The Book of Rannells: Another Period: Season 2, Episode 10 – “The Duel” (2016)

I don’t think this episode is quite as much fun as the one before it.  Now, I’m not gonna say that’s definitely because Andrew Rannells isn’t in it as much, but it’s a factor, both because of how funny he is in this and because of how much I enjoy that goofy plot.  Still a good episode, just not as good.

Lillian suffers a setback on the cusp of her wedding, and Beatrice returns from her retreat determined to save her sister from herself.  Meanwhile, the family matriarch (who’s in the middle of a divorce) goes toe-to-toe with her ex’s new gold-digging lady.

Overall, I do think the humor isn’t quite as sharp here, although there are still some good jokes – during the titular duel, there’s a running commentary wherein the name for each “fencing move” is sillier than the last.  And just generally, the specific plot threads we’re following in this episode don’t really interest me as much as the last one, although the stuff with Beatrice is pretty fun.  That said, it’s far from a bad episode, and the acting is still terrific.  It’s more the difference between “hilarious” and “pretty funny.”

Rannells is only in one scene today, in which a bitter Lillian tries to sabotage Bertram’s romance with Hortense.  He’s a really good fit for this show, just the right amount of over-the-top.  The general air of the show reminds me a bit of The Book of Mormon, that atmosphere of heightened reality, so it’s a good match.  It requires the actors to be completely sincere in their absurdity, outlandish without mugging, and that takes a steady hand.

In addition to the actors I mentioned last time, this episode also features Christina Hendricks (who I’ll always remember as Saffron on Firefly,) Paget Brewster, and a very funny Michael Ian Black.