Time Bandits Season 1 Episodes 3 and 4 Review: Medieval / Prohibition

Those hoping this Apple TV+ series would find its darker edge in the third or fourth episodes will be disappointed with Time Bandits Season 1 Episodes 3 and 4, “Medieval/Prohibition.”

However, the high production value continues to be the highlight.

The third episode, “Medieval,” picks up where the previous episode left off, with poor Kevin Haddock’s parents turning into coal. The young protagonist now time travels with bandits to find a way to return his parents back to normal.

Despite Kevin’s new sense of urgency in his quest, the plot still feels aimless and irrelevant. None of the places the bandits travel to get Kevin closer to finding out how to cure his parents.

Even the new side-plot with Kevin’s sister following him through different time portals feels aimless.

If you found the over-the-top performances and silly story beats off-putting in the first two episodes, you shouldn’t expect the series to get less goofy with Episodes 3 and 4.

Episode 3 focuses on the group facing off against a corrupt Sheriff in medieval times. Episode 4 has the team partner up with gangsters of Harlem during the prohibition era of American history.

If anything, the show hasn’t gotten more outlandish, with the bandits acting cartoonishly stupid in multiple parts. The storylines remain childish, and the humor is still squarely aimed at kids.

There’s a scene in the third episode where Pure Evil, the embodiment of all evil in the universe and leader of demons, plays Monopoly. Ultimately, the show’s appeal is determined by how amusing viewers find that scene or not.

This isn’t to say the show’s humor doesn’t have merit.

The ongoing joke about how there’s often a gift shop no matter what time you land in is pretty good. If there’s one lesson that Time Bandits teaches children is that people, no matter what era, are collectively dumb.

Also, all cats are evil in the Time Bandits universe, which isn’t really that surprising.

“Medieval” offers many humorous moments, particularly the bandits’ multiple failed attempts to stop the sheriff. 

It’s also funny to see the comedic Time Bandits teaming up with the more grounded and gritty gangsters of 1920s New York on “Prohibition.”

The bandits themselves get more development, with the cowardly Alto gaining a short-lived love interest during “Prohibition,” which ends in a very anti-climatic yet logical way.

The team’s dynamic is starting to become fully formed, with Kevin stuck as the runt of the group.

Additionally, the sets and costumes are still a major high point for the series. While the streets of New York feel like a set you see on a studio tour, each era the bandits land has an authenticity to them.

There’s also a CGI pterosaur in the third episode that’s pretty impressive on a TV budget.

Time Bandits will not win over any new fans with “Medieval” and “Prohibition,” but the series is still a fun watch for the family. Hopefully, the main plot will begin picking up now that the stakes are better established.

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New episodes of Time Bandits stream Wednesdays on Apple TV+.

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