I’m pretty sure someone typed google into Google and broke the internet, because I’ve heard absolutely nothing about the IT Crowd special that aired last week in the UK.
The hour-long episode is the last we’ll ever see of the show, unfortunately. What was originally supposed to be a full season five had to be reduced, the actors are just way too busy. Good news is, while there is currently no airdate for the last episode of the phenomenal show in America, I managed to snag a copy of the finale. Here’s a spoiler-free sneak peek:
Even though it’s been three years since the last new episode of “The IT Crowd,” it’s amazing how well the special would have fit in if it aired right after the end of Season 4. There’s no mention of how much time has passed, and that’s a good thing. “The IT Crowd” has always been a show that isn’t afraid to push the reset button. Opening the episode as if the show had kept on going, without the viewers having to play catch-up for the lost time makes it easier to jump right back into the world without missing a beat. What’s different this time is that at the end of the hour, we know it’s over. And series creator Graham Linehan knows it too. At the end of it all, things do change for the characters in a big way. Honestly, I think that’s the best way to say goodbye, choosing to leave the reset button alone.
It takes about five minutes for the premise of the episode to kick in, and once it does, the jokes start flying. It could be that I was just in a great mood to finally have the show back, but this is the most I’ve ever laughed while watching the show. It just doesn’t let up. I also can’t remember an episode that tied the characters together so well. Everyone has their own plotline as usual, but the way they weave in and out of each other’s stories is done a lot smoother than most of the older episodes. It really feels like everything is part of a cohesive whole, which I have to admit I was worried about when I found out about the length. But at no point did I feel like I was watching two episodes glued together.
Ultimately I don’t know if it will be as memorable as say, “The Work Outing,” but there’s no question that “The Internet is Coming” is a much more fitting finale than Season 4’s “Reynholm vs Reynholm.” In a way it seems like a love letter to the fans, as nearly every great reference from the show comes back in some small way or another, but never so much that it’s jarring. I’m sad to say goodbye to the show (again), however I’m grateful that it got one last chance to make an exit, because it excels at doing so. And with any luck, we’ll get word of a US airdate soon.