The Book of Rannells: Another Period: Season 2, Episode 11 – “Lillian is Dead” (2016)

Here’s the last episode of Another Period Andrew Rannells is in.  While he’s only in a couple of scenes, he does get a bit more to do than last time, and the way the show closes the book on his character is both unexpected and satisfying.  Altogether, this series is quite a worthy entry into The Book of Rannells.

In the season 2 finale, things are blowing up all over the place.  The sisters’ dad and new lady are taken for a ride, and a confrontation with a bitter, sloshed Lillian leads to a knock-down drag-out, making Beatrice question her new convictions.

There isn’t a lot I can say about the plot since, as a season finale, it’s all very spoiler-heavy, but I will say that I enjoy this episode a lot.  There are some great, audacious one-liners, some hilarious bit characters, and some good twists.

As with the rest of the episode, I can’t say too much about Bertram and Hortense without getting into spoiler territory.  I’ll keep my remarks vague for now and get into details at the bottom of this review.  Even though Bertram is a fairly basic, if entertaining, character, I think Rannells does a really good job with the part.  He’s just the perfect mix between buttoned-up and goofy – the humor works on this show because everyone fully commits to the outlandish silliness, and Rannells fits right in.  I really enjoy the ending we get for Bertram.

Wrapping up Another Period…

Recommend?

In General – Yes, so long as you don’t mind seriously-irreverent humor.  Very funny, very smart, and very creative.

Andrew Rannells – I would.  Bertram is a different sort of character for Rannells to play, and he gets a chance to stretch his muscles a little.

Warnings

Language, violence, sexual content, drinking/smoking/drug use, and strong thematic elements (including incest.)

And now, a few spoilery thoughts.  It might sound weird to say, but I like that Bertram is revealed to be just as sexist and reductive as all other guys on the show.  Not that there were no enlightened men in the early 1900s, but there also were – and continue to be – men like Bertram, guys who are about women being independent in theory.  As soon as he puts a ring on it, Bertram is done with Hortense publishing articles and all about her rearing their as-yet-nonexistent children.  It’s true, he explains, that he admired her for being a strong single woman, but the operative word there is “single.”  His attitudes flip on a dime, but his demeanor stays just as affable and charming as before, until Hortense starts to push back.  The way he so casually tosses off, “…But you’re mine now,” is just a little horrifying; it’s instantly clear he means it in the sense of property, not in any sort of heart-eyes way.  Thank goodness Hortense takes a bite of his penis under the guise of blowing him.