Top Gear Episode 5 is better… but not great

‘Top Gear’ is starting to get a little better… but is it good enough?

Thankfully, it looks as though ‘Top Gear’ has dropped the comedy skits for a second episode running. Instead, they kick-off with a rather duff, Britishy-sounding joke from Matt LeBlanc. But while he’s quick to jest about your pals being a bit of a lightweight, I get the feeling he’s never set foot in a proper British pub in his entire life.

And once again, the humour feels painfully forced.

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But at least it’s not forced for very long… as Episode 5 begins with a look at the Zenos E10 – a lightweight car that might just knock your socks off.

Chris Evans takes a drive in the Zenos E10

Unfortunately, the segment is, once-again, presented by Chris Evans. And while he seems to be backing away from his terrible Clarkson impression, he remains one of the most irritating parts of the show. Let’s face it – his ‘witty’ quips continue to fall flat.

Maybe save them for your radio show, eh Chris?

Of course, he packs in a lot of info about the cars. But once again, he just falls flat. Where Clarkson, Hammond and May sounded like a real automotive authority, it feels as though Chris would be more at home shouting inanely about how fast it is.

At one point, he even shouted “faster my son!”

I can’t help thinking that this segment would have benefitted from simply using another presenter – perhaps the far more likeable and utterly charming Rory Reid. Instead, we have another bland Chris Evans ‘bit’. And while it’s getting a bit better, it still lacks the charm of the original ‘Top Gear’.

Back to the studio…

After the thoroughly generic segment, it’s back to the studio… with some forced jokes between Evans and LeBlanc.

Thankfully, LeBlanc seems to be coming into his own when delivering those iconic quips about The Stig. In fact, his delivery is becoming rather charming, and I could really see the slight awkwardness becoming LeBlanc’s rather amusing calling card.

“Some say that on a first date, he always clips the apex… and that he’s touched every one of the untouchables. All we know is, he’s called The Stig.”

And with a cheeky smile towards camera, LeBlanc introduces his own segment.

Matt LeBlanc tests a Rolls Royce

A far more subdued affair, Matt LeBlanc takes out the new Rolls Royce Dawn. Can he top Chris Evans’ haphazard test drive? You bet. He’s certainly not attempting to imitate anyone else as he cruises around the British countryside in a thoroughly British convertible.

And it really pays off.

LeBlanc manages a much calmer affair, and looks entirely comfortable discussing the intricate details of the new car as well as describing exactly how that drive makes him feel. And to be honest, I just ‘buy’ Matt LeBlanc’s segment a lot more. It feels far more real.

His off-the-cuff jokes come very occasionally… and aside from a joke about a cricket’s fart, they hit with astounding regularity. Unlike Chris Evans’ awful attempts at humour.

Perhaps LeBlanc got lucky with a far better script. But his delivery is spot on.

After Le Blanc’s test drive, it’s back to the studio for LeBlanc and Evans to discuss the car… and after a slightly homoerotic faux-argument between them, we’re left wondering why they even bother with these strained interactions.

Star in the Rallycross Car

That’s right – it’s another edition of The Star in the Rallycross Car… and this time, we find Jennifer Saunders and Paul Hollywood. Clearly, they’re both here to plug their latest projects – for Saunders, it’s the upcoming ‘Ab Fab’ movie and for Hollywood, it’s another cookbook.

Again, the segment really overeggs it.

After a quick discussion of their guest’s work, Chris Evans spends a ridiculously long time teasing out which cars they’ve had, why they like driving and what really gets them going about cars.

So far, so dull.

And once again, it loses the charm of cramming a celebrity into an affordable family hatchback. Of course, seeing Jennifer Saunders behind the wheel of a Mini Cooper does make up for that to some degree… and her mud-sliding turns out to be rather good.

But both celebrity laps are far too impressive to be amusing.

Top Gear Story Time

After a rather emotional intro, the ‘Top Gear’ team (in the form of Rory Reid) is given its latest challenge – to drive a brand-new, one-of-a-kind Jaguar F-Type SVR convertible from the Jaguar factory in Coventry to the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

And he has only 13 hours.

It’s a journey which mimics an apparently classic tale of the Jaguar E-Type. It’s something car geeks will absolutely love…. But more importantly, it’s another segment with Rory Reid. And that’s definitely got my attention.

Once again, Reid proves that he’s an absolute natural behind the wheel. In my opinion, he’s the real star of the new ‘Top Gear’ series. If BBC bosses happen to be reading this, take one thing away – give Rory a lot more screen time. Please. He’s bloody fantastic.

It’s refreshing to see at least one of the ‘Top Gear’ team doing his own thing.

Rory is naturally charming and rather funny… but he certainly doesn’t try to live up to the antics of Clarkson, Hammond and May. This is what ‘Top Gear’ really needs – to find its own voice. Giving Rory some more screen time would definitely help.

Back to the studio to wrap things up… and after Chris Evans essentially tells an old man that he should be dead by now, we watch them ‘arguing’ once again.

And once again, it just feels way too forced.

Will Chris Evans ever become likeable? I’m not so sure.

But ‘Top Gear’ is heading in the right direction. Even if it’s going very, very slowly.

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Picture Credit: BBC

What did you think of ‘Top Gear’ Episode 5? Do you think the show has improved? Leave your comments below… and follow Ryan Leston on Twitter, Facebook or my official Tumblr blog for more on the latest TV shows.