Published by Mason Oldridge, 31 January 2025
Bus wankers! Yes, there’s going to be lots of strong language in this one, so don’t say you haven’t been warned!
Posh and nerdy Will McKenzie has recently moved from his private school to the local comprehensive following his parents’ divorce. He befriends other socially-awkward teenagers: the easily-stressed Simon who obsesses over his childhood crush Carli; the filthy-minded compulsive liar and bragger Jay and the loveable yet simple-minded Neil. The Inbetweeners is a coming-of-age sitcom following the boys as they navigate their way through sixth form, attempting to overcome the teenage obstacles of bullies, mean teachers and failed sexual encounters. Running gags throughout the series include the boys fancying Will’s mum and teasing that Neil’s dad is a closeted gay.
Rarely does a comedy series gain such a cult following like The Inbetweeners. Debuting in 2008 and concluding with the second film in 2014, the show would go on to be quoted around classrooms for years to come. One of The Inbetweeners’ staying powers is the way each episode contains several memorable moments and loads of hilarious phrases, but here’s an attempt to pinpoint just one best moment from each episode!
S1E1: First Day
After refusing to be served, Will angrily claims that the pub is full of underage students, getting them all kicked out, with comments such as “his mum still buys his trousers, 16!"
S1E2: Bunk Off
Following playing hooky for the day and getting drunk, the boys head to Neil’s house, where Will verbally abuses Neil’s dad, calling him a “bumder!”, an amalgamation of bender and bummer.
S1E3: Thorpe Park
Having specifically queued for the front seats on Nemesis Inferno, Will is enraged to find there is only one space available and unleashes a furious rant about the “inconsiderate arseholes”, only to discover they have down syndrome and are members of The Happy Foundation.
S1E4: Will Gets a Girlfriend
Will manages to bag the popular girl in school Charlotte “Big Jugs” Hinchcliffe, but when they proceed to the bedroom, Will is rather wooden in his first time performance.
S1E5: Caravan Club
Jay tells of his sexual encounters at the caravan club, but is proved wrong when the boys tag along with him and find it is not as much of an “orgy” as he had claimed.
S1E6: Xmas Party
When Mr Gilbert hands over to Will for planning the Christmas party, Will refers to him by his first name: Phil. Mr Gilbert is not best pleased by this and insists he say his name properly.
S2E1: The Field Trip
The boys take a boat out on the annual school field trip and inadvertently catch a large fish. Neil sadly proclaims it won’t survive after being out of the water and proceeds to punch it to death.
S2E2: Work Experience
A girl in the year below is romantically interested in Simon and gives him a handjob at an under-18s disco while his friends watch on uncomfortably.
S2E3: Will’s Birthday
When Will is annoyed at the lack of sophisticated conversation at his dinner party, a few seconds pass before Neil asks “how much Lego can you stuff up your bum?”
S2E4: A Night Out in London
In Simon’s car, Jay winds his window down and shouts “bus wankers!” to people waiting at a bus stop just before a red light, to which they mistakenly confront Simon over, while Jay slumps down in his seat.
S2E5: The Duke of Edinburgh Awards
While reluctantly volunteering at a care home, Jay slopes off to the room of a recently deceased woman and masturbates over a young photo of her. However, the woman is not dead but in fact sleeping in the room, though is quite proud of him as her family walk in and shake Jay’s hand.
S2E6: Exam Time
After consuming lots of energy drinks, Will has an unfortunate accident in his exam before Mr Gilbert shamefully escorts him to the toilet.
S3E1: The Fashion Show
Simon is a last minute replacement in the school fashion show, but suffers an unlucky wardrobe malfunction as he performs with his testicle exposed, unbeknownst to him.
S3E2: The Gig and the Girlfriend
At a gig, having been peer pressured by the others to consume weed, Will freaks out and interrupts the stage, claiming to the crowd that he thinks he might be dead and to call an ambulance or his mum, all whilst he uncontrollably flails his arms.
S3E3: Will’s Dilemma
When Will is matched with Kerry, a girl much taller than him, he attempts to let her down gently. This upsets her greatly and he learns from her friend Tara that her dad died recently. Will accepts this is terrible news but explains that “it’s not relevant, is it”.
S3E4: The Trip to Warwick
Simon and Tara head to her sister’s university digs to have sex with each other for the first time. However, he is unable to obtain an erection and starts slapping his manhood, scaring Tara, who subsequently breaks up with him.
S3E5: Will is Home Alone
The boys vandalise a neighbour’s garden for fun, only for the angry man to attempt to confront them as they all hide in Will’s house. Will’s elderly neighbour then proceeds to check in on him, but Will slams the door on her as he is pretending to not be home.
S3E6: The Camping Trip
The boys go camping, but when the others use Will’s possessions to keep the fire alive, he angrily proclaims “stop burning my things!”
The Inbetweeners Movie
In an attempt to impress girls in a club, Will, Simon and Neil bust out some unique dance moves set to We No Speak Americano.
The Inbetweeners 2
At a waterpark, Neil has diarrhoea and fails to prevent relieving himself at the top of a slide that Will is currently going down. He tries to warn him but Will ultimately gets splattered and vomits in response, getting the entire park shut down.
People may ask, is 2000s teenhood really that vulgar? The answer would be no, the show does exaggerate it, but not as much as you may think! But that is why the series, along with being the rudest and crudest, is also the funniest comedy of the 21st century.