Escape from Victory
Encyclopedia
"Escape from Victory" is the 5th episode of the third series of Channel 4
sitcom Father Ted
and the 22nd episode overall.
by Dick Byrne, ahead of the annual "All-Priests Five-a-Side
Over-75's Indoor Challenge Football
Match" between teams from Craggy Island and Rugged Island (yet another excuse for rivalry between Ted and Dick, who manage the opposing sides). With Mrs Doyle fearing that Ted has "gone mad" with paranoia
, Dougal brings him back to sanity by throwing a glass of water in Ted's face, repeatedly.
Ted thanks Dougal, saying he's been so worried about Dick discovering his tactics that he couldn't sleep, and had to drink Dreamy Sleepy Nightie Snoozy Snooze, an "alcoholic chocolate sleeping aid" which is in banned most Europe
an countries, "so that means it's very good", according to Ted. Dougal then walks outside to get an ice cream
from the ice cream van
that's been outside the garden for some time; at that moment, the van speeds away, driven by Dick (who's heard the entire conversation through the bug).
At training
with the Craggy Island team the following day, Ted gets very agitated with the team's lack of concentration, even though most of them seem too old to play competitive football. Jack, one of their star players (Dougal thinks he once had a trial for Liverpool
before Ted informs him that he was actually on trial in Liverpool) hasn't turned up to training, and his strike partner
, Father Nick, has just died.
At the church, seeing Nick's body, Ted talks to Fr. Niall Haverty, then notices Nick's expensive, technologically
-advanced coffin
that Niall has bought, along with a pair of fake
hands and a remote-controlled
wheelchair
, and Ted tells Niall he should stop throwing money away on useless impulse buys, which would only be of use in a "completely ludicrous situation". Talking about his team's injury problems, Ted admits that fears defeat even more because of the forfeit system he and Dick use; the previous year, Ted had to photocopy his rear end
(at the library
) after Craggy Island lost. Matters are not helped by the fact Dick phones the church and taunts Ted. When Ted asks how Dick knew where he was, the line goes dead and an ice-cream van jingle plays. Ted is furious to learn he has been spied upon.
Back home, Ted delicately tells Dougal that he is downgrading him from team physio
using the "Magic Sponge"
to guarding the corner flags from being stolen. Dougal, however, is proud to accept this "big responsibility", although fears that it's harder than it looks. Mrs Doyle, meanwhile, has been unenthusiastic about the upcoming match, not seeing the point in football; " a load of men kicking a bit of leather round a field", says she. Ted tries to change her mind by giving her a handbook, Understanding Football, for Women (whose cover looks like a romance novel
's) - she agrees to "give it a go". Ted then suddenly realises that Jack has been asleep for 14 days, which is unusual, even for him, and then finds the Dreamy Sleepy Nightie Snoozy Snooze - Jack has drunk the entire bottle.
On match day, Dick belittles Craggy Island's chances of winning, introducing his new Italian
player, Fr. Romeo Sensini, who is slightly fitter than the other over-75 players. Ted has brought his team in the back of a van
, and Jack still hasn't woken up. Ted says "I can't believe we're in this completely... ludicrous... situation!", then comes up with a way his team can still win.
Father Jack enters the gym
on Niall's remote-control wheelchair, followed by Ted, who has the controls inside his coat, pretending the fake hands are his own. In the (very slow) match, Craggy Island go 1-0 down (to a penalty scored by Sensini), with Mrs Doyle and all her friends now fanatically
supporting Craggy Island, after reading the book. After half-time
, Jack's wheelchair trundles through Rugged Island's defence, and he unwittingly scores to equalise. Late in the game, Fr. Cullen eventually scores into an open goal, and Craggy Island win 2-1. Dougal also "beats" Cyril by not letting him steal the corner flag as a souvenir
.
In the dressing room afterwards, Dick is given his forfeit: he has to kiss Cyril on the cheek (Ted playing on Dick's notorious homophobia
). However, Dougal offers Ted champagne just as the referee (Jason Byrne
) enters; he notices that Ted's hands are fake. Craggy Island's victory is annulled for cheating, so Dick gets to make Ted perform the forfeit after all. So, in a letter, Dick says, because he was "such a big cheating bastard", Ted must, by this time next week, "kick Bishop Brennan up the arse!".
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
sitcom Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
and the 22nd episode overall.
Synopsis
Dougal returns home to find Ted searching the parochial house frantically, because he believed they've been buggedCovert listening device
A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and in police investigations.A bug does not have to be a device...
by Dick Byrne, ahead of the annual "All-Priests Five-a-Side
Five-a-side football
thumb|240px|alt=Men playing football on artificial grass pitch.|Five-a-side game on astroturf pitch.Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players , rather than the usual eleven on each team. Other differences from football include a smaller...
Over-75's Indoor Challenge Football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
Match" between teams from Craggy Island and Rugged Island (yet another excuse for rivalry between Ted and Dick, who manage the opposing sides). With Mrs Doyle fearing that Ted has "gone mad" with paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
, Dougal brings him back to sanity by throwing a glass of water in Ted's face, repeatedly.
Ted thanks Dougal, saying he's been so worried about Dick discovering his tactics that he couldn't sleep, and had to drink Dreamy Sleepy Nightie Snoozy Snooze, an "alcoholic chocolate sleeping aid" which is in banned most Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries, "so that means it's very good", according to Ted. Dougal then walks outside to get an ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
from the ice cream van
Ice cream van
An ice cream van or ice cream truck is a commercial vehicle which serves as a travelling retail outlet for ice cream, usually during the summer. Ice cream vans are often seen parked at public events, or near parks, beaches, or other areas where people congregate...
that's been outside the garden for some time; at that moment, the van speeds away, driven by Dick (who's heard the entire conversation through the bug).
At training
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
with the Craggy Island team the following day, Ted gets very agitated with the team's lack of concentration, even though most of them seem too old to play competitive football. Jack, one of their star players (Dougal thinks he once had a trial for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
before Ted informs him that he was actually on trial in Liverpool) hasn't turned up to training, and his strike partner
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, Father Nick, has just died.
At the church, seeing Nick's body, Ted talks to Fr. Niall Haverty, then notices Nick's expensive, technologically
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
-advanced coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
that Niall has bought, along with a pair of fake
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
hands and a remote-controlled
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
, and Ted tells Niall he should stop throwing money away on useless impulse buys, which would only be of use in a "completely ludicrous situation". Talking about his team's injury problems, Ted admits that fears defeat even more because of the forfeit system he and Dick use; the previous year, Ted had to photocopy his rear end
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
(at the library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
) after Craggy Island lost. Matters are not helped by the fact Dick phones the church and taunts Ted. When Ted asks how Dick knew where he was, the line goes dead and an ice-cream van jingle plays. Ted is furious to learn he has been spied upon.
Back home, Ted delicately tells Dougal that he is downgrading him from team physio
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
using the "Magic Sponge"
Magic sponge
A magic sponge is a sponge soaked in very hot or cold water applied to sports injuries in order to reduce inflammation and pain. It was frequently used as a panacea for such injuries...
to guarding the corner flags from being stolen. Dougal, however, is proud to accept this "big responsibility", although fears that it's harder than it looks. Mrs Doyle, meanwhile, has been unenthusiastic about the upcoming match, not seeing the point in football; " a load of men kicking a bit of leather round a field", says she. Ted tries to change her mind by giving her a handbook, Understanding Football, for Women (whose cover looks like a romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
's) - she agrees to "give it a go". Ted then suddenly realises that Jack has been asleep for 14 days, which is unusual, even for him, and then finds the Dreamy Sleepy Nightie Snoozy Snooze - Jack has drunk the entire bottle.
On match day, Dick belittles Craggy Island's chances of winning, introducing his new Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
player, Fr. Romeo Sensini, who is slightly fitter than the other over-75 players. Ted has brought his team in the back of a van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
, and Jack still hasn't woken up. Ted says "I can't believe we're in this completely... ludicrous... situation!", then comes up with a way his team can still win.
Father Jack enters the gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
on Niall's remote-control wheelchair, followed by Ted, who has the controls inside his coat, pretending the fake hands are his own. In the (very slow) match, Craggy Island go 1-0 down (to a penalty scored by Sensini), with Mrs Doyle and all her friends now fanatically
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
supporting Craggy Island, after reading the book. After half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
, Jack's wheelchair trundles through Rugged Island's defence, and he unwittingly scores to equalise. Late in the game, Fr. Cullen eventually scores into an open goal, and Craggy Island win 2-1. Dougal also "beats" Cyril by not letting him steal the corner flag as a souvenir
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
.
In the dressing room afterwards, Dick is given his forfeit: he has to kiss Cyril on the cheek (Ted playing on Dick's notorious homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
). However, Dougal offers Ted champagne just as the referee (Jason Byrne
Jason Byrne
Jason Byrne may refer to:*Jason Byrne *Jason Byrne *Jason Byrne Irish footballer...
) enters; he notices that Ted's hands are fake. Craggy Island's victory is annulled for cheating, so Dick gets to make Ted perform the forfeit after all. So, in a letter, Dick says, because he was "such a big cheating bastard", Ted must, by this time next week, "kick Bishop Brennan up the arse!".
- Continued in "Kicking Bishop Brennan up the ArseKicking Bishop Brennan up the Arse"Kicking Bishop Brennan up the Arse" is the 6th episode of the third series of Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted and the 23rd episode overall.The story continues from the previous episode, "Escape from Victory".-Synopsis:...
"
Continuity
- Dougal asks Ted if Jack might be "dead again", a reference to the series one episode "Grant unto Him Eternal RestGrant unto Him Eternal RestGrant Unto Him Eternal Rest was the pilot episode of the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. It was, however, the sixth to be aired, the last of the first series. The parochial house interior is decorated differently to other episodes, and Dougal swears which is out of character compared to other...
". - When Ted shouts "kick the fucking ball!", fucking is bleeped-outBleep censorA bleep censor is the replacement of profanity or classified information with a beep sound , in television or radio...
, like in "Song for EuropeSong for Europe (Father Ted)"A Song For Europe" was the 5th episode of the second season of the Channel 4 television sitcom Father Ted.- Synopsis :Dougal has "Eurosong fever", months ahead of the competition. After initially rejecting Dougal's suggestion that they write a song to represent Ireland in the competition, Ted...
", but unlike in "Chirpy Burpy Cheap SheepChirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep"Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep" is the second episode of the third series of the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted.-Synopsis:Ted bets the entire heating allowance budget for the year on the King of the Sheep competition on Chris, a sheep who has won several times and is considered a sure thing. Unfortunately,...
".
Cultural references
- The title is a pun on the footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
movie Escape to VictoryEscape to VictoryEscape to Victory, known simply as Victory in North America, is a 1981 film about Allied prisoners of war who are interned in a German prison camp during World War II...
, about a football game played between prisoners of warPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and their guards in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
- The frantic searching for bugs by Ted is stated by the writers in their scripts' book to be an allusion to the ending of the film The ConversationThe ConversationThe Conversation is a 1974 American psychological thriller film written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman...
- Ted's angry ranting as a football manager is resemblant of three 1990s BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
documentaries about football: Cutting Edges "Graham Taylor: The Impossible Job" (1994), about Graham Taylor and EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
; Orient for a Fiver (1995), about John SittonJohn SittonJohn Sitton is an English former professional footballer and former manager of Leyton Orient.-Playing career:...
(and, to a much lesser extent, Chris Turner) and Leyton OrientLeyton Orient F.C.Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
; and Premier PassionsPremier PassionsPremier Passions is a five-part British documentary TV series, broadcast on BBC One between 24 February and 31 March 1998. It was narrated by actress and Sunderland fan Gina McKee, directed by John Alexander and produced by Stephen Lambert....
(1998), about Peter ReidPeter ReidPeter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
and SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. All three of these documentaries contained a lot of swearingProfanityProfanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, from football managers leading struggling teams.
- Dougal refers to Gianni VersaceGianni VersaceGianni Versace was an Italian fashion designer and founder of Gianni Versace S.p.A., an international fashion house, which produces accessories, fragrances, makeup and home furnishings as well as clothes. He also designed costumes for the theatre and films, and was a friend of Madonna, Elton John,...
, saying: "You remember that fella, who was so good at fashionFashionFashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
, they had to shoot him?"
Ending
- The series' script book revealed that the episode originally had a somewhat different ending, in which Dick Byrne tries to make up with Ted, and offers to shake his hand - which of course Ted can't do, as his hands are fake. He eventually tries to shake hands, only for Dick to accidentally pull one of the hands off, revealing the whole ruse. Cyril then asks Dick if they still have to pay Ted's goalkeeper "all that moneyBriberyBribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
" even though they still lost. Disgusted, the referee then forces Ted and Dick to undergo each other's forfeit; Ted forces Dick to kiss Cyril, which proves to be rather anticlimactic. Dick then reveals his forfeit: Ted must kick Bishop Brennan up the arse.