Another Period
Albert tries to get over his fear of hatchets Comedy Central

The second episode of Another Period's season 2 Annulment aired on Wednesday (22 June) on Comedy Central and brought focus back to the Bellacourt manor where the two heiresses Lillian and Beatrice have finally got their annulments from their respective husbands Victor and Albert.

Lillian: "Today's the best day of our lives!"

Beatrice: "Our marriages are being annulled!"

Lillian: "Now we're living the dream: We're two single women in 1903 with 16 children between us."

But for Lillian and Victor, the annulment means splitting up of the assets, which in this case refers to ownership of rooms at Bellacourt manor. The two make their way through most of the list but cannot come to an agreement on the beloved Butternut Room.

They decide to have a sit-off in the room — the one who can remain there the longest gets it. Lillian tries to get Victor to leave by sending a letter to have his whole family killed. But it doesn't deter him from his efforts to win this contest of wills.

Lillian: "The Butternut Room? Why on earth would you think you get the Butternut Room?"

Victor: "It's my room. Butt or nut — who do you think loves those two things more?"

Beatrice's separation on the other hand is going fairly well but she finds out that Albert has an involuntary reflex around hatchets after being hit in the chest with one by Frederick. He asks Beatrice to get rid of all the hatchets that lie around the house and the debate that follows is a humorous and insightful take on the US gun control issue.

Beatrice: Hatchets don't kill people. People without hatchets do, because they basically kill themselves by not having hatchets"

He shows her the scar that the weapon left behind and it looks like a large vagina. The youngest Bellacourt daughter then makes it her goal to help her ex-husband take control of his "misbehaving hand" by getting over his fear.

Downstairs, the under-butler Garfield is having a tough time with the sly new recruit Jay. He spots the boy stealing jewellery but is unable to prove it to Peepers, who is fond of the child-servant.

The climax of the episode takes place at Kermit the Baby's shower during which Frederick is upset because he is no longer the only son.

The Commodore: "Frederick, hold your brother."

Frederick: "Why don't you make him hold me?!"

Albert arrives at the party and announces that he has managed to get over his hatchet phobia, but his success is short lived. On seeing Frederick he recollects being attacked and flings the weapon at the Bellacourt heir, who in typical dim-witted fashion tries to protect himself with Kermit the Baby.

Luckily, Beatrice whips out her own hatchet (why do they walk about the house with weapons?) and flings it at the other one to deflect it. Going off course, the blade chops off Jay's thumbs and all the jewellery he hid up his sleeves falls out.

Jay: "Don't send me back to the orphanage! I already burnt my bridges there!"

Peepers: "You're lucky I don't make you hitchhike! Because you have no thumbs!"

The show ends with Chair waking up from her coma, a plot detail that is bound to herald a lot of drama in next week's episode. The complete episode of Another Period can be viewed online here.