My great auntie’s definition of a good book – probably a lot of great aunties’, maybe all great aunties’ – was “one that takes you out of yourself”. It is all I am looking for these days, from any of my entertainment media. Those who feel the same will fall like ravening beasts on The Pentaverate (Netflix). This is a six-episode piece of accomplished idiocy by Mike Myers, who has been specialising in such since the early 90s via Saturday Night Live, Wayne’s World, Austin Powers, the Shrek franchise and assorted other ventures.
Like Austin Powers, The Pentaverate has Myers playing multiple roles – so many, in fact, that, unless I say otherwise, you can assume all the characters mentioned here are played by him. This includes most of the Pentaverate, a secret society that is, unlike most secret societies, benevolent. (“They’re nice!” they say. We are informed of this at the beginning of every episode via a voiceover by Jeremy Irons, enjoying himself hugely in maximum Jeremy Irons mode.)
