Taskmaster: Series 18—the entire run. (Autumn 2024)

September 13, 2024 8:37 PM - Season 18 (Full Season)

The waiting is over! It's time once again to perform wacky random tasks to earn the appreciation of the Taskmaster, thereby being doled out valueless points so we can win a cheap likeness of the Taskmaster's head! ...Or, more accurately, it's time blablablah random tasks vicariously, by watching five unlucky comedians attempting said wacky shit, blablablah etc. Let's welcome to the stage: Andy Zaltzman! Babatunde Aléshé! Emma Sidi! Jack Dee! and Rosie Jones! Their time starts NOW!

And here's the YT link to Series 18, Episode 1: 'The Faceless Facilitators'. All the information they need is written on the task.

posted by not_on_display (62 comments total)

They still got it. I found Rosie Jones' joy particularly infectious, and also enjoyed Emma Sidi's pretence of needling her ("Come onnn!"). Rosie evidently enjoyed these moments too.
posted by Paul Slade at 11:10 PM on September 13, 2024 [4 favorites]

I enjoyed the first episode. I hope that Emma and Rosie are on a team—I think they'll be fun together. Not sure if "winning" that first prize task was really much of a win, though... The lungs...
posted by synecdoche at 4:08 PM on September 14, 2024 [1 favorite]

Ooooh, Andy Zaltzman, of The Bugle Podcast?! I look forward to this.
posted by Pronoiac at 7:29 PM on September 14, 2024 [2 favorites]

I'm historically not a fan of Rosie Jones, whose humor is too crass for my taste. I told my husband that if she resisted the obvious interpretation of the prize task category maybe I'd revise my opinion, and she did, but then she came up with something worse than I imagined, so......... we'll see. Then again, I did laugh heartily at "because Alex is so boring." The others I don't really have established opinions on, and in general I'm attempting to reserve judgment and remember that everyone has the "who are these people and where are my friends" experience at the beginning of pretty much every season, and then it clicks a few episodes in! It hasn't clicked for me yet but we're also simultaneously rewatching 12, possibly the most lovable cast in TM history, so the "where are my friends" factor is strong.
posted by babelfish at 7:40 PM on September 14, 2024 [1 favorite]

I already like Big Hair Man, Man Who Went To Art School, Man Who Woke Up Grumpy, Detective Winks, and Overconfident Dirty Jokes Woman.

I also appreciate the general trend towards being a bit more kind to Alex.

I think the general incompetence displayed during the can task bodes well.
posted by Acari at 8:07 AM on September 15, 2024 [6 favorites]

Thank god the wait is over. I’m dying to make best friends with five new bumbling incompetents.

More seriously, I’ve been watching some of the international seasons (NZ is particularly good once they get up and running), and the editing staff for the UK version are astonishingly good at their jobs.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 11:37 AM on September 15, 2024 [4 favorites]

I just finished NZ season 5 last week and was so excited to see that the UK season started! No need to wait for more Taskmaster!

The cans task made me legitimately lol (Emma's repeated perfect aim through the middle! The importance of staying on the spot!), and I was so pleased they caught Jack's throwaway "quite" because I was about to protest when they made it seem like they ended the task after he finally got the seal clue.
posted by paisley sheep at 8:58 PM on September 15, 2024 [2 favorites]

Enjoyed Episode 1. I really never clicked with last season's cast (still enjoyed it) but I knew Jack and Rosie from other things and Zaltzman is my instant favorite.

I was worried Rosie's disability would make it hard to compete on physical tasks but the can task quickly dispelled that, they're ALL equally terrible.

Rosie's humor doesn't usually work for me but her sheer joy has won me over like Jenny Eclair's in a previous season.

Favorite moment: Rosie trying to gleefully communicate "I just drank vinegar!" while simultaneously trying to swallow vinegar...

Jack is already frustrated and I'm looking forward to him going insane by the end of the series.
posted by mmoncur at 5:38 AM on September 16, 2024 [1 favorite]

I really like Rosie Jones; I was wondering how they'd tailor the format so thqat the playing level is even, and I think they're maintaining a good balance so far: the tasks that require a lot of movement don't seem like timed tasks; and, the timed tasks don't require speed, and given TM's track record of treating the guests with dignity (even in the form of humor, and even if the guests themselves break down) I feel pretty confident they won't make things uncomfortable. We also noticed that the studio panel is sitting in chairs with armrests this season, and we're guessing it's so Rosie can stand up as easily/quickly as any of the other panelists.

To us, we found it funny to see contestants that reminded us of past contestants: Jack Dee = Al Murray (with some Stewart Lee energy. I wish Stewart will be a contestant one day.) Emma Sidi is obviously Katy Wix's parallel universe younger sister: so far they have very similar body postures and facial expressions, and while their field uniforms couldn't be more opposite to one another's, their studio clothes could have been from the same closet.

And my partner noticed that Rosie's studio jumper was the same exact same one as TM-NZ's Hailey's field-task outfit.

(I'm enjoying this most recent TM-NZ season too; we're currently in the middle of that series, and Jeremy and that cast seem very kindly (and the guests panelists are a treat), and there's less bullying of Paul, too, much like this cast of TM-UK is treating Alex kindly so far.)
posted by not_on_display at 8:20 AM on September 16, 2024 [2 favorites]

And my partner noticed that Rosie's studio jumper was the same exact same one as TM-NZ's Hailey's field-task outfit.

I was just coming here to say that! Though I think it's less "jumper" and more like "coveralls" but in any case, its the same.

I’m dying to make best friends with five new bumbling incompetents.

I love this summary.
posted by jessamyn at 12:18 PM on September 16, 2024 [3 favorites]

There's a thing I always wonder about, but would find a pain to track down, is whether there's a relationship between studio banter and how quickly I enjoy the panelists. Like some seasons... I dunno, either it felt like Alex and Greg were pulling teeth or the panelists just weren't up for it, but when they're teasing each other and remembering that they're comedians (mostly), I think I enjoy the show more than when the panel is just there for the tasks?

And this season has started out just fine, that way. Emma teasing Rosie, Andy ribbing himself, Jack Dee being Jack Dee, good times all around.
posted by Kyol at 12:52 PM on September 16, 2024 [2 favorites]

I dunno, either it felt like Alex and Greg were pulling teeth or the panelists just weren't up for it, but when they're teasing each other and remembering that they're comedians (mostly), I think I enjoy the show more than when the panel is just there for the tasks?


I have not yet watched this one but I agree completely.

Interaction between the contestants is essential for a great season, be it backing each other up when they think Greg is judging unfairly or selling out the front-runner for that extra point.
Bonus points if one contestant absolutely gets under the skin of another and the Alex/Greg just let it happen.
posted by madajb at 7:50 PM on September 16, 2024 [1 favorite]

Jack Dee = Al Murray (with some Stewart Lee energy.

I would have sworn he’s already done TM!

Fun first episode, new incompetent friends yes!
posted by ellieBOA at 10:22 AM on September 17, 2024 [2 favorites]

And my partner noticed that Rosie's studio jumper was the same exact same one as TM-NZ's Hailey's field-task outfit.

I noticed this too! It's the Lucy and Yak Ragan jumpsuit if you're feeling inspired (or planning a Halloween costume).

Incidentally, if you're not already asking all your friends what their tasking outfit would be, I recommend it as a topic of conversation (one of my friends picked a Lucy and Yak jumpsuit in a different print).
posted by babelfish at 5:22 PM on September 17, 2024 [3 favorites]

...that one montage when the task is not to say anything while reading the task, and to look into the camera and not smile—punctuated by the waves of uncontrolled laughter...
posted by not_on_display at 10:25 PM on September 17, 2024 [1 favorite]

I thought this was a great first episode. We got disgusting prizes (Rosie beat the competition out for the most gross), a disqualification, physical comedy, a fantastic filmed task effort, a great guess in the live task, and nice banter. The highlight for me were the interactions between Emma and Rosie. I wonder if they were on a team together--they seemed to have a real connection. The callback with Emma saying she didn't have cerebral palsy was hilarious. Emma is the only one I didn't know going into this and her Inspector Gadget outfit made me lover her immediately.

I also love grumpy Jack Dee. I hope he remains grumpy all the way through. He perked out at the prospect of champagne, but was brought down fast by the vegan non-alcoholic one they gave him.
posted by ceejaytee at 5:50 AM on September 19, 2024 [1 favorite]

The quiet adoption of the armrests and lack of any fuss about it strikes me as being typical of the care and forethought that goes into the making of this programme. I'm reminded of Alex quietly using an off-camera moment to remind Greg about Mae Martin's preferred pronouns in a previous series. They never draw attention to it, but they do try to get this stuff right.
posted by Paul Slade at 6:53 AM on September 19, 2024 [5 favorites]

The team match-ups are VERY funny. They did a good job, there.

In more accessibility news, I appreciate that the TM team provided the human-generated subtitles immediately with the episode, this week, since there was grumbling in the comment section last week about the four day lag in providing them.
posted by merriment at 5:53 AM on September 23, 2024 [1 favorite]

I was hoping Jack and Rosie would be a team! Perfect odd-couple matchup.
posted by mmoncur at 5:59 AM on September 23, 2024

I could have done without the pub quiz task at such an extended length, but otherwise a good episode.
posted by Paul Slade at 3:12 PM on September 26, 2024 [1 favorite]

Also, what was the significance of the two asterixes in the rocket task's wording?
posted by Paul Slade at 8:32 AM on September 27, 2024 [1 favorite]

The art challenge was one of my all time favorites, and I fully agree with the taskmaster’s allotment of points.
posted by moonmilk at 9:35 PM on September 27, 2024 [2 favorites]

I firmly believe that the quality of a comedian is inversely related to their score on the show (even Greg complains about the general level of competence during the art re-creation task!), and, as a long time Bugle listener, Zaltzman winning proves it. He even got high points for the pun run prize task.
posted by pwnguin at 11:01 PM on September 27, 2024 [1 favorite]

Also, what was the significance of the two asterixes in the rocket task's wording?

I was waiting for that to be cleared up during the in-studio chatter and was surprised it wasn't, so now I'm thinking it was for the additional tasks that were like footnotes (the rocket can't be homemade, and you have to add a rocket for each time you swear). Also my immediate thought was to also check the kitchen to see if they had rocket/arugula in the fridge so I'm glad that passed.
posted by paisley sheep at 10:42 AM on September 28, 2024 [1 favorite]

I was wondering there for a while if soul meant something different in the UK
posted by Carillon at 8:04 PM on September 28, 2024

Oh, Carillon, you've never listened to The Bugle. To say that Zaltzman will stretch for wordplay is a polite understatement.

Some extras:
* the first set of outtakes for the season
* more of the pub quiz
posted by Pronoiac at 3:21 PM on September 30, 2024 [3 favorites]

You know, Rosie is growing on me. This show is giving her the opportunity to do something besides being raunchy, and I find myself genuinely looking forward to her prize tasks. The setup for the tattoo was gold.

Emma revealed on the podcast (though I think not on purpose) that she's the ultra-competitive points craver this series, which I guess makes sense because... who else was it gonna be. Historically that person does well, because they have to for their own self-concept.
posted by babelfish at 7:33 PM on October 4, 2024 [1 favorite]

The setup for the tattoo was gold.

It was funny and on spec, but I half expected someone to point out that it would be hard to award the winner her tattoo. Is there a readily available temporary tattoo version of it?
posted by pwnguin at 11:37 PM on October 4, 2024 [1 favorite]

Rosie is definitely growing on me. Her joie de vivre really brings something to the tasks. Loved her commitment to consent in the pocket task followed by blatantly stealing the sound guy's money. Also very funny that she solved the task neatly but lost some ground in the total numbers because her outfit was also covered in pockets.

I'd been struggling a bit with earlier episodes, but for whatever reason, this was the one that really clicked for me and now I'm all in on this season.
posted by merriment at 10:21 AM on October 5, 2024

I half expected someone to point out that it would be hard to award the winner her tattoo.

This has also been a point of contention on the podcast, as both Baba and Emma have said that they tried to bring actual things that you might actually want to win, and Ed has pointed out that this is a somewhat retro approach that has fallen out of favor in recent seasons (remember when Nick brought in the concept of putting ice in wine?). I'm not especially surprised that Rosie didn't get any stick for it, but it would have been a nice touch for her to bring a sheet of temp tattoos.
posted by babelfish at 9:37 AM on October 8, 2024 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I kind of miss the "here's the mortgage to my house" and "I got your name tattooed on my foot" prize tasks. I mean, I'm not sure I'd buy them with as much wide eyed credibility as I used to, and I'm sure the show is trying to rein in that sort of prize task anyway, but ... I dunno, I miss them.

And yeah, Rosie is absolutely nailing Taskmaster. I've been kind of ambivalent about her on other panel shows because her humor just always sort of feels out of place on QI or 8oo10cdc or whatever, but here it's doing a good job of disarming Greg, which I wholeheartedly approve of.
posted by Kyol at 12:38 PM on October 8, 2024 [1 favorite]

Or maybe more specifically, I miss when the prize task prizes seemed like actual stuff the panel owned, whether it was kitchy garbage or something personally valuable or whatever, for a while it felt like this was actual stuff they owned and not just stuff the production team went out and found for them? And maybe that's become harder to do as the prize tasks have gotten a little more philosophical over the years, but... Ech, y'know.

...I've probably said that before. I have Opinions™ about the prize task, I guess.
posted by Kyol at 11:35 AM on October 10, 2024

Is anyone else having trouble engaging with the cast/season?

I mean, the usual archetypes are there: The one who wants to win, the zany one, the grumpy older one, the young one, the wild card, but somehow none of them have really caught my interest, none of them really stand out as someone who I want to see go through tasks.

I feel the same way about the tasks themselves. They are the same mix of physical and mental tests with a few you-win-if-you-pick-the-correct-random-thing tasks, but somehow they are missing the energy or wackiness of other seasons.

Just me?
posted by madajb at 9:22 PM on October 11, 2024

I'm really enjoying this season. I loved the strongest smell task--it was like having a second live task. Rosie's response to her horrid concoction not smelling like anything was hilarious, as was everyone's reaction to Andy's disgusting smell.

I love Andy Zaltzman and his punny weirdness (complete snooker outfit? Why?), but Jack Dee is my favorite this season. He has not been able to maintain his grumpiness in the face of Rosie making him laugh too much and I love it.
posted by ceejaytee at 7:38 AM on October 15, 2024 [2 favorites]

complete snooker outfit? Why?

Apparently there is a form of nerd who is really into sports, which manifests in the form of memorizing facts and statistics rather than athletic ability. Andy is one of those, having done some sports commentary on cricket and snooker for the BBC. These costumes are therefore the closest he will ever get to appearing on TV in sporting uniform. And, why squander the opportunity, especially if it establishes your brand of obscure sports nerd comedy to broader audience? (answer: props tend to harm your mobility, as do those cricket whites knee pads)

Jack Dee is my favorite this season

I think this is safe to admit as an American: never heard of him before this show. I gather his grumpycat demeanor is a bit, but doesn't really seem like it could help the show's comedy much -- the typical task is unpleasant in some fashion and it's not really a comedic surprise to say you didn't like the thing designed to be unlikable.

I don't actively dislike him or anything, I just can't remember any of his jokes this far off from the last air date. Will pay closer attention next Friday.
posted by pwnguin at 8:54 AM on October 15, 2024

Ep 6: Emma's QR code goes here
posted by Pronoiac at 4:12 PM on October 19, 2024 [7 favorites]

I really think they should just get rid of the prize task. It seems more and more awkward and pointless each season.
posted by exceptinsects at 10:02 PM on October 19, 2024

Pockets was a good one!
posted by Acari at 7:58 PM on October 20, 2024 [2 favorites]

Really enjoying this season so far! A kind of novel experience for me to be familiar with a comic before - Andy - but I think it allowed me to skip some of that early episode weirdness where you have to get familiar with some comic's styles for a few episodes. I'm also strangely invested in him getting many points for especially the creative things that are exactly the stuff I enjoy about him, even though I don't think the points really matter at all!

I really think they should just get rid of the prize task

I've been trying out this Firefox plugin that allows you to skip to the start of a video, where the 'start' is crowdsourced (It's called SponsorBlock). It's pretty useful for things like how-to videos. The Taskmaster episodes that have 'skip credits' bookmarks, at least some of the time, skip straight to the first filmed task.

I personally usually enjoy the banter that comes with the prize task, though!
posted by kwartel at 5:07 AM on October 22, 2024

As a fan of the Bugle, I'm, like, weirdly proud whenever Zaltzman does something especially clever?
posted by grandiloquiet at 7:17 PM on October 24, 2024 [2 favorites]

Rosie Jones has been absolutely epic in this series and her roasting of Jack during the Captain Jackie and the Hot Dog episode was brutal and hilarious.
posted by ceejaytee at 10:52 AM on October 25, 2024 [4 favorites]

So...have I been eating fortune cookies wrong my entire life?
Do you not break them in half, take out the paper, then put them in your mouth?
Is everyone out there just digging half-chewed paper out of their mouth and trying to read it?
posted by madajb at 10:47 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]

Last season I was not as into it, for whatever reason. Been really enjoying this one though. It's Emma Sidi's earnestness and turns of phrase, Rosie Jones' glee, Jack's inability to resist her charm (though I can't quite see why Alex called him a "dream contestant" necessarily) and Baba's general attitude. Big up yourself all day every day! And also... the kiss(es). What a delight.

I like when the whole group coalesces in a way and creates their own vibe together. I feel like that is happening, maybe a bit slowly? 5 and 7 are the gold standard, with 15 as a runner up, but 12 and 16 really did it for me too.

And sometimes there is very much not a collective vibe and it's still amazing. See 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14.

Also how lovely was it that they all aced the art task!
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 11:11 AM on October 26, 2024 [2 favorites]

Two tasks where I felt like shouting solutions at the screen today! First the bell, then the fortune cookies.

Like the best video games, this show is so good at making you feel clever. Or maybe it's a side effect of making the contestants look not-so-clever?

The framing for viewers conveniently was centered on the front door, plus we just had the doorbell task last series as well. We've had so many instances of loophole abuse that the fortune cookies task should go without saying!
posted by kwartel at 2:27 PM on October 26, 2024

So...have I been eating fortune cookies wrong my entire life?

I was doing a LOT of yelling "just break them all open and read the tasks first!" but not NEARLY as much as I was yelling "DOES NOBODY IN ENGLAND KNOW HOW TO EAT A FORTUNE COOKIE"
posted by babelfish at 5:48 PM on October 31, 2024 [4 favorites]

I loved this week's episode, especially the two-part task. (Does no one watch this show before they go on? A one-minute task means there's a part two, so be careful what you choose.) I felt so sorry for Emma, who chose to wear the hot dog outfit for that task and then Alex threw her under a bus by making her think she had to do those leg movements for 25 seconds every time, something no one else did. She only got 2 points! And then she had to go through the barrel task in a couple of minutes like Inspector Gadget on speed. She was so great though, absolutely hilarious every second.

Rosie and Jack are still the team that keeps on giving. This was one of the few live tasks where the team of two won. They make me very happy and I wish they'd get their own show where they solve crime or something.
posted by ceejaytee at 10:36 AM on November 1, 2024 [2 favorites]

A one-minute task means there's a part two, so be careful what you choose.

It's not necessarily the length, crucially two parters won't say "best/fastest/etc. wins" in the first part.
posted by juv3nal at 1:12 PM on November 1, 2024 [1 favorite]

Alex threw her under a bus by making her think she had to do those leg movements for 25 seconds every time

I think that was an assumption she made for herself, wasn't it? In the same way that Babatunde assumed he had to label a different body part each time.
posted by Paul Slade at 1:43 AM on November 2, 2024 [2 favorites]

Poor Emma!

Agreed the 25 seconds was her own assumption. Jack's failure with the goggles in the task just before was similar, Alex didn't help there either.

Emma may be becoming my favourite, she just really has a winners mentality and vibe, but not results. It's so endearing!
posted by kwartel at 3:58 AM on November 2, 2024 [2 favorites]

I too was baffled by some people's fortune cookie technique.

So...have I been eating fortune cookies wrong my entire life?
Do you not break them in half, take out the paper, then put them in your mouth?

I come from the part of the world where the modern fortune cookie was popularized, and have never seen anyone pop them in their mouths and then pull out the fortune- until I watched this episode of TM.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:48 AM on November 3, 2024 [1 favorite]

I've been assuming the bizarre fortune cookie eating was a part of Taskmaster that I take snide delight in: when contestants do something wacky because they are playing the meta-game of being funny and memorable (instead of the direct game of getting points from Greg), but because there's a limited number of wacky things that can be done (Taskmaster is a closed environment) and the contestants have a lot in common (usually British comedians), so they end up doing the same wacky, "memorable" thing. On the other hand...was that 5 out of 5 for pulling the fortune out of their own mouths? That seems unlikely; I don't think I've ever seen more than 3 out of 5 do the same silly thing.
posted by grandiloquiet at 7:41 AM on November 4, 2024 [2 favorites]

The first episode of Junior Taskmaster aired here in the UK last night. Here's a little taste.
posted by Paul Slade at 12:46 AM on November 9, 2024 [2 favorites]

... and here's what the Guardian thought of it.
posted by Paul Slade at 3:44 AM on November 9, 2024

Every series has its own particular alchemy, and after nine episodes, I think I have finally been able to characterize this one: there's usually someone who's wildly overconfident, but this may be the first ine where everyone is, in their own way, wildly overconfident. It is, obviously, delightful. Big up yourself!
posted by eponym at 7:27 PM on November 9, 2024 [4 favorites]

Le Goose was an amazing task!

Really another excellent season overall, and I look forward to seeing the winner appear on CoC alongside Sam. I just found out Sam and Lucy actually started a podcast together, sounds amazing.

Everyone had some great moments, but things that stood out: all of Andy's sketches, Rosie's comedy coffin, the many instances of Emma earning her detective outfit, and her telling people off in the studio.

Let's all follow Baba's advice to big up yourself all day, everyday, and always bring some flavour to your 2-steps!
posted by kwartel at 6:10 AM on November 17, 2024 [4 favorites]

The line-up for January's New Year Treat has been announced.

The fifth annual edition of Taskmaster's New Year Treat will once again see an eclectic mix of celebrities battle it out, with the contestants this time including Money Saving Expert and ITV host Martin Lewis and Royle Family star Sue Johnston – who at the age of 80 becomes the oldest star in the show's history. Also in the line-up are former England and Liverpool goalkeeper David James, mathematician, science presenter and academic Professor Hannah Fry and singer-songwriter and All Saints star Melanie Blatt.
posted by Paul Slade at 6:19 AM on November 17, 2024 [1 favorite]

Surprised not to see more commentary on the finale, which I thought was one of the finest episodes of Taskmaster we've ever had! This cast really grew on me, and I think "present the goose" is an all-timer. I would watch a whole series of Andy Zalzman doing his "Cunk on Birds" shtick. Embarrassed to report that I'm the "person without a friend in the world" who Greg said would realize that the items in the movie theater task were spelling something; I didn't totally figure out what it was spelling, though, which tracks (I have some friends but they don't like me much).

An interesting observation from Jack Bernhardt's blog on the "this or that" task:

This task implies there are five different broad approaches to doing the show, and perhaps may be a useful categorisation tool for contestants in the future: The Dice, for contestants who look work arounds to rig the game (eg, Hugh Dennis or Mae Martin); The Haystack, for contestants who need to get all the information before proceeding (eg, Mark Watson or Sue Perkins); The Press Ups, for contestants who push through using physical effort (eg, Kerry Godliman or Sarah Kendall); the Onion, for contestants who will do something disgusting to themselves to win (eg, Romesh Ranganathan or Susan Wokoma); and the Sit, for contestants who want to do as little as possible (eg, Jo Brand or Judi Love).

I love this and not only am I going to use it in the future, I'm semi-seriously considering going back and identifying the Dice, the Haystack, the Press Ups, the Onion, and the Sit in every previous series. (In 18 I would say the actual behaviors in this task didn't completely line up with how I would categorize the contestants—Emma is certainly a Haystack and Andy is a total Dice, but Jack is more of a Sit, Baba is more of a Press Ups, and Rosie is more of an Onion.) (Of course Rosie did eat the onion but only extracurricularly.)
posted by babelfish at 7:49 PM on November 17, 2024 [10 favorites]

A missed opportunity during The Goose task to call back to Baba's art school training not paying off for him.
posted by pwnguin at 8:20 PM on November 17, 2024 [1 favorite]

The Goose was an incredible task, with Rosie and Andy's being incredible and Baba's worth every second of the build up. Andy was remarkable in so many tasks; his Pigeor the Merciless was robbed and I loved the lion that eats tall people. The finale was fantastic.

I was only slightly familiar with Baba and I didn't know Emma at all before this but I love them both. Baba and his Big Up Yourself energy was delightful and Emma made me laugh harder than almost everyone else every episode. Her stalking Greg with the long feather duster was hilarious and was even funnier when she asked Alex if he wanted a go. Also her The Goose play was genius. How she managed to pick up a needle with those gloves on I can't fathom.

Poor Andy wasting the hot dog costume on an all or nothing final task. Big Up to Jack for his two rosettes. I look forward to the Jackie and Rosie detective show, featuring the grumpy lead constantly annoyed by his happy sidekick. Someone will make that, right?
posted by ceejaytee at 6:24 AM on November 18, 2024 [1 favorite]

The only other thing missing from The Goose was a callback to "honk if you miss me" (but of course it's somewhat difficult to call back to things that haven't chronologically happened yet).
posted by eponym at 7:37 AM on November 18, 2024

I firmly believe that the quality of a comedian is inversely related to their score on the show

Just to underscore the point, here's an out-take from series winner Zaltzman making a witty off the cuff joke that exactly one person understood.
posted by pwnguin at 1:11 AM on November 19, 2024 [4 favorites]

(chanting) Zaltzman! Zaltzman! Zaltzman!
posted by Pronoiac at 9:57 AM on November 20, 2024