Peep Show series 6 episode 3 review

Wank bullets. Quite possibly Peep Show‘s finest hour and the crux of this entire episode. The invention of Jez – who else? – the concept of taking a wank bullet for a friend had me in absolute stitches and was just one of several high points in an episode, which easily ranks among the series’ best.

Wank bullets (I just can’t mention them enough in this review) played such a crucial role in this episode as they formed the basis of a long set-up to the killer punchline within the final minutes. Put together Jeremy’s rather heartening desire to not let his mate down (brought about because of an argument between the pair earlier when Mark questioned Jez’s loyalty to him), Mark’s first stab at trying to gain a job that would make him happy, and the obligatory misreading of a situation and you have the ingredients for a hilarious set piece.

And so it proved to be. “I done the downloading. And then I done a wank,” came forth Jeremy’s attempt to land his flatmate his job. “Superb. That’s the single nicest thing Jeremy’s ever done for me, and it’s completely ruined my life. You lovely shithead,” Mark’s internal monologue told us. Classic.

In truth, the episode mined much of the best moments from past episodes to come up with the best show of the series yet. Peep Show‘s central themes of Mark never quite getting what he wants, Mark and Jeremy’s friendship, and innocent misunderstandings are what makes the show the success it is and when they combine to such great effect here, what you are left with is true comedy gold.

The issue of Mark and Jeremy’s friendship is an interesting one in itself. Watch back the earlier episodes from the first few series and Jeremy’s frankly shitty attitude to his flatmate is all too clear.

Whether bullying him in front of his old schoolmates (leaving him to run after a car in a safari park), chastising him for not letting him play with ‘gunny’ or locking him in his own bedroom while Mark is sick, then forcing Mark to visit the toilet in full view of Mark’s boss and big Suze, Jeremy has not always been the kindest of chaps to Mr Corrigan. But things took a bit of turn around the end of series four. I think it’s the night walk in the wilds that did it. Since then, I think Jeremy has been generally that bit nicer to Mark (despite the odd slip-up here and there) and that lent his inclination to help Mark out in this episode all the more believability.

In other Peep Show news, Hoozah! Dobby’s still here and all is right again with the world. “Good old Dobby. The anxious, self-hating man’s crumpet.” Bless you, Dobby. You are all women.

Jeremy’s own dating prowess appears to be gaining pace with the beautiful, porn-watching Elena (“You watch porno, you watch porno and that’s the best thing in the world!”) and now that we know he’s not responsible for Sophie’s bun in the oven, has he possibly found his new Nancy? She’s a strong character in her own right, so I can certainly see the show running with this romance to the end.

Speaking of Corrigan junior, Mark also found time between sucking on his Sherlock Holmes pipe and wooing Dobby to have a couple of rather adult chats about the impending arrival with Sophie’s revelation that she wants to a private birth and Mark’s own unemployment leading to some cracking lines (“Oh god. The battle of the bulge. There’s a baby in there, about the size of a croissant. A terrifying life-altering croissant baby’.” “My entire life has been one continual adjustment to loss.”)

It’s lines like those that make my Friday nights the heady comedic joy that they currently are. One of the very best episode’s of the series, indeed, any Peep Show series, so far, this was a tittering triumph.

Read our review of episode 2 here.