The IT Crowd (UK)/50/50

50/50
Season 1, Episode 3
Airdate	February 5, 2006
Written by	Graham Linehan
Directed by	Graham Linehan
← 1x02 Calamity Jen	1x04 → The Red Door
The IT Crowd (UK) — Season One

50/50 is the third episode of the first season of The IT Crowd. Jen and Roy try their luck at love.

Starring: Chris O'Dowd (Roy), Richard Ayoade (Moss), Katherine Parkinson (Jen)

Guest Starring: Hannah Bourne (Rebecca), Oliver Chris (Daniel Carey), Carsten Hayes (Waiter), Alice Lowe (Patricia), Chris Tarrant (Himself), Bennet Thorpe (Clown)

Plot Overview

Roy is dropping off an attractive woman at her house after a date, but she's uncomfortable due to the mysterious brown stain on his forehead. He tries to convince her it's not shit, but never gets past her porch.

At work Roy is talking to Moss about the date, when Jen comes in laughing hysterically at Roy. Daniel the security guard walks in, asking Jen two questions about classical music. She gets both of them right, making it appear that she knows something about music when she's really just guessing.

Later, Daniel hangs out in the IT department studying a rather large book. When he departs, Jen confesses that she fancies him. Roy remarks that all women really want in men are bastards, to which Jen greatly disagrees. The two of them make a bet — Roy will place a personal ad that makes him seem like a jerk, which he believes will garner a billion responses. Jen is sure he won't get even one.

While Roy and Moss work on the personal ad, Jen imitates Roy's forehead faux pas. She finds herself in an awkward situation when Daniel walks in. He runs off when she starts wiping and licking the chocolate off. She later apologizes over the phone, and Daniel tells her she needs to be home that night.

Roy gets a response to his personal ad, and decides to try a date with the respondent.

At home, Jen gets a phone call from the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which thrills her at first, until Daniel comes on the line and asks her a question about classical music. She's his 50/50 lifeline.

The next morning, Moss excitedly relates the game show story to Roy — Jen got the question wrong. And worst of all, Daniel asked her out on a date just prior to asking the question, so now Jen has one very awkward dinner in front of her. Jen wants to pick a nice restaurant, and she ends up taking Moss' advice. Roy takes the same advice.

Moss' recommendation ends up being a noisy family restaurant, making Jen's date even worse. Across the room, Roy tries playing himself up as a rebel in front of his date but he's really bad at it. Things come to a head when one of the restaurant clowns makes fun of Daniel, and he ends up beating the clown savagely. Roy rushes over, and when Daniel accidentally hits Jen in the face, Roy and Daniel get into a fight.

Roy's date leaves with Daniel, and outside Roy has a nosebleed. He calls Jen a cab anyway, and she seems rather taken with his gallant actions. Roy doesn't notice and slams the cab door in her face.

Notes

• The episode title is displayed as Fifty-Fifty on the actual episode, all other references to the title use numerals, including the episode listing on Channel 4's website.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Roy goes on a date with Patricia the receptionist. It doesn't go well, especially since he has a chocolate stain on his forehead that looks suspiciously like shit.

• Jen makes passes at Daniel, a security guard at work by pretending she knows a lot about classical music. This backfires on her when he calls her as a lifeline on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and she gets the question wrong. Unfortunately for both of them, she still has to go on a date with him.

• Roy makes a bet with Jen that women prefer assholes. He places a classified ad designed to sound bad, and a woman actually replies to it. Roy goes on a date with the woman, but he doesn't impress her much. Roy ends up returning the money to Jen.

Characters

• Moss is 32 years old and lives with his mother.

• Patricia the receptionist used to date Simon on third. He is apparently a hairy jerk.

Trivia

Allusions and References

• Wayne Rooney: Daniel the security guard refers to this football (soccer) player while hanging out in the IT department.
• EFF: There are numerous stickers everywhere for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, including one on Roy's laptop.
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?: Daniel is a contestant on this show.

Quotes

• (The Internet is slow at work due to a router problem.)
  Roy: "Oh, do you remember the Internet at this speed? Up all night and you'd see eight women."