Terror (Bottom episode)

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Bottom episode
“Terror”
Episode no. Series Three
Episode 002
Writer(s) Adrian Edmondson & Rik Mayall
Producer Jon Plowman
Director Bob Spiers
Original broadcast January 13th, 1995
Episode chronology
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“Hole” “Break”

Terror is the second episode of the third series of British television sitcom, Bottom. It was first broadcast on January 13th, 1995.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

One night, Eddie answers the door, and is greeted by a group of children playing Trick or Treat. When he fails to give them any candy, they "trick" him by ramming a toy sceptre into his crotch. Realising that it's Halloween, Richie forms a plan; he and Eddie will go trick-or-treating to raise money for a party which will feature, in Richie's words "lots of booze and shag-shag-shag." They go down to the local costume shop, and Richie returns with a woman's Devil outfit, while Eddie ends up dressed up in a giant banana costume. To make sure that people give them money, Richie asks Eddie to bring along an electric cattle prod which they have somehow obtained; unfortunately, when he tries to use it the electricity arcs back and causes Richie's bowels to loosen, ruining one of his three pairs of leggings.

A few hours later, Richie and Eddie have managed to get some sweets (and apples with razor blades embedded), but no money. Eddie then spots the kids that he saw at the start of the episode, and suggests that he and Richie beat them up and take their candy. The reverse happens, however; the kids beat up Richie and Eddie, and take all their sweets. Determined to press on, Richie knocks on the door of the next house they come to, which turns out to be owned by Spudgun. When it turns out that he doesn't even know what trick-or-treating is, Richie orders Eddie to zap him with the cattle prod. Eddie misinterprets the request however and zaps Richie instead, causing him to soil himself again. After discreetly changing his leggings for the second time, Richie takes the cattle prod and tries to zap Spudgun, only for the electricity to arc back on himself again, resulting in his final pair of leggings being ruined. A humiliated Richie then changes his plan and tells Spudgun that he and Eddie are having a party that night, but everyone has to put in some money for the beer. This time Spudgun agrees, and Richie tells him to invite everyone he knows.

While preparing for the party, Eddie creates a batch of exploding carrots, and Richie creates some snacks using sprouts that are nearly a year out of date, a large amount of curry spices and gunpowder. Richie tries to prove that they're safe to eat, but passes out immediately after eating one, and awakes some time later, now (unknowingly) shooting flames out of his backside whenever he breaks wind. Spudgun arrives, but it turns out that Dave Hedgehog is the only person he knows apart from Richie and Eddie, and Richie's planned "shagathon" ends up reduced to the four sitting around and drinking Eddie's highly corrosive homebrew. While Eddie, Spudgun and Hedgehog don't mind this, Richie is sorely disappointed, and goes on a rant against God, claiming that he would be better off serving the Devil. This gives him the idea to try and call up the Devil, in a half-hearted Satanic ritual with the other three serving as his acolytes. Richie forces the others to eat his sprouts, then does so himself, and they all pass out.

The four wake up some time later (now all with flaming flatulence), and immediately hear a knocking noise from the front door. Richie answers it with some apprehension, and finds a young woman named Doreen wearing a Halloween Devil's mask, causing Richie to think that she's the Devil. He invites her in and, to her total bewilderment, asks for thirty years of non-stop sex in exchange for giving her his immortal soul. Reacting to the increasingly strange situation, she then removes her mask and reveals herself as Doreen Hedgehog; Dave's daughter, who has been sent to find out why her father is out so late. Spudgun then accidentally breaks wind, and the jet of flame from his rear end detonates the box of explosive carrots Eddie had prepared earlier.

[edit] Pop culture references

A poster for the 1980's and late 1990's shoegazing band The Jesus and Mary Chain, can be seen clearly during the fight scene with the kids dressed as devils.

[edit] Consistency Errors

  • Richie, Eddie, Hedgehog and Spudgun are expecting a visit from the Devil. They all become nervous when they find out the Devil drinks virgin's blood. However, in previous episodes, Eddie has mentioned that he has had sex with several girls and Hedgehog even has a daughter - who appears in this very episode mistaken for the Devil.

[edit] Continuity and Production Errors

  • During a few of the "flaming fart" scenes, you can see a wire connected to the trousers of the actors. It's hard to see because it appears that it was attached to their legs in some way, but you can still see it when they move around a lot. The easiest place to see it is when the "devil" knocks on the door and they all fart and jump around, look carefully between/to the side of Eddie's legs for a black wire. It's not the dressing gown belt because that's tied around their waists.
  • Another thing that can be noticed is Richie leaving the cattle prod at Spudgun's
  • Something else that seems odd is that whenever Richie gets zapped with the cattle prod, he only needs to change his tights but mentions nothing about changing his underwear.
  • When Richie says that he will get his Ladybird book of witches the camera cuts back to Spudgun, Hedgehog and Eddie. In the shot, Edmondson is clearly seen to be corpsing

[edit] Cast