It’s a man versus a bee. Need we say more? Netflix’sMan vs. Beequickly became a hit with viewers after it took flight on the steamer in June,logging 25.4 million hoursviewed in the first week after release. The comedy miniseries found an audience with fans of old-style slapstick humor and the comedy of starRowan Atkinson.
The concept of person vs. animal or object in nature is one of the oldest tropes in entertainment, yet Atkinson brought a delightful new spin on it here. You wouldn’t think that the filmmakers would be able to stretch a man trying to kill a bee out for nine episodes, yet it works here. Even after all that, there is (spoiler alert) no winner between the two in the end. This leaves the door open for more slapstick battles between Atkinson’s Trevor Bingley and his bee nemesis in the future.
Director David Kerr has left thepossibility of a second seasonopen since both man and bee are alive by the series’ end. Here is whyMan vs. Beedeserves a second season.
One of the biggest reasons thatMan vs. Beeshould return was that there was no clear winner between the two adversaries at the end of the first season. Note where it says at the “end.” If we were to look at the first season as a whole, it’s clear that the bee bested Trevor at almost every turn. We see him slowly lose his grip on sanity and the world around him as he manages to destroy almost every priceless artifact while he is housesitting. Through all of this, the bee remains unscathed.
If one were to judge the season as a whole from what happens during the housesit, they could easily name the bee the winner of the conflict. Trevor went to jail, and the bee appeared to fly out the open front door. Conflict over, right? Nope. Through a lucky twist of fate, Trevor managed to secure an early release from jail that had nothing to do with the bee. Ready to enjoy some peace on a vacation with his daughter, it looks like Trevor may have, in fact, come out on top. That is until we hear that familiar buzzing.
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Somehow, the bee manages to find him on vacation, and the cycle repeats. You could argue that Trevor does win because he is able to repair his relationship with his daughter, and that is true to some extent. However, when it comes to the bee, he is in the exact same place as he was when they first encountered one another.
You might think that a series that pits two characters “vs.” one another in the title would have one of them win by the end. That is not the case here. The first season finale indicates this is not the end for these two adversaries. Perhaps we could see one of them finally achieve a lasting victory in a potential second season.
The Man and Bee Could Explore New Settings
Besides the central conflict, what madeMan vs. Beework so wellwas the setting. In the first episode, Trevor is introduced to this sprawling mansion complete with priceless artifacts that he will be watching for a few days. Before we even meet the bee, we can guess that some, if not most, of the artifacts, will not survive Trevor’s stay. That theory is proven right when he manages to destroy almost every priceless painting, statue, relic, and other assorted valuables while leaving the bee unharmed. All the bee really had to do was avoid Trevor’s attempted assaults and watch him destroy the house on his own.
Due to Trevor (literally) going scorched earth on the home and the couple’s arrest, it’s highly unlikely that a second season would be set in the same place. This opens the door for the team to explore any number of new locations and settings. Maybe they could stick with a similar theme and have the two face off in a different location with valuable artifacts, like a museum.
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However, they would more than likely want to explore different environments. We saw the bee invade Trevor’s camper at the end, so the second season might involve Trevor chasing the bee around the campground and pestering the other campers. The outdoor setting could provide more opportunities for the bee to hide, increasing the potential for more slapstick humor and gags. The bee might also follow Trevor home after vacation. This would let the audience see where he lives and gain insight into his personal life. It would also be interesting to see if he is as careless in his own home as he was while housesitting.
If there is a second season, there are numerous other locations where Trevor and the bee could wreak havoc with their perpetual rivalry.
It’s An Old-Style Slapstick Comedy
Slapstick comedy is one genre that is not as prevalent as it was in the past. Look back at the early-to-mid 20th century when we had groups likeAbbott and CostelloandThe Three Stooges. Slapstick even gave Atkinson hisbig break withMr. Beanin the ‘90s.
Man vs. Beefeels like a relic of those old days, where two characters engaged in a battle of wills and failed humorously in the process. The show also maintains a nice balance by not taking the comedy too over the top. Some characters in slapstick movies or shows should definitely be dead or seriously injured after what they endure. The injuries that Trevor sustains here are mostly mild and wouldn’t leave any lasting damage. The worst suffering is saved for the artifacts and the house itself. To a lesser extent, Cupcake the dog suffers at Trevor’s hands, but it is never intentional, and she also recovers by the series’ end.
