Father Ted Crilly stated, "It's nice to think of them all in the house having adventures, but when you think about it, it's really cruel to Ted. It's just an awful future for him... He's not watching a sitcom, he's living this awful life." "The Independent" characterised Ted as "by turns devious, cunning and disingenuous", noting a running joke about parish funds being traced to Ted's personal account. Ardal O'Hanlon, who played Father Dougal, said that Ted was the show's only rounded, fully formed character, and that the rest of the cast were essentially playing caricatures. Ted is frequently portrayed as a natural
Are You Right There Father Ted? already placed the collection on full display by the time Ted and Dougal return – with the Chinese people – to the house for a nightcap. In utter desperation, Ted sends more alcohol to the Yin family the following day: unfortunately, Father Jack intervenes by emerging in an SS uniform from a box, having drunk all the liquor. Father Jack spends practically the entire episode in small spaces, including inside a grandfather clock, which leads Ted to assume Jack is agoraphobic, which Dougal thinks is a fear of fighting, likely because he misheard "agora" as "aggro". In the book "Father