The IT Crowd ended its fourth season on the 30th July 2010, and a fifth season is apparently in the works. While perhaps not as good as Graham Lineman’s other comedy Father Ted, the programme has usually been amusing and entertaining, with interesting characters and good stories. The last two episodes of the fourth season, however, weren’t really anything special. There were still some laughs to be had, the stories held little interest for the viewers, the sixth in particular.
Bringing Things to a Close
The fifth and sixth episodes of The IT Crowd chronicle the adventures of the workers of Reynholm Industries; Roy (Chris O’Dowd) and Moss (Richard Ayoade), their manager Jen (Katherine Parkinson) and their boss Douglas Reynholm (Matt Berry). In the fifth episode, ‘Bad Boys’, airing 23rd July 2010, Roy and Moss decide to skip work for the afternoon, and Moss wants to embrace a more daring personality. In the sixth episode, ‘Reynholm vs Reynholm’, Douglas’ long lost wife suddenly reappears in his office, and after two weeks, decides to file for a divorce, trying to use Jen to help him.
The episodes of Series 4 have been rather hit-or-miss, with the odd-numbered episodes generally being underwhelming and the even-numbered episodes being better. That pattern is broken by this most recent pair of episodes, where the fifth is the superior of the two. Seeing Moss and Roy act like two schoolboys playing truant is a delight, especially when Moss tries to be ‘bad’. Moss is usually the funniest character and these episodes are not exceptions. However, the finale, where Roy and Moss are in the middle of a bomb scare, is just awkward and what goes on in the office while they’re gone feels too much like a cartoon.
‘Reynholm vs Reynholm’ wasn’t a good way to end the series. It begins well, with humorous jokes about Jen being paid to tell Reynholm’s wife he is leaving her. The majority of the story takes place in a courtroom, and ‘courtroom episodes’ of sitcoms are rarely worth watching. Aside from Moss’ moment and a Star Trek-themed video, the entire case is dull and awkward. One is unlikely to care if Reynholm wins or not; if he loses, he’ll get what he deserves. What also makes this episode lacklustre is the lack of appearances from Roy and Moss. The show should have some variety in its episodes, but Roy and Moss are the characters that keep it hilarious and their absence would be sorely felt.
The Employees of Reynholm Industries
Despite the rather cloying stories, the acting remains solid, especially Richard Ayoade as Moss. He is the true bright spot of ‘Reynholm vs Reynholm’, his story about his mother suing him being ridiculously hilarious, and the highlight of ‘Bad Boys’ is when he begins to tell his story using forced slang words. Katherine Parkinson also amuses as Jen, and helps keep the sixth episode somewhat interesting through her uncertainties. Berry also creates a fittingly arrogant bigot in Reynholm and O’Dowd is once again fine as Roy. Such good acting deserves a better script, but the joys in the episodes were due to their performances.
The fourth series of The IT Crowd started off quite well, but the quality decreased as the programme continued, with the second episode being the pinnacle of the series. There is some amusement to be had, but the fifth and sixth episodes are still disappointing. Hopefully the fifth series will be better
Gareth Barsby - I am a recent graduate and aspiring writer with a love of movies and a lot of drive. I specialise in reviewing film and television, but am ...
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