Crass hardly even begins to cover it. “The Inbetweeners,” which aired on the British channel E4, is rude. It’s inappropriate. It’s blunt. And it’s also piss-your-pants funny.
The show centers around four high school-aged boys — Will McKenzie, Simon Cooper, Jay Cartwright and Neil Sutherland — who are, to say the least, not too popular. Will borders on the side of pretentious, but has a swift reply for anyone who gives him lip. Simon is the nice guy at heart, but gets screwed over by his more immature friends on an all-too consistent basis. Neil often comes across as a bumbling fool and Jay appears to be a pathological liar and perhaps the most tactless of them all. These four misfits blunder their way through their days at Rudge Park Comprehensive, trying to get their underage hands on alcohol, weaseling their way into parties they weren’t invited to and attempting to get laid. But don’t be fooled—this isn’t just any ol’ boys will be boys coming of age series. What makes the show so addictively tongue in cheek is its snappy wit and utter disregard for social decorum. In the episode “Bunk Off” from the first season, after a particularly, ah, lively, day, Simon’s father berates the boys about their misbehavior. “You’ve had an eventful day, bunking off school, buying alcohol illegally, defacing Carly’s drive and insulting Neil’s dad, have I missed anything?!” he yells. How does Will respond? “We also hit a spastic with a frisbee.”
“The Inbetweeners” is fast-paced, fresh-faced and does not, by any means, hold back. If you can get past the sheer shock at what comes out of these boys’ mouths and just laugh at their inanity you won’t ever have to suffer through a dull moment in television again.
Goldin is a member of the class of 2013.