Griffin Reviews: Series 9, Episode 3 of Peep Show

In this episode of Peep Show, Mark is found in a tricky position to host a dinner party with little food. Trying to garner the love and respect of those present, he has an odd idea to salvage his own back.

The Episode: Series 9, Episode 3 – Threesim

Mark gets out of bed to hear Jez and another man having loud sex in the next room. Mark and Jeremy have a conversation about Jez’s sexuality and Mark is still seemingly intrigued yet regretful about the conversation. This discussion ends up putting Mark off of eating his Fruit Corner due to the increasingly graphic nature of the chat.

Mark goes to a book signing from author April about the Ottoman Empire whilst Jeremy talks to Megan – the girlfriend of Joe, with Joe himself having his own tiff with Jez. Mark gets his book signed and finally reveals he knows April from Dartmouth University where they both went. Meanwhile, the love triangle situation between Jeremy, Joe, and Megan intensifies. It is revealed by April that she co-writes her books with some resentment, to Mark’s pleasure as he mentally exclaims: “Hello resentment my old friend, I’ve come to stoke you up again”. He invites her over to his dinner party tomorrow night.

Mark and Jez talk about April with Mark going to great effort to plan their night together. After receiving a text (another Indiana Jones reference), Jez writes “Love You” on Mark’s eyelids as a little inside joke for the two. However, for Jez, he has trouble as Megan comes round only to find Joe there, putting Jeremy in a tense situation to try to hide both relationships from each other. During Mark’s cooking, April says her husband is not at a conference so will be there too whilst the pressure makes Mark question, “Has the stress turned me entirely Spanish?”.

Now with more guests than expected, Mark is in a panic to get a serviceable meal ready for the participants. In a fluster, the now turned-mad Mark makes a hodge-podge dinner consisting of random food items in the house; including lettuce, baked bean sauce, pasta, and eggs. Jez proposes suggesting it is Morrocan as “anything goes in Morocco”. After this, Mark desperately tries to scrape the message off of his eyelids due to Jeremy using a permanent marker. 

April and Angus (her husband) arrive while Mark tries to prevent blinking. After Angus trials some of the ‘Moroccan’ cocktails, Mark uses Megan’s make-up, putting blue eyeshadow to cover up the message but presenting it as “the fashion”. Jez then strikes up a conversation asking Angus if Jesus had a cat. Megan points out that the ‘Moroccan’ meal tastes like lettuce, spaghetti, and eggs to which Mark subtly calls her racist before continuing that it is “from the Atlas Mountains”. 

Jeremy furthers the Jesus discussion by asking what Jesus really did before stating that: “at least Hitler did some paintings”. Both Megan and Joe then come on to Jez until they eventually both feet each other’s foot in Jeremy’s crotch. Megan splashes wine in Jez’s face then Joe leaves with her to argue and Jeremy also goes off. Then it is revealed there is trouble a-brewing between April and Angus as Mark rubs his hands. Mark loves the increasingly heated and passive-aggressive conversation, declaring it could be his “night of greatest triumph”. 

Mark reveals the strangely-matched combo of lettuce and cheese desert (with cheese drawn on by Mark to depict Stilton. Jeremy announces he, Joe and Megan want to move forward as a trio, Angus congratulates them to the dismay of his author wife. Mark then lied to Angus about what April wants to suit his own needs as the ‘threeism’ argue over their regulations of being a trio. It ends with April leaving as Angus gets to stay over. Angus wants to have a long talk with Mark as they are drinking the terrible fake cocktails and cheese, in make-up, and with Jez and Joe making out in the same room.

Pros:

• The Morrocan excuse
• The love triangle through-line is very in-character for Jeremy
• Mark gets his comeuppance for his somewhat self-motivated actions

Cons:

• No Hans, Dobby, Johnson, etc.
• Issues between April/Angus seem rushed

So What Did You Think Of Peep Show?

Nothing truly revolutionary happened in this episode although it is very fun to see Mark spectacularly fail to host a dinner party and have to be faux Moroccan to cover this up. It shows a more unstable Mark with him going mad to make the meal and acting all for himself when with April.

8.5/10