The Inbetweeners

The Inbetweeners 3.3 review

I wish The Inbetweeners would decide if it's a semi-realistic comedy or a live-action comic strip, because I spent most of this third episode either smiling in satisfaction at well-observed adolescent behaviour, or struggling to swallow its broader moments.

This week Neil turns 18. His mum goes overboard and buys him a motorbike, which he can't ride thanks to a broken arm - step in Jay to show him how it's done... His dad throws him a desultory family party, allowing him to bring ten friends. If only Neil had ten friends. Meanwhile, Will finds himself stuck on the horns of a male adolescent dilemma: should he go out with a girl he and his mates find unattractive if there's the slightest promise of oral sex? Naturally he does, though it all leads to an excruciating climax at Neil's party, which reveals the show's genius as a comedy of manners beneath all the smut.

The Inbetweeners: series three, episode three

Great visual gags, top lines and perhaps one of best Inbetweeners moments ever - this episode is a classic.

The Inbetweeners series 3 episode 3 review

There's a lot to like about this episode, including the way Jay and Neil mock Simon every time he mentions Tara's name (which, to be fair, is a lot).

The lovable misfit schoolboys show no signs of shaking off their nerdy charms as sixth form continues to expose their gaucheness in this puerile but funny sitcom. Simon (Joe Thomas) and Will (Simon Bird) are on a double date, with Simon wondering if a snog is worth the price of having his new girlfriend, Tara (Hannah Tointon), redesign his wardrobe, while Will hopes hanging out with Tara's boring friend will lead to some action.

Tween 'n gone: Inbetweeners creators axe show

Classy cult comedy The Inbetweeners is to be axed by its own creators - because its schoolboy characters are getting too old.

Top 10 Inbetweeners comedy gold moments

We celebrate the comedy majesty of E4's The Inbetweeners, with a look at his choice of the funniest scenes in the show to date...

'Just Say No', the infamous advertising campaign from the 1980s and 90s read. Of course, this aphorism didn't apply for The Inbetweeners in this week's episode of the regularly entertaining sitcom.

Geeky Will had reservations - despite slight goading from his mum - that smoking 'spliffpuff' would be the right track to enjoying a gig from hip, upcoming band Failsafe, but Simon had new girl Tara (a good turn by Hannah Tointon) to impress.

With his promise to supply the goods, Simon turned to cocky Jay as his dealer, who managed to score not 'd-r-u-g-s', but 'p-g-t-i-p-s' from bully Donovan.

The brilliantly observed scenes in the venue included a delightful cameo from comedian Doc Brown, who threatened to steal the show as an ingenuous drug dealer.

Jay, finally delivering on one of his boasts and delivering the 'puff', began a hilarious chain of events which ended with Will swallowing the entirety of the remaining stash - the bits that weren't rolled up by the dealer, that is.

Simon's relationship with Tara was the big story from the second episode, though, and will make fans wonder if he'll finally be lucky in love. After all, he 'doesn't want a Playboy model' but 'a nice girlfriend'.

Though at times it risked self-parody (Neil's slow-motion version of his robot dance, for example) The Inbetweeners picked up from a somewhat customary slow start to the series.

Displaying its influences - a knowing nod to The Office and David Brent's 'Hobnob' quip - the second episode was more Grange Hill than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. We wouldn't have it any other way.

The Inbetweeners 3.2 review

Overall, "The Gig & The Girlfriend" wasn't a classic episode, but it came close in a few instances.