It's the end of term and Will been voted the chairman of the sixth form Christmas party committee. Okay, he was the only person who wanted the job, but he's still taking it seriously, and has roped Simon, Jay and Neil in to help set it up.
This episode contains examples of:
- Ambiguous Situation: Are Mr. Gilbert and Miss Timms dating? Simon seems to think they are, but that could just be a rumour. The fact that they appear to be the only two teachers at the party means nothing as more than one adult would have been required to be there in any case. Gilbert's surprisingly gentle reaction to Neil's clumsy attempt to get off with Miss Timms may indicate that the two are not in fact an item.
- Distaff Counterpart: Carli's friend, who refers to Simon as "Sickboy Boner" and gets with Jay at the party, is basically a female Jay. She chats Jay up with a story similar to one he would use, accuses him of sounding "bent" in the same way Jay himself did with Simon earlier in the episode and even has the same haircut.
- High-School Dance: Will organises the school disco. Simon plans to use it as an opportunity to express his feelings for Carli by having Jay stop the music so he can make it as romantic as possible. Of course, he chickens out and Neil takes the heat off him by trying to kiss Ms Timms. It's different from the usual examples in that alcohol is allowed (albeit limited to two drinks per person, though Jay implies that they control the alcohol anyway).
- Ignored Epiphany: Jay has a brief heart to heart with John at Will's party where he admits that he exaggerates to be noticed and that being a DJ lets him ignore that impulse and it looks like it might be a genuine moment of growth...until he meets a girl and immediately reverts to his normal personality.
- Impossibly Tacky Clothes: Neil's party attire consists of a midnight blue sequined jumpsuit with a neckline plunging down to his crotch and an enormous flaired collar along with a pair of Cuban heels. He wanted something that would stand out, but went a little too far.
- Insistent Terminology: Mr. Gilbert makes it very clear that the Christmas party is not a prom.
- Interrupted Declaration of Love: Simon tries for a big declaration of love with Carli at the Christmas party. He stammers, despite Jay setting everything up for him to go for it. Then Neil's attempts to kiss his unfortunate biology teacher takes the heat off Simon. By the time he looks back, Carli is off arguing with her boyfriend about his initial refusal to come to the prom. On the plus side, Simon's recurring nickname of "Boner" has been passed onto Neil.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Jay tells John to shut up during the prom planning session after hearing him ask about food one too many times (as Will had even told him repeatedly that they would get to that on the agenda).
- Pet the Dog:
- Jay does follow Simon's instructions about turning the music down at the exact moment at the Christmas party so Simon can confess to Carli, without trying to muck it up. It doesn't go as planned, but Jay still faithfully did his part, even with his dislike for Carli in mind.
- Mr. Gilbert gently takes Neil away for a glass of water after he drunkenly tries to get off with Miss Timms. Neil later mentions that Gilbert took it quite well, especially considering that he and Miss Timms are said to be dating.
- Mr. Gilbert ends the first season musing almost warmly about how well the Christmas party went and how he may go to bed "relatively hate-free" as a result, though he does interrupt himself to berate a couple of students about making out in public or tagging people's property.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: The first season ends with Will actually gaining respect from other students for throwing a successful party, and Jay actually manages to get a girl interested in him. The episode ends on an upbeat note with the four friends jumping on a trampoline together.
- What You Are in the Dark: When Jay talks alone with Big John in the sixth episode, he shows a surprisingly nice side of himself and even seems to find John sympathetic. However, when others are around, he doesn't miss one chance to gravely insult John, especially about his weight - because the general consensus is that John is a loser.
