After gaining their feet in the first 2 series, we now have a more cemented story in Peep Show. With new, established characters and further twists, we reach series 3, episode 6. How has it differed from the start and have we maintained or improved from the inaugural episode? In this review, we will be evaluating the ‘Quantocking’ episode from Peep Show’s 3 series.
The Episode: Series 3, Episode 6 – Quantocking
After the new and more recognized intro, we open with Jez playing darts as Mark tells him of his plans to propose to Sophie after they’ve started dating. Mark plans to bring her to the Quantocks hotel in Bristol but has 2 vouchers for rooms, so hesitantly invites Jez and his partner, nicknamed Big Suze.
Jez meets Super Hans who offers him a drink before announcing he is going straight edge. Hans then warns Jez to not say “crack” because it reminds him of cocaine and he loves crack. We then pan to Mark and Sophie who are evidently having a terrible weekend away.
Jez keeps Hans tied up on the bed so he cannot partake in drugs or alcohol. Suze then rings to confirm she will be coming. Mark and Sophie are shown to be having a bad dinner with Mark mentally rejecting the food and atmosphere. Olivia Colman’s character then strikes up talks with the table next to them as Mark thinks that’ll be the case when married.
Jez and Suze walk around the gardens before Hans calls him up to declare: “I’m being fucked by King Kong”. The conversations between Sophie and the other couples are going well but as he wants to propose, Mark tries to entice her to be alone by remarking, “It’s The Apprentice final tonight”. Sophie says she’ll stay with the others as Mark questions: “Why won’t that stupid bitch let me propose to her?”.
At the bar, Mark rings Jeremy before David Mitchell’s character is himself rung by Sophie who is lost. Sophie is back at the hotel and the other two are left stranded, not knowing the way back; Jez panics but Mark claims “Nobody dies at the Quantocks”. Robert Webb’s character constantly remarks that they will both die out there, however. After being lost for 20 minutes, Mark starts rationing out a chocolate bar, however, Mark also has a Twix he does not mention to Jez.
Both get deep into why Mark wants to marry Sophie. Mark realizes the more he and Sophie are together, the more they are separated as they have little in common. Mark is relieved he does not have to marry after all. They then stumble across a footpath, however, both take different directions, convinced their direction is correct. Jez actually gets back first, convincing Hans to leave his room via attaching drugs to a frisbee and tossing it out of the window for Hans to follow. Mark has not returned by the morning.
Mark eventually returns, disheveled and ragged from his night in the dark. Sophie then accepts Mark’s proposal, it is explained to a confused Mark that Sophie found his engagement ring and is saying yes. Mark seems entirely unenthused and mellow about the whole thing. Jez questions: “So, you’re going to stay married to this woman for the rest of all your life because of embarrassment?”.
Pros:
- Great use of the Super Hans character, further showing his love and addiction to drugs.
- Ending that sets up the next episode.
- Perfectly suits the characters of Mark and Jez in their scenes.
- Multiple callbacks to previous episodes, a Peep Show trademark.
Cons:
- Extended moor scenes may be excessive to viewers.
- Within the episode itself, the ending is inconclusive
So What Did You Think Of Peep Show?
Quite a different episode for its location, this does not fail to be a great episode, still keeping its commonplace features such as the awkward proposal, schemes between Mark and Jeremy, and Super Hans’s role. It sets up the whole show’s future in that of Mark’s marriage to Sophie too.
9.5/10
Leave a Reply