Jen the Fredo

Jen the Fredo
Series 04, Episode 01
Air Date	June 19, 2010 - 4OD Premiere June 26, 2010 - Television
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Jen the Fredo is the first episode of the fourth series of The IT Crowd.

Summary

Jen wants to stretch herself in the workplace so she applies for the post of Entertainment Manager. But when she finds out that amusing her boss Douglas' business connections has its darker side, she has to turn to Moss and Roy for help. Jen has trouble with her new job as she finds Phil, John and John rather difficult to please, especially after a disappointing visit to the Vagina Monologues. Can Roy's broken heart be fixed by Moss and a game of Dungeons and Dragons?

Plot Line

Moss shows Jen his new twenty-sided die for his role-playing game, however, she is less than enthusiastic to hear about it.

Jen enters the IT department with news to tell Moss and Roy. However, Moss swiftly interrupts her and begins describing his latest venture, a roleplaying game a la Dungeons and Dragons. She then informs Moss that a post for entertainment manager has opened up and that she feels it's perfect for her. Moss quickly deters her by telling her "it's not for her". Frustrated, she asks where Roy is, but Moss informs her that he hasn't shown up yet. They discuss his latest break-up with his girlfriend, and Jen views some disturbing photos, in which Roy has photoshopped out his girlfriend.

Jen flicks through Roy's disturbing photos of him and his ex-girlfriend, the latter having been incredibly successfully photoshopped out of each one .

Roy then arrives at the office, distressed and upset that Jen and Moss are talking about him and his breakup. Both Jen and Moss comfort him; however, Roy turns against Moss when he creates a story about having met a girl on holiday. Roy tells them that all he has to do is forget about her, whilst quoting the 'Compare the Meerkat' advert, which his ex-girlfriend used to love.

Jen meets with Douglas about her appointment to 'Entertainment Manager' .

Jen meets with Douglas to discuss the position; however, he tells her, in a similar manner that Moss did, that she is not right for the job. Jen tries to persuade Douglas, by informing him that she loves culture, having seen We Will Rock You four times, to Douglas' disgust. He tells her that the position of 'Entertainment Manager' has been held by a man. Jen tries to stop him from being sexist; however, he believes his Shithead Award is an award featuring a so-called 'Ice-Cream Man'.

Moss tries to comfort Roy, by discussing the confusion of women rather awkwardly. Jen tells the two that she has just been given the position of 'Entertainment Manager'. Roy, in the same manner as Douglas and Moss, tells her that the job is not for her. Roy asks Moss what happened to the last Entertainment Manager, Jerry, and Moss informs him that Jerry had a "massive heart attack". Roy then tells Jen that she is the new 'Fredo', in reference to the Godfather. He tells her that she is "essentially a pimp", asking for support from Moss, who is confusedly thinking of Lord of the Rings.

Jen, Phil and the two Johns are thrown out of a production of the Vagina Monologues, after they presumably heckled it.

Douglas introduces his friends Phil, John 1 and John 2 to Jen, although they are not as enthusiastic about having her as the entertainment manager and going with her to a show. However, after she introduces it as "raunchy" they seem more enthusiastic. Jen and the three men are abruptly thrown out of the production, the Vagina Monologues, after believing it to be false advertising, as it featured no "talking fannies".

Douglas loses his train of thought whilst observing the 'glass ceiling'.

Douglas is then shown being interviewed by three of the women who decided he would be a perfect candidate for the 'Shithead of the Year' award. After several sexist comments, with Douglas even likening women to toast - buttery and consumable is the way he prefers both - he explains that things have changed at Reynholm Industries and that women have a much higher role in the hierarchy. However, after Douglas tries to introduce Jen to the women, she mistakes them for prostitutes and thoroughly embarrasses him. Jen tells Moss that she has to spend another week with Phil and the two Johns. Moss tries to comfort her, similarly to the way he tried to comfort Roy earlier in the episode. Moss then suggests that a great way to entertain the men would be to play his role-playing game.

Moss tries to explain his role-playing game to unwilling participants.

Moss then attempts to explain the game to Phil and the Johns, with the help of Roy, who is still depressed about his breakup. After a stern speech, Moss convinces them to play and assigns them their characters for the game. Phil, however, is still rather reluctant and consults Jen about not wanting to play, although she too convinces him again. Jen asks Roy for a chat and then tells him off for being miserable. True to a previous comment from Moss, Jen acts similarly like a pimp towards Roy.

Moss is shown to portray many characters in his roleplaying game, including Queen Eliza and a member of the Royal Guard.

Douglas is shown after having slept with one of the women, Miranda, although it appears his efforts were futile, as she doesn't decide. Miranda explains that it was rather strange that the complaints about Douglas came from inside the IT Department, from a woman. It is quite obvious the complaint was made from Jen and Douglas appears to be piecing it together.

Moss, Phil, and the John are thoroughly engrossed in their role-playing game, with Phil even having mastered the rules enough to cast effective spells against complex enemies. Roy tries to appear involved with the others, but it is obvious his depression is bringing him down. To cheer him up, Moss takes on the persona of Queen Eliza and speaks to Roy as though he is his ex-girlfriend. He tells Roy goodbye and Roy returns the gesture tearfully.

Douglas throws his 'Shithead of the Year' Award from his window, thus solving his problems.

Phil tells Jen that they had a great time with Moss and Roy and that he will even tell his rugby club about role-playing games. Jen says goodbye to the three of them and is left with Douglas. He stands glaring at her sternly as he informs her that he knows it was her who made the complaint, and that she broke his heart. Roy tells Jen that he is feeling a lot better and she asks him what happened to Fredo in the Godfather. Roy cheerfully informs her that the Godfather had Fredo killed, which appears to disturb Jen, who believes herself to be in a similar position as Fredo was.

Douglas' 'Shithead of the Year' Award crashes into Jen's windscreen, just inches from her.

Douglas stands holding his 'Shithead of the Year' Award and ponders over what to do. He throws the award out of the window and exclaims "Problem solved!", bursting out in uncontrollable laughter. Jen is shown standing next to her car, traumatised; Douglas' award has crashed down into the windscreen of her car, narrowly missing her. She looks up and sees Douglas laughing at his window. She runs away terrified.

Guest Stars

• Miranda - Dolly Wells
• Phil - Charlie Baker
• John 1 - Simon Snashall
• John 2 - Ed Weeks

Note: The two other women from the 'Shithead of the Year' Award committee, are not credited as they have no spoken lines.

Trivia

Roy's t-shirt simply depicts the word 'No.' .

• Roy's Shirt: A black t-shirt featuring the word 'No.'
• Strangely, Roy's girlfriend is never seen during the episode, with them having broken up before the events of the episode. She is also never seen in the photos, as Roy photoshopped her out.
• This episode makes numerous references to the Godfather Trilogy, in particular, the character Fredo Corleone[1], to whom Jen is continually compared. Moss, however, mistakes Roy's comparison of Jen to Fredo for Frodo Baggins [2], from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
• This episode also parodies the famous quote from 'Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring' of 'You have my sword, and my bow, and my axe' during the game of Dungeons and Dragons as 'You have my sword, and my staff, and my bunny bracelet'.
• Despite rampant suspicion, Richmond did not appear in this episode, nor was he mentioned; however, it is still possible he could make a further appearance in later episodes during this series.
• This is the first episode not to feature a scene from the show playing over the credits; instead, the names roll over a black screen.
• Dolly Wells, who played Miranda, has previously appeared on the show as Paula, the car crash victim Jen invites to her Dinner Party.

External Links

• Watch Jen the Fredo on 4OD.
• Jen the Fredo at the Internet Movie Database.
• Jen the Fredo at TV.com.