Writers: Jesse Armstrong & Sam Bain
Director: Becky MartinCast: David Mitchell (Mark), Robert Webb (Jez), Matt King (Super Hans), Tessa Wyatt (Jackie), Tom Chabon (Martin) & Ingrid Oliver (Natalie)
Jez's mother visits for a family funeral, arriving with her new boyfriend – a military man Jez despises, but Mark idolises...A return to bad taste comedy this week, as Jez (Robert Webb) takes perverse delight in the death of his Aunt Gwen, purely because he stands to inherit £20,000. While clearing out her house with Mark (David Mitchell) and Super Hans (Matt King), they also discover an old revolver (or "gunny" as they later christen it). Later, Jez's mother Jackie (Tessa Wyatt) arrives for the funeral with her new boyfriend Martin (Tom Chabon), an older gentleman with a fascinating military history...
It's funny, but despite seeing Jez embroiled in all manner of shocking antics since Peep Show started, watching him being cruel, spiteful and cynical to his unassuming mother was perhaps the most appalling thing I've seen him do. In stark contrast, Mark gets on brilliantly with Jackie (almost as the "favourite son") and is astonished when Martin asks him to collaborate on writing his wartime memoirs. But, as a competitor for the job is mentioned, Mark decides to endear himself to Martin's tomboy daughter Natalie (Ingrid Oliver), hoping she'll put in a good word for him.
Later, it becomes clear that the influence of Martin has made Jackie stronger in her handling of layabout Jez, and she entrusts Jez's half of Aunt Gwen's savings to Mark –enabling Mark to control Jez's weekly finances. Needless to say, Jez isn't happy when he discovers Mark's plan is to give him £70 "pocket money" every 7 days. Mark also becomes the victim of a sexual assault, when he invites a drunken Natalie back to the flat and wakes up to find her having sex on top of him. Despite a feeble plea for her to stop, he climaxes and spends the next few days debating whether the incident constituted rape. She didn't shove anything up his bum, so it couldn't be, could it? Oh, semantics.
As usual, Jez and Mark's hopes and dreams come crashing down by the end. Jackie and Martin decide to keep all of Aunt Gwen's fortunes to go on a luxury cruise, Jez's plot to prevent them leaving the country (by putting Gwen's gun in their luggage) is discovered, and once Natalie and her father hear about Mark's rape claim he loses his chance to be a published writer.
I'm in two-minds about this episode. It was heartening to see a storyline with a bit more originality this season; there were a few moments of amusing bad taste dotted throughout; and it all built to an effective final climax, but... I just didn't find it that funny. The jokes were there, but they inspired wry chuckles instead of belly laughs. The potential rape subplot was an excellent idea (particularly as, you know, I think Mark was raped), and I enjoyed seeing how Mark has a better relationship with Jackie than her own son, but everything else was lukewarm.
Also, for perhaps the first time on the show, I thought Jez came across as totally hateable in his treatment of his mother and pursuit of a dead relative's money. He's usually more sympathetic in his foolishness and silly attitudes, but I spent this episode wanting Martin to punch his lights out. He did get his comeuppance at the end, but only in so far that he lost his cash handout. I'd hoped Jackie might at least summon the confidence to give her son a good rollicking in public for his bad behaviour. Still, her spineless attitude explains why Jez is content to sit on his backside and expect things to happen around him.
Overall, this episode rescued itself once the rape subplot kicked in, and the resolution pulled everything together well, but it wasn't a particularly funny episode. The ingredients were there for a memorable story (and it certainly wasn't boring), but I felt like more could have been done with the premise. While I expect Peep Show's characters to be dysfunctional and twisted in their attitudes, this was the first time I found myself hating Jez -- and couldn't see anything redeeming, or funny, about his behaviour.
23 May 2008
Channel 4, 10.35 pm
