TV Review: Fresh Meat - "Power Through"

Season 1 - Episode 6

Channel 4 (UK)

While Fresh Meat has been an enjoyable watch so far, there was nothing to indicate how great it was going to be this week. In an episode that was in equal parts funny, moving, silly and sad, the writers and cast showed exactly what they are capable of in an episode that was very nearly perfect.

The depth that was shown by the characters in this episode was startling. Kicking off with Vod taking a drug overdose and JP finding out that his dad had suffered a heart attack, it moves on quickly, with a series of increasingly bizarre situations leading to an LSD ridden JP pouring his heart out to Oregon's (real name Melissa. Actually posh and rich, despite her protestations) dying horse before a heart wrenching final scene with JP and his mum, and across the road, Vod and Oregon. Fantastic television, well written, well acted, well made.

Elsewhere, Howard finally manages to get himself a date, which is ruined by his jealous friend Brian in a humourous subplot, while Kingsley and Josie compete over the school paper. The relationship between these two has been perhaps the strongest point of the show up to this point, and it takes another twist when Josie once again shows that she's a bit of a pushover by accepting a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Dave. Even though she seems not to want to. Josie is an interesting character as she seems to want to please everyone else, even if it means leaving herself miserable.

Fresh Meat has stepped up with this episode, and with only two left in the run (after a week's break for some reason) it looks like things are going to be very interesting at the end of the season.

**** 1/2