Reviewed by James Wynne.

It’s been a painful wait for fans of Peep Show, but it finally returned to our screens last night in its traditional, inimitable style. Last series finished off with Dobs accepting Mark’s invitation to come and live with him, and Jez struggling with the consequence that he’d have to move out because of this – whilst also being on the receiving end of an unceremonious beating from Super Hans.

Hans gets things rolling, as he reveals he has become a bathroom salesman, ditched the drugs and is in the process of burning all of the bands’ possessions… Well, all of Jez’s possessions. Unsurprisingly, this is all taking place in Mark’s flat, as Jez has yet to get his stuff or himself out of there. Mark’s doing his usual, non confrontational best to move him along, though – or, as Jez brilliantly puts it, he’s trying to kill him with flat pack.

In an effort to coax him in to leaving sooner rather than never, Mark persuades Jez to get ‘therapised’ at his expense. It’s a scenario that feels all too familiar (I refer you to Jez’s personality test from a few series ago) and isn’t done quite as well here. His outburst of lunacy feels somewhat overplayed and, on the comic side of things, it falls a little short of the mark. Although, his sudden urge to become a therapist after just a single session, stating that everyone needs ‘therapising’, including Mark (Mark needs therapy? Well, I never), is just typical Jez – his naivety knows no bounds – and doles out plenty of laughs.

Elsewhere, Mark’s self belief takes an upwards turn as he reaches the conclusion that he puts his rivals in the ground – that’s right, Gerard is dead, and he died whilst battling with Mark over the Dob’s affections. So, Mark has no more competition – The Dobby Club really is dissolved – but Mark’s insecurities and neurosis continues to eat away at him. He tries everything to get Dobs to move in – he sabotages her microwave and snubs the last phone call of her dying friend, what more does she want? He even graciously cuts short on his speech at Gerard’s funeral, delivering an impromptu, edited version – the interview he had to make was a biggie, after all.

The host of supporting players continue to deliver moments of sheer comedy gold (Johnson’s decision to highlight Gerard’s average, working skills at his funeral, of all places, was particularly enjoyable), but it’s the inner monologues of the El Dude brothers that both sickens and relates to the audience. It provides an invaluable guide to the reasons the pair of them say and do the things they do, and is always uncomfortably close to the reality of what swirls around our own heads – we’ve all got a bit of Mark and Jez in us, it seems.

Best Line: “You couldn’t beat me on earth, so you’re shitting on me from heaven.”

Best Scene: The Bhaji Betrayal

Jez makes his usual amount of effort to do something Mark insists upon, instead of getting ‘therapised’, he scoffs down a large meal, and gets his comeuppance in the form of large quantities of Indian food. Mark takes control, doing a Mr. Burns from across the table, as he forces Jez to confess to his crimes. Hilarious and just a little bit sinister.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Peep Show is back, and it’s still the same slice of television brilliance it’s always been. Jez and Mark remain loveable and hateful in equal measure, and their antics as relatable as they are unbelievable. The jokes are sharp and just as observant as they’ve ever been. It’s a brilliant return for one of Britain’s best comedies.