Christmas Day has passed; presents, food comas and tipsy board games are once again a distant memory. However, by 8:59 p.m., these frivolities were shoved, unceremoniously, to the back of our minds, and over 12 million of us gathered in front of our screens to watch Gavin and Stacey: The Finale. Arguably the most anticipated comeback in TV history, the nation held its breath as the theme tune played once again.
The episode was packed with twists, turns, and moments I am not ashamed to admit I watched through my fingers. With a collective gasp, the beginning of the episode led us to believe that Smithy (James Corden) was set to wed Sonia (Laura Aikman), his antagonistic partner introduced in the 2019 Christmas special. This horrendous revelation, however, was thankfully interspersed with classic lines from the series, such as Nessa’s (Ruth Jones) iconic “O? What’s occurin’?”.Every character was at their best, maintaining their incredible eccentricities which made us fall in love with them all those years ago. I, for one, (sorry Bryn, I stole your line) grew up with Gavin and Stacey, so hearing all their legendary, celebrated lines again was both exciting and nostalgic.
The Fishing Trip (And Other Scandals)
Whilst the special was amazing and almost perfect, I personally believe there was room for improvement. For example, Ruth and James neglected to tackle the elephant in the room; we’ll never know what happened on the fishing trip! Whilst many fans enjoyed that this long-running secret wasn’t revealed, others felt frustrated by the typical interruption of this highly anticipated conversation. Still, there is some charm in letting the viewers come to their own conclusions. After all, maybe it is better if we don’t know…
From Dirtbox (Andrew Knottis) to Fingers (Samuel Anderson), it was also so exciting to see the return of some of our favourite supporting characters from Gavin and Smithy’s group of friends with unconventional but iconic nicknames. Another character to reunite with the cast was Dave (Steffan Rhodri), now in a shocking new relationship with Gwen (Melanie Walters). , Like the fishing trip conundrum, this announcement was met with extremely mixed reviews online. While one fan posted that this reveal was “Probably one of my favourite bits of the episode”, positive reactions were not shared across the whole community of fans. Personally, I think the concept of Gwen finding romance with someone once engaged to Nessa, who is the same age as Gwen’s daughter, is downright bizarre. Still, it was so nice that Gwen finally found someone after Trevor died (God rest his soul).
Another article you may enjoy: How The Traitors Changed the Game in UK Reality TV
The Perfect Christmas Present
In the episode’s final moments, Smithy stops the wedding and declares his love for Nessa. I could almost hear the sigh of relief reverberating throughout the nation. Still, Ruth Jones and James Corden kept the tension and anticipation bubbling wonderfully throughout. So much so that many fans declared their outrage and upset online over Sonia’s return, before eventually correcting themselves in relief.
Although the show is named Gavin and Stacey, it was clear from their first meeting, 17 years ago in Leicester Square, that Nessa and Smithy were the true couple everyone was rooting for. Thus, their long-awaited marriage was a perfect Christmas present for fans everywhere. In the final moments of this spectacular episode, I became overwhelmed by sadness. While it was, in my opinion, a near-perfect ending, we will never again see a new episode of Gavin and Stacey on our screens. The show means so much to so many people across the world; it truly feels like the end of an era. So, thank you, James and Ruth, for the memories. I won’t lie to you, it has been cracking.