Man vs. Bee: Chapter 9 (2022)
Season 1, Episode 9
7/10
Atkinson vs. Bean - S01 Review
18 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
David Kerr's direction took several pages out of Rowan Atkinson's original "Mr. Bean" playbook. The actor himself seemed to portray an 'alternate universe' Bean in his performance throughout "Man vs. Bee" season 1.

That said, it was entertaining and hilarious, as most Atkinson-led projects have proven to be. This show was worth watching purely for Rowan's comedic acting. Those keen on experiencing nostalgia for the bygone days of Mr. Bean will enjoy this Netflix production.

Will Davies and Rowan Atkinson joined forces to pen a worthy show-script comprising nine episodes.

Lorne Balfe's musical scoring was good. Karl Oskarsson's cinematography was variegated. Good work on costume design and editing. Amazing work on production design and set decoration. Art direction must've eaten their hearts out during pre-production. VFX, particularly around the bee in question, was aces.

Trevor house-sat a mansion for a rich couple who was intent on vacationing. Somewhere along the way, a bee disrupted his ability to do just that. The sheer property damage and criminal chaos that followed led to Trevor being tried in court. Then along came a certain twist.

Trevor, played by Rowan Atkinson, was outstanding. Christian, played by Julian Rhind-Tutt, was good. Nina, played by Jing Lusi, was also good. The police officer, played by Tom Basden, was memorable. Cupcake the dog - a 6-year-old collie-poodle cross named Pixel - was amazing.

All other cast and crew did good work in "Man vs. Bee".

The idea of people versus bees is not close to my heart. In this day and age of Climate Change and conservation failures, a show that focuses on the routine nature of humankind to be at war with other life-forms on this planet was not altogether wholesome viewing.

This is especially relevant in today's climate (pun intended), wherein many a nature documentary is stressing on the urgent importance of co-existence. Encroachment has already threatened bee populations to breaking point - if they go, crops do too.

However, as a fun-funny 'family entertainment' series, "Man vs. Bee" S01 proved memorable. It was mildly evocative of Rowan's "Mr. Bean" days, so don't go expecting anything too original with this one.

Each of the nine episodes was surprisingly short - a little more than ten minutes, in fact. The show would have benefited from a slightly longer runtime. Plenty of excitement near the end made up for any laxity.

Season 1 of "Man vs. Bee" was held together primarily by Atkinson's beloved screen presence. Special shout-out to the bee, though.
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