Review: Taskmaster, “Leg up, Johnny!” | Series 21, Episode 2
Unquestionable beauty, bowling gloves, and a bagpipe spelling bee
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It’s the second episode of Taskmaster series 21, and we’re back with Amy Gledhill, who has a very good ear for bagpipes; Armando Iannucci, who couldn’t care less; actual rays of sunshine Joanna Page and Joel Dommett, and the very famous Kumail Nanjiani.
This was a very workmanlike episode of Taskmaster, perfectly enjoyable but not a standout. I do like that this cast seems pretty comfortable in the studio, both with each other and with Taskmaster Greg Davies. And while Iannucci is gamely playing the role of the curmudgeon, he’s not half as grumpy as a few contestants we’ve seen in past seasons.
Prize task
- The prize task is to bring in the most unquestionable thing of beauty. I immediately leaned forward and rubbed my hands together, because you know somebody’s going to show up with a creepy painting…
- …and that somebody was of course Nanjiani, who brought in a painting of a ghostly captive child with “T. Payne” scrawled across the back. (1 point, unsurprisingly, but he did say he hoped he lost the episode so he could get rid of it.)
- You could give Dommett an honorable mention in the “Painting, Creepy” category, but I’d argue that Greg Davies with a six-pack and a Speedo stamped with Little Alex Horne’s face falls under “Painting, Beautiful.” (Though he did only earn three points for it; a shame.)
- Props to Page for bragging about her Wales’ sexiest woman award in 2009 and turning it into a mother’s love for her daughter. Bullshit or brilliant? Maybe both.
- Speaking of bullshit and brilliant: I loved Iannucci’s egg head island, and if he’d sold the “we’re all insignificant on this beautiful planet” thing a little harder, he could have gotten another point.
- I was relieved that Davies didn’t mock Gledhill’s painting, as it was done by a friend of hers, but was a little surprised that the Yorkshire-pudding-framed work of art tied for first place with Page.
