As has become customary in Campus, episode four opens with a scene of everyone’s favourite psychopath, Jonty de Wolfe, behaving with glorious impropriety towards one of Kirke’s student body. I want to make it clear to each of the four people in the UK still watching Campus that Katherine Ryan is a talented stand-up who’s been either misdirected or miscast in the role of George. Saying that, there are only so many constipated, unamused, angry faces one show can take, and hers have definitely outstayed their welcome. That’s why this week’s closing scene featuring the uptight Canadian dressed only in insulating tape and nipple tassels came as such a welcome change. Well, either that, or I’m just a bit of a perv. What became clear over the course of this episode is that the viewers who switched off after week one declaring Campus void of likeable characters and believable relationships should have stuck around a little bit longer. Improbably (though not unpredictably), the main thrust of Campus is now the love story between Matt and Imogen. This week, the pair shared a sweet moment which, though I don’t usually go much for soppiness in sitcoms, I’m prepared to let pass due to its use of a Bowie tune. While Matt was busy sex leaning, Imogen was getting in a tiz about her growing attraction to him while accidentally agreeing to go on a date with Flatpack. Her graceless pounce on the young athlete mid-qualifying race was a lovely joke and well played, as was his line about her angular frame looking like a sexy game of Kerplunk. Matt got most of the good speeches this week though, especially the telling off he gave über-organised, unspontaneous George. Countering a list of her achievements (get job, earn money, make more money…) with a string of his own (drink yourself sober, spend a week making love to the Afro-Caribbean society, wear a papier maché bra…) Matt managed to get both under her skin and into her pants. But what of the brilliant Lydia? Unlikely to join in on the mating activities of the rest of the staff, Lydia is still something of a lone wolf, all pent-up violence and awkwardly expressed rage. This week she was threatening to rabbit punch travel agents in the vagina and auditioning potential holiday companions with the ruthless efficiency of an SS officer. I bloody love Lydia. There was also all the expected strangeness: admin teams freezing time, Jonty transmogrifying secretaries and the like. All business as usual for the wonderfully weird Kirke team. I shall miss them when they’ve gone. Read our review of episode 3, Hurricane George, here.
