Lockouts, quarantinas
Nice episode except eating bees.
They do nicely the show.
Nice episode except eating bees.
They do nicely the show.
4 Reviews
Lockouts, quarantinas
CursedChico9 November 2020
'You know what you are? You're a beard with an idiot hanging off it.'
scorfield-5171123 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The main weakness of this episode is that of the recurring motifs from earlier outings which 'pepper' its plot-line and script, and which fail to embellish any of them. Although the main story-thread holds great promise, and hinges upon the hapless antics of the ingenue that is Manny, fuelling the wrath of his misanthropic employer, the writing appears to lack depth and is quite formulaic. There are moments which rise above the general lack of hilarity, such as the scene in which one customer declares that a box of leather-bound classics are worth much more than the forty pounds Black asks for, leading to the latter pointing out that pricing the books would entail too much work, the thought of which prompts him to pay the customer the said same amount to just take them away.
The plot centres upon the installation of a state-of-the-art security system after the bookstore has been burgled. As in previous episodes, just when Manny is required to pay utmost attention, in this case to the complex explanation as to the system's operation, he becomes distracted by the random happenstance that the engineer - played by the always reliable Nick Frost - has a subbuteo player tangled in his hair. Predictably, this leads to the best scene of this narrative thread, where Bernard is locked out of his own store, with the audience left to imagine his colourful cursing behind the sound-proof glass in response to Manny's frantic written messages. The set-up for this scene has also been well-executed with Bernard, having previously cut the shop's telephone cord when harassed for not having paid a bill, now not being able to ring Manny from a phone box.
The storyline now divides between Manny unable to escape the store and Black having to trudge along the rainswept streets in search of shelter. The former thread is completely underwhelming, not helped by Bailey's overplaying scenarios as he tries to implement a survivalist handbook, discovered amidst the store's legion of publications, in such an inappropriately urbane setting, after emptying a bottle of absinthe.
Given that Black's scouring of the streets is accompanied by the soundtrack to 'Taxi Driver' and the potential laughs at this churlish individual being let loose on the unsuspecting wider public, the results are quite disappointing. This is especially true of his becoming a front-of-house server at a burger bar, where writer Graham Linehan makes a quite forgettable cameo. Indeed, the best moment is when Bernard goes to the cinema for the first time since watching 'Planet of the Apes', and questions how his purchase of a ticket and a bag of popcorn has left him out of pocket. This opens the opportunity for him to deliver the most memorable line of this episode: 'What is it, magic popcorn? Does it produce some kind of dizzying high?'
For once the best writing has been devoted to Fran's story, where her infatuation with an old flame, a radio announcer, played superbly by Peter Serafinowicz, has her settle in for the night and comically masturbate to the sultry sound of his deep bass delivery as he reads the innocuous weather report - this accordingly being the first time female masturbation was depicted on British television.
The plot centres upon the installation of a state-of-the-art security system after the bookstore has been burgled. As in previous episodes, just when Manny is required to pay utmost attention, in this case to the complex explanation as to the system's operation, he becomes distracted by the random happenstance that the engineer - played by the always reliable Nick Frost - has a subbuteo player tangled in his hair. Predictably, this leads to the best scene of this narrative thread, where Bernard is locked out of his own store, with the audience left to imagine his colourful cursing behind the sound-proof glass in response to Manny's frantic written messages. The set-up for this scene has also been well-executed with Bernard, having previously cut the shop's telephone cord when harassed for not having paid a bill, now not being able to ring Manny from a phone box.
The storyline now divides between Manny unable to escape the store and Black having to trudge along the rainswept streets in search of shelter. The former thread is completely underwhelming, not helped by Bailey's overplaying scenarios as he tries to implement a survivalist handbook, discovered amidst the store's legion of publications, in such an inappropriately urbane setting, after emptying a bottle of absinthe.
Given that Black's scouring of the streets is accompanied by the soundtrack to 'Taxi Driver' and the potential laughs at this churlish individual being let loose on the unsuspecting wider public, the results are quite disappointing. This is especially true of his becoming a front-of-house server at a burger bar, where writer Graham Linehan makes a quite forgettable cameo. Indeed, the best moment is when Bernard goes to the cinema for the first time since watching 'Planet of the Apes', and questions how his purchase of a ticket and a bag of popcorn has left him out of pocket. This opens the opportunity for him to deliver the most memorable line of this episode: 'What is it, magic popcorn? Does it produce some kind of dizzying high?'
For once the best writing has been devoted to Fran's story, where her infatuation with an old flame, a radio announcer, played superbly by Peter Serafinowicz, has her settle in for the night and comically masturbate to the sultry sound of his deep bass delivery as he reads the innocuous weather report - this accordingly being the first time female masturbation was depicted on British television.
The single best half hour of TV comedy - well, possibly, ever?
stephen-lambe12 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
OK, well that's quite a claim and it probably doesn't stand up to a huge amount of scrutiny give all the other great British and American comedy there have been over the last - oh - 50 years or so. BUT as TV episodes go this is the one I return to most often for repeat viewings. The first series of Black Books is the best by some way (due, largely to Graham Linehan's genius), and this is the best episode. Pretty much note-perfect from Nick Frost's mullet-haired security engineer with a lisp and a Subbuteo player in his hair to a wonderful - career creating some might say - performance from Tamsin Greig ("I'm sorry, Howell, I got my fffoot stuck in the fffridge"). Only the Bill Bailey absinthe induced survivalist sub plot (those are not words used in the same sentence often) weakens the episode very slightly, but that's just being picky. Even the made up fast food brand names are genius.
The Big Lock-Out
Prismark1027 February 2021
This is a good example of a far out episode of Black Books.
You just have to enjoy the silliness as a new security system installed in the bookshop.
It means Bernard is locked out and Manny cannot remember the code.
Bernard has to walk the streets in the rain and gets a job in fast food just to keep war. Manny has to become a survivalist to get a buzz. Fran has a good time listening to the weather report.
There are a lots of guests stars to look out for. Nick Frost and Peter Serafinowicz, the later more famous for his voice work.
Co-writer Graham Linehan transitions by turning up as a fast food customer.
You just have to enjoy the silliness as a new security system installed in the bookshop.
It means Bernard is locked out and Manny cannot remember the code.
Bernard has to walk the streets in the rain and gets a job in fast food just to keep war. Manny has to become a survivalist to get a buzz. Fran has a good time listening to the weather report.
There are a lots of guests stars to look out for. Nick Frost and Peter Serafinowicz, the later more famous for his voice work.
Co-writer Graham Linehan transitions by turning up as a fast food customer.
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