Colin from Accounts: have a good one, Colin.

Some couples were childhood sweethearts; some met at work. More likely, now it will be via a dating app. But not Gordon (Patrick Brammall) and Ashley (Harriet Dyer), the golden Aussie couple at the centre of Colin from Accounts; their first encounter took place when Gordon drove into an escapee border terrier after an attractive female pedestrian (Ashley) "ashed a perky boob at him. Both blaming the other for the injured dog, they ferried the poor thing to see Yvette, the vet (Annie Maynard).

The matchmaking dog emerged with two functional legs, two wheels and two reluctant new owners. They named him Colin (from accounts). The rest is history.

Those first falling dominoes feel like only yesterday, but two seasons of the beloved comedy have passed and the third and final one has just been released. And thank goodness for its return, for to leave us with the final scene of season two and no further resolution would have been criminal.

For those who have managed to exorcise that moment from their memories, here’s a quick reminder. It was at an impromptu wedding between Ash’s best friend Megan (Emma Harvie) and her partner Rumi (Virginia Gay) that Gordon – inebriated by alcohol, romance and Ash’s fake tan – stumbled down onto one knee and proposed to Ash. Having earlier expressed their love verbally to each other, to him it was the perfect moment. Not Ash, though. His misjudged proposal was met by embarrassment from Ash, who quickly hastened him to his feet. Then the credits rolled. To Waterloo by ABBA.

We are reminded of this in vertical form at the start of season three, as, of course, it was caught on camera by many of the guests that watched on in horror. But three years have since elapsed. Gordon is still working as a bar manager with his wing man and woman Brett (Michael Logo) and Chiara (Genevieve Hegney) (albeit being bought out by a behemoth chain) and Ashley is now a fully qualified GP (I’m sure medics will be screaming at their screens to bemoan the unrealistic speed of her career progression but creative licence comes first, I’m afraid). They’ve met new partners and haven’t seen or heard from each other, presumably still red faced from their final tête-à-tête. A three-year jump poses the problem of how to explain the intervening years to the audience but unsurprisingly this show achieves it seamlessly with topnotch comedy: in the form of a medical history! Gordon makes an appointment with a GP, only to be greeted by Ash, a surprise to them both. Ash’s intern proceeds with a questionnaire quizzing him about his marital status and sexual activities, upon which he is swiftly told where to go.

Returning to the cast are Megan and Rumi, whom Ash lives with. Poking fun at the influencer lifestyle, Megan has shunned her medical studies to pursue her ambitions to be a mommy social media star, with her toddler, Genre Zephyr, at her side. Online culture is a recurring target of mockery in this season, but is deftly and sensitively handled so we laugh with rather than at the characters who fall under big tech’s spell; besides, we’re all guilty, right?

Little empathy, however, is a"orded to ghastly duo Lynelle (Helen Thomson) and Professor Lee (Darren Gilshenan), Ash’s mum and partner respectively. We met them in previous seasons and they too harbour ambitions to influence with WAWAM (Women Against Women Against Men), their dubiously-registered charity which will of course cause more harm than good. Or shall we say only harm?

Joining the mix are Ash and Gordon’s new partners, David (Thomas Cocquerel) and Chelsea (Nikki Shiels), respectively, who are instantly recognisable as unsuitable matches. David is lovely, but irritatingly needy; the human equivalent of a puppy - perhaps Ash’s replacement for Colin who now resides permanently with Gordon. He, on the other hand, has Chelsea by his side, broody, demanding and insisting on a colour-coded couple’s calendar (blue for her, red for him, purple for together but she then writes on it in black).

The romcom classic will-theywon’t-they seed is planted: Ash and Gordon’s newfound lovers have red flags visible from space, so a reunion of Australia’s favourite couple must be inevitable, right? We are left in the safe hands of reallife couple Dyer and Brammell, who are the writers as well as the stars of the show, to navigate a path to a permanent reunion. All one can do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

With characters as loveable as Ash and Gordon, it would be easy for the writers to treat the rest of the cast as accessories. But as much e"ort has been ploughed into sculpting fully-formed families, friends, ex-lovers and even cameo appearances, so that scenes centring on the recurring characters rather than Ash and Gordon can hold their own. In fact, I can de#nitely imagine a mockumentary featuring Lynelle and Lee or Megan and Genre, showcasing their entrepreneurial ambitions! Or a fly-on-the-wall reality show with Brett and Carmen, the latter who may or may not be real.

Colin From Accounts has taken a well-worn premise and made something very special. Beyond the cast, the writing is smart and intentional. Several subtle callbacks are made to previous seasons to reward your commitment, including the car crash that happens on the street outside as Gordon and Ash are reunited in the GP waiting room, harking back to the day they met (there are others, but I’ll leave you to spot them). Bombs disguised as trivialities are scattered nonchalantly and those familiar with the humour deployed in this show will sit and wait for the bomb to detonate: that t-shirt donned by Brett was never going to remain benign… If you know, you know…

Titular Colin is ever-present, even when not on-screen, because it’s his existence, and near-death experience, that initially brought, and inextricably bind, Ash and Gordon together. The travails of romance and pet ownership are sharply observed and portrayed in a way that brings a new dimension to the romcom genre (I am no longer referring to Megan’s daughter). For me, a new bar has been set that will be nigh on impossible to exceed. Gordon, Ash and their third (and fourth) wheel, Colin, have nestled their way to my heart. It’s with a discombobulating mixture of joy and grief that I approach the end of this wonderfully quirky series, but I must remind myself that all the best shows know when it’s time to bow out.