#taskmaster s3

The Punishment. Taskmaster s3e05.

(heavily inspired by these posts.)

This will be very bias based on what I see them as and which comedians I like.

Series 1: Social experiment and test subjects. A diverse cast of characters who have almost nothing in common and, although get along, have no reason to actually go further than that. It's like a slow test to see what extent the mind cracks and who it will crack for,

Series 2: Five teachers having a breakdown. (you'll see that having a breakdown is a running theme.) They seem like they work together but are all a little suspicious of each other, they hold grudges but it's all in good favour. They seem under stress.

Series 3: People trapped in an escape room. There's always one who thinks they'll never escape, one who goes the complete wrong direction, another who's just a little too energetic and accidently holds them back, one who knows too much about random things and another that focuses on getting them out. It seems like you're looking at five people all trying to solve a puzzle but different puzzles at different times, Paul is trying not to cry in a corner, Al and Dave are decoding wall scribbles, Sara is SURE that this golden pineapple is a clue and Rob is at least one puzzle piece behind the rest but has already solved the NEXT clue they need.

Series 4: Community of neighbors. They all live in the same apartment like a weird Friends situation. They are all so different but Mel asked to borrow some toilet paper, dragged Hugh into their friendship and they all kind of interact with such ease and go out to dinners once a month to discuss their jobs and everything. Hugh hosted a barbecue once and they got Noel talking about how life is cool while in a freezing cold kids paddle pool. (they weren't sure if he was getting some kind of hypothermia or if he was drunk...)

As much as I enjoy this series, its the one I aways seem to forget about the most, and I'm not too sure why. I'm glad Al appeared so early on in the Taskmaster 'lifespan' (for lack of a better word), as we now have the running joke that he just can't let go of the fact he's no longer on it. I do wonder if they deliberately got Rob and Sara on the same series just to go on about the fact they look like siblings.

Top 3 tasks

Surprise Alex

Strong start with Al and Sara giving off serial killer vibes by coming up with the idea to 'kidnap' Alexs' kids. And then we get to discover that Al just happens to know someone who runs a gong shop, and just happens to get one for the task (which he does in his pants). But most of all, Rob going full breakdown, dressing as a granny, and soaking Alex with a pressure washer. Honestly, I'm left in stitches ever time I watch this task. Plus Paul doing a Jigsaw impression was brilliant.

Sweat

First off, the contestants reactions when this task was nnounced were amazing. The fact that they only had Rob doing accents for this, that was the best part of it. They definitely chose the right person to give that extra part too, some of them were so awful they're hilarious. How Al thought he would get away with using piss instead of sweat, I have no idea but I'm strangely glad he tried.

"I'm going to ask you a straight question here mate - you blacking up?"

Bucket

Moneybags Murray coming out in force here. Sara being so asounded at Alex after he said he wouldn't help anyone, then being brought by Al was just perfection. Gregs reaction mixed with Alexs' shame just made it even better. Plus it was the funniest incident of Dave cheating in the series. The way he thought he could get away with just pouring tea in there without them noticing...how?

The contestants

Paul ("flamboyance -something you can attach to a kilt")

Rob

Sara

Al

Dave

Series 2