly delivered with excellent style. She pauses and gives emphasis on just the right words and syllables to give us a very memorable guest performance, second best guest of series 2 (Rik Mayall being in the number one spot, of course). She'll be back for Christmas in three years.

However, it's Tim McInerny's Percy who steals the show with incredible comic timing (I particularly liked your jester, Lord Whiteadder sums him up well). His one liners, though few, prove him to be one of the finest comic actors around. "I'll say one thing for catholics: They have natural rhythm" is the best example, also good is his comment about tables in brothels.

This episode is a little silly in places with by far the weakest plot of any episode in the whole Blackadder legacy but that's not important because the humour, though juvenile at times, works because of the cast and writers. It's well delivered by everyone involved and a whole lot more entertaining for it. A must for fans, but be careful who you watch it with. 8/10 because the plot is "bad sitcom" material, though it's done well.