Top 10 favourite Peep Show episodes Part 1 - No's 10-6

Right, just for a change I thought I would do another top 10 list and this un will be a list of my favourite episodes from the adult sitcom, Peep Show, which came to an end last year after a 9 series and 12 years.

The series itself as most of us may (or may not) know follows the mishaps of two begrudging friends, Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell) and Jeremy "Jez" Usbourne (Robert Webb) who share a flat together in London and everything is seen from their point of view and we constantly hear the internal monologues of both characters throughout.   

So let's take a look at what episodes made the list and this post will be split into two parts to keep things from getting too overloaded.

Oh, and as a warning this post will contain strong language quoted from the episodes themselves and PLOT SPOILERS, so let's take a peep....

10. Dream job (Series 1)

Right so at No.10 in the list is this episode from the very first series where Mark is up for promotion in his car, JLB credit.  However Mark soon discovers that he has been passed over for the promotion, which leaves him enraged and he decides to take a piss on his boss's desk to get back at her.  

Jez also has his own problems as he tries to impress his next door neighbour, Toni by taking her to a recording studio where she meets Super Hans (Mark King) but she starts to sleep with him instead, much to Jez's anger and envy.  So both men try to set about to try and get back at Sophie and Super Hans in a plan that resembles the plot of the film "Strangers on a train".     

The episode's best scene comes when Mark takes being passed over for promotion pretty badly as he pisses on his boss's desk.  And as he relieves himself he narrates "Well, I'll leave my idea in your desk, 'give you time to think about it. My new idea is urine!  Loads of urine! What do you think about that?!  Don't you think that will be just the ticket?!!".  And when the phone rings, Mark quickly picks up and sharply says "JLB credit, fuck off please!" and slams the phone down.

And not long after, Sophie pops into the office and nearly catches Mark in the act but he manages to get the pissed on papers from his boss's desk and hangs them up to dry in the men's toilets. However Sophie pops her head into the men's toilet and she sees the papers and asks "What happened?" and Mark anxiously says "Its not piss!".

Later on both guys attempt to carry out their respective plans to get revenge on Sophie and Super Hans.  So this consists of Jez making a prank call on Sophie just outside her home and Jez says to her "Look, I'm in charge here, I'm the one There's no need to go over the top, I'm just shitting you up a bit!" and this prompts Sophie to get out an air rifle and she fires it at them as they flee.

Then Mark goes with Jez to confront Super Hans over stealing Toni from him and he plans to kick Super Hans in the ghoulies and pepper spray him.  However it all goes awry again and Jez get's pepper sprayed instead by Mark when they confront Hans and Mark says to Jez "Its for your own good!".

And at the end of the episode, Sophie pays Mark a visit, who has been undergoing therapy for his irrational behaviour and Sophie apologises to Mark about the promotion and how she didn't really want it and was just urged to apply for it by her boss.  So Mark condescendingly says to Sophie "Well, I guess it's very nice for the big lady to come down here and talk to the little man.  I'm just surprised you can see me from up there in your ivory tower!" which angers Sophie who says "If you're gonna be like that then you can fuck off!" and she storms out.  Mark then follows her but then runs into Jez who has found the pepper spray and proceeds to spray Mark in the face as revenge and he says "Its for your own good!".  

Its a fun episode and features some of the best moments in the first series alone, so that's why it sits here at No.10.

9. Jeremy at JLB (Series 6)

At No.9 is "Jeremy at JLB" where Mark finally get's his promotion and he get's Jez a job at JLB, however all of a sudden, Mark's boss, Johnson (Paterson Joseph) announces that JLB's London branch is being made redundant.  

Mark then makes up a campaign to try and get everyone's job back but he is offered by the German CEO of the company a cheque of £15,000 to end the campaign, which he accepts.  However it all goes to pot anyway for Mark as they decide to do a raid on JLB offices only for Johnson and the CEO to turn up and take away Mark's cheque from him, leaving Mark without a job or any money.

"Jeremy at JLB" is a really enjoyable one as it signifies an end of an era in the show as JLB finally close down just as Jez finally get's his foot in the door.  And Jez provides some funny lines when after they have all been made redundant, they go to the pub.  And Jez says to Mark "It's such a weird day for all of us JLBers.  I mean, the whole thing's gone.  Just puff!" which annoys Mark.  Jez insists to Mark then "I really felt I was finding my niche" and Mark bitterly says to him "You can't find your niche between 9 and 11:30!" and Jez hits back with the best line of the episode "Since when did you set the niche-finding times?!".  

And the episode culminates a very funny sequence where Mark, Jez, Dobby and a few other JLB'ers go and raid the office.  And in the scene Jez takes his shirt off and raids the filing cabinets, chucking paper everywhere and Mark narrates saying "Why has he got his shirt off? Any excuse and he'll take his shirt off!".  Then after this, Jez and the others push out a large photocopier to throw it down the stairs and Mark narrates "Oh, my God! That wasn't my main photocopier, but it was a trusty steed when the main one was busy. Screw itl Who needs photocopiers when you've got a woman and a high-resolution printer that scans?!".  

However right at this stage, Johnson and the CEO shows up, looking rather annoyed, Mark puts up a phoney show of defiance as he says to Johnson "Well, I mean, obviously we're fucking everything up, and the fact that you're probably insured for all this doesn't make a blind bit of difference to us.  Yeah, so suck it up, you douchebag!".  So the CEO promptly takes the cheque from Mark and leaves, who ponders in his narration "There goes the Nazi gold.  Back into the vault with all the Rembrandts!".  

So its another fun episode and it marks the end of the JLB era in the show as Mark goes onto different pastures as his relationship with Dobby very slowly starts to move ahead and for me its a really enjoyable favourite so here it sits at No.9.     

8. Mugging (Series 3) 

At No.8 is this episode "Mugging" which sees Mark finally now in a relationship with Sophie, who he has been stalking for the first two series.  Jez on the other hand is already in a relationship with a dominatrix, Michelle, but he wants to break up with her although he she offers him the chance to do a threesome.  

Jez however's affections are elsewhere as Big Suze (Sophie Winkleman) a beautiful upper class girl, who Jez was formerly with, returns, but she has a new burly boyfriend, Stuart, who Jez resents and wants to find a way to break them up.  Mark however on his way home is mugged and he ends up losing his phone and his wallet and as the episode goes on he tries to get them back while trying to keep his focus on Sophie.  

This episode has plenty of good lines such as where Mark has to try and prevent Sophie from touching him up as their attempts to make out are marred by Mark's thoughts of being previously mugged.  And in the scene Mark narrates as Sophie touches him up "Please don't touch my floppy cock!".  

And near the end where Mark and Sophie are at the cinema, one of the muggers sits in the row infront, rustling his popcorn, which angers Mark to the point he punches the guy and he furiously narrates "Am I going to sit here and have my evening ruined by some arsehole? 'Just like when I put my parka on backwards for a joke 'and Terence Woo taped the hood over my face and everyone laughed. 'Well, I'm not going to fucking take it any more!".  So, Mark punches the mugger in the back of the head and says "That'll teach you to rustle your bloody popcorn!". 

Whereas Jez get's jealous of Big Suze's relationship as she get's involved with a former monk, Stuart and Jez ends up drunkenly punching Stuart in the face in a church and he says to him "God didn't protect you from my fist!  How do you like that?  You big lump of monk!".  

So its a fun episode that kicked off the third series in fine style and it also saw the show really start to hit its stride and for that alone its worth a place on here.

 

7. Spin War (Series 5)

So at No.7 is "Spin War" which is the episode that introduces Dobby (Isy Suttie) to the show, an IT nerd and also Mark's love interest after his relationship with Sophie goes sour and Mark also has to deal with the fallout of his failed marriage to Soph at work.  

Mark however temporarily enjoys (well kind of!) a sexual encounter with Dobby in a stationary cupboard as she wiggles her bum closely up against Mark's private area until he "blows his beans" as he narrates it.  And afterward Mark walks out of the cupboard and akwardly faces Sophie and Geoff (Sophie's former lover and Mark's main rival) who notice his jizz stain, thinking he pissed himself, they laugh.  And as Mark walks out he narrates "'Oh, yeah, they can laugh, but I win because they think I pissed myself! They've no clue I came all in my pants!". 

The episode also deals with Jez and Super Hans manipulating Barney, Sophie's young cousin, who has made a music CD, which Jez and Hans intend to use him to make more music for them and play it live and they can take the credit.  However a non-legal binding contract rustled up hastily on Mark's computer leaves Barney at the mercy of Jez and Hans that prompts Mark to ask of Barney "He's not sucking you off is he?" and this really get's Hans's attention and he says "Probably would!".
 

So the episode culminates with Mark going out on a date with Dobby at Jez's gig with Super Hans and Barney.  However, Sophie also turns up there, who is for wear having taken drugs, leaving Mark who was about to get it on with Dobby in the ladies toilets, to take care of her and take her out to her dad's car.  And this prompts a very drunken Sophie to say to Mark "You're like a life support machine, Mark.  Instead of giving life you suck it all out of people!".  

The gig also turns out to be a disaster as Barney has been lured into sucking off Super Hans and out of shame he locks himself in the toilet so instead Barney is soon taken home by his Dad.  And this leaves Jez to angrily say to Super Hans "You've ruined this!  Why couldn't you have gotten him to suck you off AFTER the gig?!".  

So, "Spin War" is alot of fun and its introduction of Dobby to the series is also a very welcome one as Isy Suttie's performance is charming and enjoyable and it has plenty of great lines and laughs so here it sits at No.8.   

6. Jurying (Series 3)

So at No.6 is "Jurying" from the 3rd series which is the one where Jez goes on jury duty and he unwittingly ends up meeting the defendant and having a fling with her while the trial is still undergoing.  

And after Jez starts seeing her, he states infront of the other jury members "I don't think she's guilty.  I think there's a reasonable doubt" and Jez narrates "I'm in Twelve Angry Men!  I'm the only who's not angry.  I'm horny!  That's much nicer!".   

Mark meanwhile after barely seeing Sophie as she is working away from the regular office, finally meets up with her and she wants him to go out to a rave and try esctasy, which Mark pretends to take.  Mark however is also under pressure from his boss, the cocky Alan Johnson (Paterson Joseph) to warn Sophie about her lazy, reckless behaviour at work. 

So at the rave, Mark awkwardly dances with the others and Jez has even turned up with the defendant, Carla to dance.  And Jez, high on an E says to Mark "Who'd have thought it? You and me out clubbing, you off your tits!  I can genuinely see us eventually reminiscing about this!".  However Mark let's Jez know he didn't pop the pill and this disappoints Jez who asks "Oh come on, Mark, why didn't you bang one?" and Mark says "Because I don't want to be in a phone box with a trucker's penis in my ear!".  So Mark listens to Jez for advice on what its like being on an E and tries out on Sophie and he says to her "Its like I'm trapped inside a giant Aero!" and "In fact I think I'm getting the famous munchies!" and Sophie surprised say "On an E???".  

But later on, the next morning back at Mark's flat, the ravers have all come back and a worse for wear Sophie goes to bed, which prompts Mark to sharply tell the ravers to get out.  And Mark says to them "Right, I'm turning this music off and putting on radio 4 and making tea and toast for Sophie.  I'm not really high on drugs, so you can stop talking your nonsense on my time!".  And Mark continues to rant "It's only the miracle of consumer capitalism that means you're not lying in your own shit, dying at 43 with rotten teeth, and a little pill with a chicken on it is not going to change that.  Now come on! Fuck off!".

And after Jez finds out that Carla is in fact guilty as she even admits to him he decides to go back to the jury and admit he spent time with her and that she does this stuff all the time much to the shock of the other jurors and the foreman of the jury (Alex Macqueen).  And after Jez makes an impassioned speech to the other jurors saying "This woman is EVIL!" and they all soon agree she is guilty and Jez says "Oh, yeah, justice is done. Not actual justice, but what I wanted to happen, 'which is basically the same thing!".

And that is "Jurying" which is definitely one of the best episodes of the third series and one of my favourite episodes.  It also starts to show Mark in a slightly more assertive manner, which makes it a bit more interesting from that perspective but it also has plenty of good laughs in it anyway so that's why it sits at No.6.

Right, so that's it for part 1 and I will be back soon with part 2....