Julia Davis's cavalcade of cruelty, violence and suggestions for how Jane Austen might have described vaginas reaches the end of a relentless two-parter. Graham adores Helene, a desire thwarted by his estranged wife and Helene's new suitor, the witchfinder-y pastor. The cast give their all, notably Rufus Jones, whose depiction of Graham's impotence is immensely ballsy. But most comedies spend whole episodes building up to the sort of vulgar explosion Hunderby rams into every scene. Less is sometimes more.

Radio Times review

Mercy! Heavens! You can forget about the flowery dialogue, this concluding episode of the dark period comedy tips over into a cruel farce. There are lashings of blood, bodily fluids, disfigurement, frottage - and a bloody great mallet.

Julia Davis outdoes Kathy Bates in Misery when she wields that. As the plot races frantically in search of a conclusion, Davis's spiteful housekeeper Dorothy manipulates everyone around her to such an extent (stealing babies, crucifying monkeys and telling the lovely Alexandra Roach's Helene her beau reviles her "sour face and bland company") it's hard to continue the suspension of disbelief. Why can't anyone see through this loathsome woman's lies?