Gavin & Stacey's grand finale would be improved by a less evil Sonia

That said, the journey to that moment was bumpier than Dave Coaches's panicked drive to Southampton, with Smithy spending much of the episode committed to an obviously doomed engagement to Sonia (Laura Aikman).

The collapse of that relationship shouldn't come as any great surprise or disappointment, as Sonia has done little to endear herself to the Wests, the Shipmans or the viewers at home since her introduction in 2019's Christmas special.

At the Gavin & Stacey finale's press conference, co-creator James Corden praised Aikman for portraying Sonia as more than just a "cartoon" villain. However, I'm not so sure that she succeeded in that regard.

That's not a criticism of Aikman's acting ability so much as Corden and Jones's script, which takes every opportunity to remind us that Sonia is a bad fit for Smithy – and generally, not a particularly nice person.

All that can truthfully be said about her appearance in the finale is that it's consistent with what we saw in the 2019 special, where there were also some enormous red flags visible to everyone but her enamoured beau.

I'm happy to excuse Sonia's bewilderment at being gifted a tap by Nessa (surely worse than a single Celebration chocolate) and her subsequent faux pas concerning the infamous fishing trip.

However, her disinterest in spending time with Smithy's loved ones (including his son), her barbed remarks about his weight (and Nessa's appearance too), and her harsh judgement of the family's accommodation resulted in a truly dreadful first impression.

Laura Aikman plays Sonia in Gavin & Stacey's 2019 Christmas special. BBC

That said, people can change and, five years down the line, I wondered if we'd see some improvement in relations between Sonia and the wider group, particularly given Stacey's apparent excitement about the wedding in the opening scene.

Alas, that's not the case, with things only growing frostier – and there are no signs of better weather ahead, as Sonia announces her intention to extract Smithy from his family unit the moment they become husband and wife.

Obviously, this decision serves the purpose of (slowly but surely) showing Smithy that Nessa is his true soul mate, but was it really the most interesting way that Jones and Corden could have utilised this character?

If Sonia had been depicted as slightly more sympathetic in the finale, it would have shown admirable personal growth from when we first met her – and created an engaging emotional quandary for viewers.

Imagine how much more moving the final act could be if Smithy was stuck choosing between two characters that we fundamentally like, even if one is ultimately a better companion for him than the other.

Ruth Jones stars in Gavin & Stacey. BBC/Toffee International Ltd/Tom Jackson

Instead, we're really just going through the motions, waiting for the inevitable, in a very similar manner to the season 3 finale, in which Dave Coaches – now redeemed – was going through his own villain era as Nessa's ill-fitting groom.

Of course, Gavin & Stacey functions as a cosy comfort watch for a large portion of its fanbase, so there's a certain logic to not including something that could cause major distress or inner conflict.

But the simplistic depiction of Sonia as a stereotypical 'bridezilla' is a disservice to the story being told, reducing the dramatic tension and emotional weight to leave you wondering how on earth this mismatched pair ever made it to the altar.

For that reason, once the initial hubbub has died down – and that could take a while – I wonder if the Gavin & Stacey finale will be remembered as an all-time great, or perhaps one that played it just a little bit too safe.

Gavin & Stacey is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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