"The Plague" is the sixth episode of the second series of the Channel 4sitcomFather Ted, and the twelfth episode overall. It is the second of three episodes featuring Jim Norton as Bishop Brennan.
Synopsis
The episode begins with a self-referential mock title sequence with the words "Father Ted" replaced by "Father Ben", which then cuts to Dougal sitting in front of the television shouting excitedly to Ted that the programme is starting. Each comments on the spoof character representing themselves, Dougal saying that Brendan is "an eejit" and Ted making fun of Ben for being "a big thicko". The original Father Ted titles follow. Dougal gets a pet rabbit which, after much deliberation, he calls Sampras, because of "that whole tennis-rabbit connection". Meanwhile, Jack has acquired a habit of sleepwalking naked, and Bishop Brennan is set to visit to inspect the security arrangements after one of his friends was frightened by seeing Jack naked. Unfortunately, the bishop has a fear of rabbits due to a bad experience he once had with some in a lift, and Ted and Dougal must get Sampras out of the way before he visits. They fail, and the situation is exacerbated as more and more rabbits gradually appear in the parochial house, apparently from nowhere. Ted and Dougal then resort to desperate measures to hide the army of rabbits, such as hiding them at the localgreyhound track, trying to give them to their accident-prone friend Father Larry Duff and getting Tom, the local psychopath, to look after them, all to no avail. The bishop soon arrives, and Ted shows him the security arrangements for Jack. In the conversation, the Bishop notices a rabbit hutch with lettuce in it on the floor, rabbit droppings on the carpet and Mrs. Doyle walking in with water and lettuce, all of which prompt the bishop to go to bed. Ted then realises that Dougal left the rabbit army in the spare bedroom, where Brennan is sleeping, but after distracting the bishop, they discover that they are not there, having followed Jack into his room. However, while Ted's back is turned, Jack circumvents the security measures and escapes, and the rabbits follow. Ted notices a rabbit entering the spare bedroom, and he and Dougal tiptoe in to get the rabbits back out. The bishop wakes up and turns on the light to find himself surrounded by rabbits, as well as a nude Jack next to him in his bed. Ted tells Brennan that it is just a "bad dream", and the bishop lays back down to sleep, only to wake up again seconds later loudly screaming, having realised what is happening.
Popular culture
This episode contains a subtle reference to Pulp Fiction: Tom chooses between a hammer, baseball bat, chainsaw and katana to kill the rabbits, just as Butch in Pulp Fiction chooses between these weapons to fight Zed and Maynard. Also, one of the Rabbits apparently looks like Harvey Keitel.
On the wall at the back of the room where Tom is showing the priests how he will take care of the rabbits a section of the word Redrum can be seen. This is a reference to the film The Shining.
