Okay, so Gorgocutie here, and I need to talk about this absolute gem from Tumblr user MythosMaven that perfectly captures why BBC’s Atlantis was low-key brilliant meta-humor that went straight over most people’s heads.
The premise: a modern man gets transported back in time to Ancient Greece. Already a recipe for chaos. But MythosMaven breaks down the three best moments that make this show a hidden comedy goldmine.
Scene 1: The Oedipus Baby Situation
Our hero meets a woman whose husband is trying to kill her baby because of a prophecy. If you know, you know — that’s the Oedipus myth in the making. And this poor modern dude has to navigate the fact that he’s just walked into one of the most famous prophecies in Western literature. No pressure, right?
Scene 2: Medusa Needs a Mirror
He meets a girl named Medusa. Just casually. And she asks him for a mirror. A mirror. The dramatic irony is so thick you could cut it with a kopis. We all know how this ends for Medusa, but in this timeline, she’s just a girl who wants to check her hair. Incredible.
Scene 3: THE TRIANGLE GUY
And then — the pièce de résistance — he meets Pythagoras. And what does our time-tossed hero say?
“THE TRIANGLE GUY!”
And Pythagoras? He’s thrilled. Absolutely delighted. Someone finally recognizes him for what he’s actually famous for, even if it’s phrased like a toddler spotting their favourite shape.
This is the kind of meta-humor that makes Atlantis genuinely underrated. The show knew exactly what it was doing — throwing a modern man into ancient myth and letting the collisions speak for themselves. No over-explaining, no winking at the camera. Just a guy blurting out “THE TRIANGLE GUY” at Pythagoras and everyone moving on with their lives.
MythosMaven put it perfectly: this is what happens when a show trusts its audience to know the myths and just enjoy the ride.
Related Tags: BBC Atlantis, Greek mythology memes, Tumblr comedy, Pythagoras triangle guy, Medusa mirror, Oedipus prophecy, BBC drama humor, MythosMaven
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