the kid discovers mr. bean

Thanks to Netflix I am getting acquainted with many shows and movies that  I haven't seen in years. Ihave always liked the comedy of Rowan Atkinson, from his small parts in Four Weddings and A Funeral and Love, Actually to his epic craziness in his various Blackadder series and Johnny English spy soot films. But my all-time favorite comic performance is still "Mind the Baby, Mr. Bean" from his 1990s Mr. Bean series. I just had to share that episode with the kid, and not only did she love it as much as her momma, but she insisted on seeing the rest of the series. So we have hopped around, and then binge-watched from beginning to end all nineteen episodes. She even likes singing along to the Latin choral theme song.

Ecce homo qui est faba [Behold the man who is a bean]

Mr. Bean wants to go to the fun fair, but has also unwittingly invited a baby to tag along ...

These roller coasters are so dull

Maybe if I give the baby a balloon it will stop crying?

Or a lot of balloons?

It's awful that there are only nineteen episodes, but Netflix also has available the Mr. Bean animated series, which I had never seen before, so now we are discovering and enjoying together. There are a more of them — 26 double episodes, which is nice. After that, who knows, maybe I can start her off on Blackadder, too, as all four seasons are available ...

where did john malkovich go?

My mom has dementia, and thankfully, at least so far, her deterioration has been gradual. Sometimes I don't even notice that some new word or thing is "missing" for her until it is pointed out to me, situationally.

The other night we were watching the movie Johnny English, starring Rowan Atkinson (who mom loves) as Britain's most inept spy. John Malkovich was playing the super-villain, complete with an outrageous French accent. Mom recognized him, but as she usually does these days when we are watching a movie, she asked me what his name was. I usually tell her and she nods, as it sounds familiar to her. But when I said, "John Malkovich," she shook her head. It was a complete blank. It was gone.

John Malkovich and Rowan Atkinson in Johnny English

Now to be fair, it's hardly essential that she recall Malkovich's name, no matter how much of a movie buff she used to be. But I couldn't help but wonder, where did his name go? Where do all of the things that she is gradually forgetting go? Do they just shrivel up and die? Do they evaporate "into the ether," as in one of her favorite expressions. One of her past favorite expressions, that is, as I highly doubt she would know what I meant by "ether" these days. So many words, so many nouns, so many names. All gone.

Au revoir John Malkovich. Your name may be gone, but at least for now, your face still seems familiar.