The comedy about Cotswold cousins Kerry and Kurtan Mucklowe returns with a bold and strangely poignant opening episode. Between the second and third series real-life friend Michael Sleggs, who played their mate Michael “Slugs” Slugette, died. Writers/stars Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper could, of course, have ignored this, but instead they tackle it head-on in this painfully brilliant start to the third – and they've saud – final series.

Part of the plot involves the fallout from Slugs' death, which prompts a falling-out between Kurtan (Charlie Cooper) and Kerry (Daisy May Cooper). Elsewhere Kerry has been having financial problems due to an ill-advised alpaca investment and has taken a job at the local recycling centre where she has a nice line in helping herself to items that should go in the charity shed. As usual she thinks the job is going to be the solution to all of her problems. As usual it isn't.

The mockumentary format feels almost incidental as we watch Kerry and Kurtan being bored, eating bad food and getting through their lives. At times they are like seven year olds. Enemies one minute, best friends the next. Kurtan is probably the kinder of the two, even though he seems to hold a longstanding grudge towards a major supermarket regarding horse meat. He also has something against the TV channel Dave ("by knuckledraggers, for knuckledraggers"). Oh and Paul Chahidi is back at longsuffering benign Reverend Francis Seaton, who always has their best interests at heart.

But this episode will be remembered as the Slugs episode. Other comedies might have dealt with the death of an actor by saying their character had gone on holiday. Not here. The Coopers have bravely confronted something that must have been truly tough for them to deal with head-on. And like the discarded electronic keyboard that Kerry finds at the recycling centre it works.  

Episodes of This Country will be available on BBC Three weekly from 7pm, Monday, February 17 and at 10.35pm on BBC One.

Picture: BBC