Sleepin_Dragon

Vi has a date lined up. The only slight complication is that it's in Argentina. Ash, meanwhile, has a new job handing out flyers at a bar, and somehow convinces Freddie and Stuart to come along.

It's another funny, highly entertaining episode. For a sitcom centred on two gay men, it was only a matter of time before they ended up in a club, living their very best (and loudest) lives.

Freddie's line about modern-day lesbians is genuinely hilarious and, of course, wildly inappropriate. There's no chance they'd get away with it now.

Penelope once again gets some terrific one-liners. Her outfit is utterly glorious, perfectly suited to the modern dance club.

And let's be honest, very few people are going to complain about Iwan Rheon in a tight, wet T-shirt. He has a quirky innocence that makes Ash genuinely endearing.

There are some cracking one-liners throughout, particularly the joke about Cher. Even the Balthazar gag hasn't started to grate yet, despite being wheeled out repeatedly.

8/10.

Freddie is up for a small part in Downton Abbey. Ash, keen to be helpful, runs lines with him, a well-meaning gesture that somehow results in Ash landing a film role of his own. Naturally, this sends Freddie into a spiral of pride, jealousy, joy and quiet devastation. I just love the idea of Dame Maggie Smith complimenting Freddie on his jumper - surely the ultimate goal of any actor.

I'm not entirely sure I even made it this far when the series first aired, so this feels oddly like a first watch. There are gags here that would never make it to air now, and that only adds to the fun.

Bex Bye clearly has a fondness for 1970s sitcoms, and I'm very much on board with that. The static setting, the repeated jokes, the neighbours popping in and out - it's all very old-school, and rather comforting.

Poor Ash. He's probably regretting knocking on the wrong door in the first place, especially once the jokes about his allegedly large head start rolling in.

It's solid, sharp, and still thoroughly enjoyable.

8/10.

Ash turns to Freddie and Stuart for advice about a girl he'd been seeing before the move, the elusive Tracy. Freddie, meanwhile, is preparing for a meeting of Doctor Who fans who apparently still admire his performance-naturally, he needs a new coat for the occasion.

Some of the banter between Freddie and Stuart is glorious, especially whenever Stuart's mother is mentioned. I don't think we ever actually see her, but she's painfully easy to picture from the way they talk.

The joke about men at sci-fi conventions isn't entirely fair-there's usually some serious eye candy amongst the Daleks and plastic phasers.

Penelope continues to be a total delight. Vague, eccentric, and blissfully unaware, Marcia Warren absolutely nails these wonderfully unhinged older-lady roles. Her line about "are all these girls prostitutes?" is pure scene-stealing gold.

There's a real charm to this show. I can't decide whether it feels like a lost relic from decades past, or oddly American in its rhythm-but it works either way.

8/10.