TV Review: Episodes 2.9 Season Finale

By Chris Suffield / July 9, 2012

rating: 4

The man of the year award ceremony has finally arrived, and it€™s a mixed bag of emotions for all. Secrets come out, reunions are made, affairs are ended and somebody ends up with a dislocated shoulder, so it€™s a jam-packed finale for Episodes series two. Carol is torn between Merc and taking his job, whilst it€™s a life-changing opportunity for her she turns it down because she loves Merc too much to hurt him. Despite Sean telling his estranged wife that he was fine with her dating Rob, when he sees the two of them together he discovers he€™s actually not all right with it. Merc finally learns of his wife€™s affair with Matt, and a fight breaks out in the mens room spilling out into the main hall. This is where some old school farce and a mostly happy ending kick in, and the series ends on a high note with plenty of story threads for a third run. Stephen Mangan and Matt LeBlanc are a terrific on screen double act, Hollywood producers should take note and cast them as mismatched cops in a buddy movie. The former friends star has done a great job of deconstructing himself (or at least his faux-self), he might not have a vast range but Episodes is the perfect vehicle for LeBlanc and he really should be on our screens more. There was fourth appearance from James Purefoy as Rob, it€™s always nice to see the talented actor on screen but he really didn€™t have much to do other than sit there and look handsome. Maybe that was the point. Young Ones star Nigel Plainer popped up as Matt€™s lawyer, and Michael Brandon as Eliot Salad to further tempt Carol with the job offer of a lifetime. After the fight Sean and Beverly finally resolve their differences, whilst their reunion was somewhat obvious you can€™t blame the writers for opting for a crowd-pleasing finale. There€™s still room for another series, after Merc€™s refusal to leave his wife we can expect Carol to rethink taking his job. Should she take the position, Pucks will likely get a second season. Next time lets hope they keep the episode count down to ensure a better overall show. At least three instalments this time round were largely pointless. Sometimes less is more. Episodes series two is out on DVD July 9th