TV Review: Fresh Meat - "The Wrath of Brian"

Season 1 - Episode 7

Channel 4 (UK)

This university comedy drama has been absolutely brilliant in its run so far, and I was delighted to hear this week that it's been renewed for a second season of 8 episodes next year. This episode dealt with quite a lot over its forty minutes, and was a great set up for the forthcoming season finale.

Josie's fiance, Dave has moved into the house, and everybody (bar Kingsley) is happy about the arrangement, as he fixes all of the broken equipment around the house. An encounter in the pub however, spills the beans that Josie had slept with Kingsley. Vod phones in a panic to warn him, and he and J.P. (who Josie also had a go on) find themselves locked in the bathroom. The shit hits the fan, Dave dumps Josie and leaves. Where she goes from here is anyone's guess. Out on the pull with Vod is my guess, given that Vod has told Oregon they're no longer friends.

Oregon, it turns out asked Professor Shales to bump Vod's grade up to stem the prospect of her bing put on academic probation. Professor Shales' wife then thinks that Vod is the one having the affair with her husband. Oregon then admits the truth, has a bizarrely friendly night out with Mrs Professor Shales, and admits to Vod that she helped with her grade. Vod flips, tells everyone about Oregon's secret life and ends their friendship (which I hope comes back, because it's a great friendship). To make matters worse, Professor Shales then pops up at the door having left his wife. Interesting development.

Elsewhere, J.P. is a busy boy, seeing a consellor after his father's death, getting his exam postponed only to find out he would need to take it after Christmas instead, then bribing Dan the geology man to give him the questions on the exam. Which are then promptly changed - whether Dan did this deliberately is anyone's guess. All this as well as being locked in a bathroom overnight with Kingsley. A busy boy indeed.

And Howard finds himself the victim of a psychotic revenge campaign from Brian (who was inadvertantly the instigator of the whole Dave/Josie/Kingsley showdown nonetheless). The campaign ends with Brian forging a letter to Howard that caused him to rush out of his geology exam.

As a penultimate episode, this really did have everything. The season has been consistently excellent, and the finale has been set up perfectly. Fantastic stuff.

**** 1/2