Kicking Bishop Brennan Up the Arse

Lore & Background

The episode follows Ted's extreme worry about the forfeit, fearing Bishop Brennan will send him to an even worse parish. Father Dick Byrne has insisted Dougal take a picture and has called ahead to Brennan, claiming his likeness has miraculously appeared in the skirting boards of the parochial house, ensuring Brennan travels to Craggy Island. Ted stays up worrying all night, and he and Dougal are surprised by the early arrival of Bishop Brennan and his assistant Father Jessup, "the most sarcastic priest in Ireland". Brennan's visit occurs the day before he is due to go to Rome to meet the Pope. Ted takes the Bishop to see the skirting board but aborts the kick after seeing Jessup watching him, instead hurling himself out of the window. Brennan and Jessup prepare to leave but are forced to stay the night when Mrs Doyle informs them the roads have been "taken in".

Dougal suggests Ted kick Bishop Brennan and act as if nothing happened, reasoning the bishop would never believe Ted capable of such an act. The next day, Father Jack locks Jessup inside his underpants hamper after Jessup tries to prevent him from taking liquor belonging to the bishop. With Jessup out of the way, Ted brings the bishop to see the skirting board again, which now has a crude watercolour painting (by Dougal) of a man in a bishop's hat. As the bishop bends down to examine it, Ted kicks him in the buttocks as hard as possible while Dougal takes a photograph. Bishop Brennan is shocked into a catatonic state that lasts beyond his visit. As the bishop flies to Rome, Ted and Dougal celebrate with sparkling wine; Ted gets extremely drunk and orders 200 copies of the photograph, including a 10x10 version for himself. Brennan snaps out of his stupor just as he is to greet the Pope in the Vatican, telling the Pope "He did kick me up the arse!" before shoving him to the ground, running to the exit, and demanding a flight back to Ireland.

Ted wakes the next morning with a hangover and sees a furious Bishop Brennan charging toward the parochial house. Brennan kicks down the door, finds Ted under the bed, and flips it over. Ted convinces him he did not do it, but on his way out Brennan sees an enormous ten-foot-tall version of the photograph (Dougal having thought Ted meant feet when he said inches). After a brief chase, Ted slips on mud and the bishop boots him across the field. At the end, Father Jessup is still locked in the underpants hamper, using a lighter for light; after it runs out, he says "I'm really enjoying this".

Reader's Guide

The episode is notable as the favorite of writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, as stated in a documentary aired during Channel 4's Father Ted Night. It was not chosen by a vote on the Channel 4 website (that honor went to "Speed 3"). The episode's plot—a forfeit for cheating at a football match—drives a physical comedy climax that has become iconic in the series. The cultural references section of the source article notes that the writers of Seinfeld stole the idea for the Seinfeld episode "The Revenge" (involving George quitting his job and Jerry suggesting he return and pretend he never quit) and a story involving the Belgian painter René Magritte kicking his sister's fiancé to gauge his reaction; other versions of that story involve a friend of his wife's or a Time magazine interviewer. Irish author Eugene O'Brien titled his book studying Irish culture based on popular literary and media works after this episode. The episode's legacy lies in its memorable set piece—the kick itself—and the subsequent chase, which have been frequently referenced in discussions of Father Ted's most outrageous moments.

Did You Know?

• The episode's story continues from the previous episode, "Escape from Victory".
• Father Jessup is described as "the most sarcastic priest in Ireland".