Ep 10. Episode 10

Horrible Histories is back with season 4 episode 10, an enthralling installment all the more exciting for being the finale episode of this season. If you're not already acquainted with the Horrible Histories show, now is an excellent time to join the fandom and delight in some riotous historical reenactments that are guaranteed to have your sides splitting.

The ten-episode long season 4 has been a roaring success in maintaining the high standards of the show, and this finale episode is no exception to that reputation. The Horrible Histories team has painstakingly researched and compiled some of the most graphic, unusual and refreshing historical facts that are sure to leave you gobsmacked. No stale dates and boring recounts of historical happenings here: Horrible Histories are notorious for coming up with wacky ways to add a humorous twist to historical tales that are sometimes too dark or gruesome to tell in an ordinary, non-ironic way.

In this episode, we're treated to a range of sketch comedies, each dedicated to showcasing different, obscure historical facts. A standout feature of this episode is a song about St Patrick, which is guaranteed to get you humming along to it with glee. The song highlights some of the wackier, lesser-known facts about the patron saint of Ireland, including his penchant for using three-leaf clovers to explain the concept of Christianity and his somewhat unorthodox arrival in Ireland.

One of the sketches, presented as a "blitz newsreel", takes a satirical swipe at the propaganda machine that tried to keep the spirits of the people up during World War II. In the sketch, we see a news report vastly exaggerating how "successful" the wartime efforts are. The sketch is reminiscent of the old black-and-white documentaries of yesteryear, with the announcer adopting an earnest, deadpan tone as he relays the ludicrous news of how the war effort is going indeed 'swimmingly' (even as bombs rain down around him). Guest appearances by Meera Syal, Kathryn Drysdale, and Jalaal Hartley elevate the show's comedy and bring a unique perspective to historical happenings from different cultures.

The episode is not all fun and games, however, as there is a section dedicated to the Holocaust. The team behind Horrible Histories are well-versed in injecting humour into even the darkest corners of history, and they succeed in doing so again in this episode. The sketch highlights the inhumanity of the Nazi regime but does so in a way that is not disrespectful to victims of the tragedy. Instead, the show makes a point of educating its young viewers about the Holocaust in a way that caters to their level of comprehension, but in a way that is also powerful enough to leave them with a sense of the gravity of the situation.

The finale episode is also the perfect time to pay tributes to various recurring characters, such as Bob Hale, who is usually the show's go-to expert for all things historical. The episode features an updated version of his sealion, who provides information about Yuri Gagarin, a Russian cosmonaut and the first human to leave Earth and enter space.

One of the standout sketches is an animated sequence that explains the history of the British Titanic, a lesser-known variation of the more famous Titanic story. The sketch spares no punches with its humor, using puns to depict the disaster that occurred when the Titanic collided with an iceberg. Episodes typically feature skits with different themes, but this finale's segments most funnily demonstrate how millennials would behave if they suddenly found themselves in a bygone era.

The Horrible Histories series has always been a staple among young viewers who want to broaden their historical knowledge whilst being entertained at the same time. The show does this in the best possible way, by using humour to progressively teach and deliver insights about historical events and characters that might be difficult to ingest in a more serious tone. In this sense, Horrible Histories season 4 finale, episode 10, is the perfect embodiment of the show's mission. Overall, this episode is a must-watch for any fan of the show, who can expect to be amused and educated in equal measure.