The Fashion Show (The Inbetweeners episode)

"The Fashion Show" is the first episode of the third series of The Inbetweeners. It first aired on E4 on 13 September 2010.

Plot

Jay comes to fetch Will, Simon and Neil in his mother’s car, which he calls his ‘minge-mobile’. Jay – whose driving skills leave something to be desired - has just had his left ear pierced and a stud inserted, which causes a lot of mirth among his friends as they believe a left-ear piercing to be a symbol of being gay.

Jay is hoping to feature in the school’s fashion show and learns with disbelief that Simon will be taking part as one of the models. His ear stud attracts the attention of Sixth Form tutor Mr. Gilbert, who demands its immediate removal. Mr. Gilbert then informs the students of the imminent return to school of Alistair Scott, a student who has been absent for serious health reasons.

In his office, Mr. Gilbert informs Will that he is putting him in charge of collecting the entrance money for the fashion show (the previous persons responsible had siphoned off some of the money collected to buy themselves new trainers). Will tells Mr. Gilbert that he objects to the fashion show ‘on a moral level’, referring to it as a ‘popularity parade’. Although Mr. Gilbert sympathises with Will’s feelings, he tells him: “It’s not the First World War. You can’t conscientiously object.” Faced with a choice between indefinite detention and collecting the entrance money, Will opts for the latter, although he maintains what he calls his right to protest. To which Mr. Gilbert replies: “Good. Just make sure it’s not a dirty protest, like the last one (a reference to Will soiling himself in the exam room at the end of the previous series).

Alistair Scott, at a reception to welcome him back to school, thanks the students present who are taking part in the fashion show to raise money for a dialysis machine. Will introduces himself to Alistair, and is discomfited to learn that Alistair has already heard about Will soiling himself in the exam room.

Carli gets Neil to agree to help backstage at the fashion show; Neil is excited at the thought of seeing the girl students taking part in a state of undress. Jay on the other hand fails to get Carli to take him on as an additional model for the parade, much to his chagrin. Simon prepares for the fashion show at home by practicing his catwalk parade, much to the amusement of his family.

On the night of the fashion show, Will takes advantage of his responsibilities at the hall entrance by haranguing visitors with his beliefs regarding the show, which he terms “an egotistical vanity fest”. His attempts at discouraging people from entering only attract the annoyance of both Carli and Simon. Jay turns up for the show with hooped earrings in both ears, still hoping to take part in the fashion show and attract the girl students’ attention.

Backstage, Neil learns to his disappointment that a modesty curtain has been erected for the students taking part to change behind. Simon on the other hand is excited to get an invitation from Carli to an after-show party in the Sixth Form Common Room, so much so that a stain appears on his boxer shorts (much to his discomfort in front of Carli).

Neil learns to his horror that not only do his duties backstage include dressing the male students taking part but that he will be working alongside Mr. Kennedy, a member of staff Simon refers to as ‘Paedo Kennedy’.

Will – who is still trying to discourage visitors from entering the hall – is delighted to see Charlotte (on holiday from university) arrive for the fashion show as a participant. His attitude to helping out at the show instantly changes, just as Alistair (who has learned of Will’s protests) arrives in his wheelchair. Will drowns out Alistair’s attempts at arguing with him and unsuccessfully tries to wheel him away.

Neil expresses his disappointment at not seeing the girl students taking part naked so audibly that he can be heard behind the modesty curtain. Jay arrives to regale his friends with a tale of sexual goings-on backstage at a school play, only for the students behind the curtain to deny the incident ever happened. Mr. Kennedy – who has been summoned by the irate girl students behind the curtain – arrives and mistakes Neil for a model, attempting to undress him. Neil’s protests that he isn’t a model only make Mr. Kennedy say: “You should be.”

The fashion show – with Mr. Gilbert as Master of Ceremonies – gets under way. Alistair finally manages to take Will to task regarding his initial attitude to the fashion show and gets so upset he attempts to assault Will while still in his wheelchair. Charlotte saves the day for Will by interrupting the fight to announce that a male student has passed out in the staff toilets after drinking a bottle of vodka and to ask Will to take his place. Will – to the angry horror of Alistair – agrees to help, but first throws a sheet over Alistair to quieten him.

Will hurries backstage and gets Neil to help him get changed, which angers Jay (who had been imagining himself as ‘first reserve’ model). Charlotte disappoints Will by saying that he has been chosen as a last-minute replacement model especially to fit the clothes. Will goes onto the catwalk with Charlotte and dances rather awkwardly to a disco tune.

Backstage, Carli asks Simon to take the place of another model whom she has evicted from the show’s ‘sexy finale’ for having a ‘hairy back’. The outfit she asks Simon to wear comprises Speedos, a top hat, a white shirt, a bow tie and a dog leash. Jay – even more irritated now that he has learned he is not even ‘second reserve’ model – begins to remove his earrings, only for Neil to remark that Jay’s ears have become infected. Simon is excited to hear Carli say that he has got a ‘great body’.

However, in his rush to get ready, Simon has failed to notice that the Speedos do not fit him properly and he goes on to the catwalk led by Carli, oblivious to the fact that the audience (including Simon’s father) can clearly see part of one of his testicles emerging from underneath the Speedos.

Backstage, Will is basking in Charlotte’s gratitude for having helped her out. Charlotte however makes it clear to Will that she sees ‘someone like him’ as potential boyfriend material. Will – disappointed to learn that Charlotte does not actually see him as a real boyfriend – refuses her invitation for a drink. Alistair arrives on the scene to berate Will for being ‘a sanctimonious prick’ and to say that he hopes that one day Will will also suffer serious illness. Will agrees with Jay's claim that Alistair is a dick. The ensuing quarrel is interrupted by Carli and Simon returning from their catwalk parade; Alistair notices Simon’s wardrobe malfunction and brings it to Simon’s notice. Carli – who had been wondering why the audience was laughing while she and Simon were on the catwalk – concludes that Simon has deliberately sabotaged her performance and angrily storms off, pursued by Alistair.

Simon’s anger at Neil for not having dressed him properly is interrupted by an irate Mr. Gilbert who tells Neil he is to be punished the following morning.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kennedy again attempts to get Neil out of his clothes, but his attempts at seduction are foiled by Mr. Gilbert who takes him away to get him ‘some fresh air’.

Later, Will tells a despondent Simon that he would have looked ridiculous in Speedos even if his testicle hadn’t been visible. They are joined by Neil and Jay who has had his infected ear bandaged. Jay attempts to convince his friends that he had sex with the ambulance lady who attended to his ear. Neither Will nor Simon feel like going to the after-show party. Will’s feeling of crushing disappointment is not helped by Neil revealing that he once kissed Charlotte (although he implies to Jay and Simon behind Will’s back that there was more than just a kiss involved).

Will concludes the episode by revealing to the audience what he has learned: Jay’s driving is worse than his fashion sense, Neil is ‘catnip for paedos’, having just one kidney is no barrier to being a ‘dick’ and Simon has extremely hairy testicles.

Cast

• Will McKenzie – Simon Bird
• Simon Cooper – Joe Thomas
• Neil Sutherland – Blake Harrison
• Jay Cartwright – James Buckley
• Carli – Emily Head
• Charlotte – Emily Atack
• Mr Gilbert – Greg Davies
• Alistair – Steven Webb
• Mr Kennedy – Waen Shepherd

External links