The non-TV episode. The telly has been taken away by Rumbelow's because Eddie spent the money on five "magic beans". So to avoid boredom the pair play "put a bit of sellotape on the fridge", a "see how much custard you can hold in your underpant competition" and a game of good old fashioned chess.
Unfortunately, Eddie has sold most of the pieces. Eddie suggests using other things for the missing pieces including sixteen prawns, a bottle of brown sauce and a Spider-Man figurine.
Before they start, Richie suggests having a cocktail. But they only have pernod and ouzo. They finish off by bunging a blob of marmalade in it. They name it the Ethster Ranson (because iy pulls your gums back over your teeth). And then Richie realises that he does not know how to play chess, so Eddie has to explain the rules. 124 times. Eventually, Eddie wins and the two end with a fight.
Tropes
- Bottle Episode: The episode focuses solely on the duo in the flat.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Eddie does this while cheerfully slamming Richie's head in the fridge door:Eddie: It's funny. They say that television encourages violence. Well, I'm smashing his face in, and we haven't got one.
- Comedic Sociopathy: Even by this show's usual standards this episode has a good portion of slapstick violence.
- Crossword Puzzle: The episode begins with the main characters, deprived of the television which provides most of their usual entertainment, attempting to do a crossword. They are spectacularly bad at it; it's never revealed exactly what crossword they're doing, but since they're both exceptionally stupid, it doesn't really matter anyway.
- Flipping the Table: A seemingly innocent game of chess leads to Eddie flipping the table onto Richie's feet in retaliation for being punched in the face.
- Groin Attack: During the post-chess fight, Richie stabs Eddie in the groin with the point of his umbrella. When Eddie removes the brolly, the point has gone — presumably still embedded in his groin.
- Forgot to Pay the Bill: The TV rental money got spent elsewhere and Richie and Eddie had to resort to playing "put a piece of Sellotape on the fridge", "see how much custard you hold in your pants", and a rather violent game of chess.
- Gargle Blaster: The duo attempt to make a vodka martini without having any of the necessary ingredients on hand; they end up combining Pernod and Ouzo with a spoonful of marmalade (since they don't have any glace cherries) and salt on the rim of each glass. Eddie suggests naming it the Bloody Awful, or perhaps the Esther Rantzen — because "it pulls your gums back over your teeth".
- Never My Fault: When Richie calls Eddie out for spending the money they owed Rumbelow's in back rent on "magic beans", Eddie is quick to remind Richie that it was his fault they fell behind on the rent when he used the money on a "personal organ enhancement" operation
- Not-So-Badass Longcoat: Whilst setting up the chess game, Richie attempts to pull off the look of a smoking jacket, which literally just involves wearing his raincoat inside out. Neither Eddie nor the neighbours are convinced.
- Self-Plagiarism: The overall plot veers awfully close to a long sequence in Episode Five of Filthy Rich & Catflap, involving two characters also named Richie and Eddie (and portrayed by Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson) desperately trying to pass the time with board games. Just as in "Culture," Richie throws himself into playing, whereas Eddie just wants to be left alone. Indeed, Filthy Rich & Catflap is peppered with short scenes that foreshadow Bottom, but "Culture" is perhaps the most obvious example of this trope.
- Smart People Play Chess: Parodied, as Richie has absolutely no idea.
- Strange Minds Think Alike:Eddie: All right, two down... "Fish", four letters, now begins with "x".
Richie: X? Xylophone. Xylophone fish. (Beat)
Both simultaneously: Nah, it'd sink, wouldn't it.
