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It’s been three years since Channel 4’s longest running sitcom last graced our screens. That’s a long time to wait, and there’s no doubting that the suspense only added to the pressure of delivering a final season that would appease the show’s devoted viewers. You might worry that, after that amount of time, it would have lost some of its magic, but it’s clear that the show’s unique humour is very much still there.

The dysfunctional, codependent relationship between the two main characters has always been at the heart of the show, and as soon as season 9 begins, we’re reminded why it’s so brilliant. The years Mark and Jez have spent living together manifests itself in an intricate knowledge of each other’s eccentricities- to such an extent, in fact, that they could never really handle living with anyone else. Their rapport is perfectly captured not only in the writing, but also in the way Mitchell and Webb play so well off of one another.

The individual storylines of the characters are also still strong, remaining fresh yet compatible with the personalities that have been so well developed and defined over the course of the series. While Mark’s routine of being dangerously obsessive over his love interests does seem a bit overdone at this point, Jez’s childlike, carefree attitude is kept interesting and entertaining with a well-written change of direction for the character.

Crucially, the dialogue is as clever and hilarious as ever. Its humour is subtle and underplayed, and this is what makes the show so relatable and entertaining. Along with the excellent use of characters’ interior monologues, this enables the writers to put the characters in the outlandish and cringe-worthy scenarios that the series is renowned for, while maintaining the believability that the show needs in order for its humour to work as well as it does. Season 9 delivers everything that has made Peep Show so great, and gives the cult classic the send-off it deserves.