The Young Offenders has succeeded in creating yet another hilarious set of episodes.
-
10
VERY MILD SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Young Offenders is one of the best shows to come out of BBC Three in recent years. Its first two seasons demonstrated the show’s hilarity, as two protagonists Jock and Conor caused havoc around Cork. This humour, which will have you crying with laughter at points, continues in the newest season, but there is a much bigger sense of sentimentality in the characters’ relationships and actions in the six new episodes.
With Jock’s girlfriend, Siobhan Walsh, falling pregnant in previous seasons, this meant that season 3’s plot was inevitably going to be a bit different than the first two. And that is certainly the case; in episode 1, we meet Star the baby, who is instantly involved with antics in the most Young Offenders fashion: an attempted criminal heist. Jock and Conor’s interactions with Billy Murphy were as hilarious as ever, but the added baby companion makes for a very entertaining watch.
Unlike the first two seasons of The Young Offenders, this season is not just all laughs and Irish banter. The writing focuses more on sentimentality and moral lessons for the characters, with many heart-warming moments. Because of the newest addition to the family, it’s easy to assume that this change in writing signifies a growth in the characters. Jock and Conor are still as devious than ever, but they’re growing up and have some aspirations for the future (however unrealistic they may be…). Star has an effect on both the boys, as viewers watch them take on more mature responsibilities.
After three seasons, the relationships the characters have are likely to be predictable. But the writing in this show never dulls, and this season had its fair share of surprises and twists. Billy Murphy, for example, is the town criminal, with a tendency for threats and violence. Season 3 was the first instance where viewers were allowed to see his human side, and in the final episode (that is equally hilarious and heart-breaking), the real Billy Murphy’s emotions are revealed.
The final episode of this season sums up what’s to love about the show. It’ll make you cry with laughter, question Jock and Conor’s decisions, and follow along with their antics around the city, but it also has the ability to make you emotional over particular character relationships that were not touched in detail in the first couple of seasons.
If you’re looking for an easy watch, with intense Irishness and undoubtable hilarity, The Young Offenders is where to go.
The Young Offenders season 3 is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
