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Maurice Moss (more commonly known as just Moss) is a worker in the IT Department of Reynholm Industries. He is the hardest working of the IT Department staff, and also the most experienced and the most capable of doing his job well. He puts a lot of effort into his job. However, he does not get the credit which he deserves.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Moss was born in the 1970s in Britain to Mrs. Moss. His skin tone suggests that he is of both white and black heritage. However, he doesn't speak with an accent and so it is likely he was brought up in Britain.
Work for Denholm Reynholm[]
Some time during his adult life, he was hired to work in the IT Department of Reynholm Industries by Denholm Reynholm. There, he met Roy, who would later become his best friend. At one stage, a fire broke out in the office after Moss left a soldering iron on, resulting in a near fatality. However, Roy and Moss were unharmed.
Moss in the IT Department
Later on, Roy and Moss visited Amsterdam, where they got so drunk that they hired prostitutes. Not knowing what they wanted to do, they took them to a funfair, where they played various fairground games.
Some time afterwards, Jen Barber joined the department as Relationships Manager. Moss and Jen got on relatively well, and Moss once tried to teach Jen the basics of computer construction, to ill effect.
Work for Douglas Reynholm[]
In 2007, Denholm Reynholm commited suicide after irregularities were found in his pension fund, leaving his inexperienced, misogynistic son, Douglas, as his successor. At first, Moss and Roy didn't respect their new boss, giving him a phone which violently vibrates whenever rung, but both eventually learned to treat him with respect.
Moss briefly worked as a barman in a theatre, after being mistaken for a member of the staff. However, he later resigned and returned to his usual job at Reynholm Industries.
In 2008, Moss suffered a severe head injury after running into a door, and completely forgot all he knew about computers. Later, he was asked to fix Douglas' electric pants, from which he received an electric shock. Despite this, Moss managed to recover relatively unharmed.
Characteristics[]
Personality[]
Moss is very hard-working and is the driving force of the IT Department. Despite this, he has little social interaction with anyone other than Roy, Jen, and Richmond. He is often bullied and mocked by other people. Although Roy is his only friend, Roy's social skills seem to far exceed those of Moss'. Moss has been described as a 'standard nerd' and a 'social piranha', and is easily annoyed and emotionally weak.
Despite his intelligence, Moss can be quite childish at times, having a children's astronaut-themed duvet. He is especially childlike in social situations, where he may make socially ignorant comments and not respect another person's feelings. Despite this, he seems to be willing to talk to strangers without much hesitation.
Moss, along with Roy, were both briefly affected by Jen's menstrual cycle and became overly feminine for a time. Moss threw his computer monitor when he became angry. However, after having a 'big girl's night out', he swiftly recovered.
He suffers from many ailments and phobias, including arachnophobia, virginitiphobia and policophobia. He also suffers from asthma, myopia and a 'hot ear', which he cools down by spraying water onto it. He has an extreme fear of going to prison, as he fears that the prisoners will 'rape the flip out of [him]'.
Sexuality[]
Moss is hetrosexual, and has not had as many relationships as Roy or Jen. In all, he has had three relationships: one with Jen herself, one with Dr. Mendall, the building's psychiatrist, and one with Margaret, a drunk.
Moss walking Margaret home
His brief relationship with Jen happened at the 'Thank-You Party' for Project Icarus. They both got so drunk that they went to bed together, but, although Moss seemed to be quite pleased with himself the night afterwards, Jen did not seem as keen and the relationship ended.
His relationship with Dr. Mendall, however, was somewhat more successful. Although Dr. Mendall was considerably older, Moss seemed to get on with her well and the relationship looked hopeful until Dr. Mendall slept with Roy. It is unknown exactly what happened afterwards. However, Dr. Mendall was never seen again.
His relationship with Margaret was on and off. The pair met at a dinner party hosted by Jen and her new boyfriend, Peter File. Margaret got extremely drunk and started squeezing Moss' knee under the table. Moss didn't seem to like Margaret very much. However, he was seen walking her home after the party ended. It is unknown if the relationship continued. However, Moss didn't pursue any other relationships, suggesting that they may have stayed together.
Skills and abilities[]
"OK, well, let's say this staple is science. You're good at this. What you're not so good at, is everything else in the world"
- Roy on Moss' strengths and weaknesses
- Olfactory Expert: Moss has an incredibly acute and detailed sense of smell, capable of smelling and naming all of the ingredients in a muffin. He was able to smell the rohypnol concealed in Jen's cup of tea.
- Mathematician: Moss is very skilled in mathematics, capable of calculating the amount of cigarettes Jen smoked per year, in a matter of seconds, with minimal information.
- Computer Expertise: Moss is incredibly experienced in computers, and is capable of hacking into Bill Crouse's personal accounts in a matter of seconds. He is able to overcome viruses and repair firewalls, on a vast scale, and considers an amatueristic constuction of a circuit board humourous.
- Machinery Construction: Moss is quite skilled with machinery and technology in general. He constructed a 'stress machine' which could measure a person's stress level and once helped Roy construct a telephone-answering machine.
- 'Five-Finger-Fillet': Moss is surprisingly talented at the game 'five-finger-fillet'; a game where the player spreads their hand on a surface and, using a knife, stabs in between the gaps, trying not to stab their fingers. Moss performed this trick in order to test a stress machine he had just constructed, performing it at a considerable speed, without stabbing himself once.
Moss pitching his product, the 'Abracadabra', on Dragon's Den
- Genius-Level Intellect: Moss is a genius who possesses superior intellect, with a diverse knowledge of technology, computers and mathematics. He is also capable of memorising and reciting a 15-digit number, seconds after hearing it for the first time. His field of expertise is science, technology and computer programming. He is also an expert in a number of other areas.
- Inventor and Entrepreneur: Moss is an accomplished inventor, creating a revolutionary bra using a clever powder which doesn't allow the bra to remain in any one place. He pitched this idea on Dragons Den along with Roy and Jen. However, this did not secure investment due to an overheating problem which caused the bra to burst into flames. Despite this break-through, he has also invented other, very useless products, including tiny ladders for moths in case they get stuck in the bath.
Relationships[]
Roy and Moss in the basement
Roy[]
"You're my wife, Roy, you're my wife. We should be married to ladies, but we're not. We're married to each other!"
- Moss on his and Roy's relationship
Moss is Roy's best friend, and they often meet up together and socialise. They both have a close relationship and Moss is one of the few people Roy can confine in. Despite this, Roy has been known to exploit Moss, and sometimes insults him. This can cause the pair to occasionally get into physical fights. Moss is under the impression that they spend so much time together that he and Roy are like a married couple; However, Roy disagrees.
Roy is always willing to help Moss, and once prepared him for facing a gang of bullies. Both have a love of technology and machinery and often play video games and watch movies together.
Jen Barber[]
Jen Barber
"The men from the IT department are my friends, not idiots"
- Jen defending Moss and Roy
Jen and Moss got on relatively well when they first met. Moss taught Jen some basic computer skills, but to ill-effect. Jen was quite violent towards Moss after she discovered that he had told the whole office that she was dead. However, when she discovered that Bill Crouse had been spreading rumors that he had been the last person to have slept with her, she transferred her aggression onto him.
Jen and Moss had a very brief sexual relationship. The night after the 'Thank-You' party for Project Icarus, Jen woke up to see Moss standing over her in a pink dressing gown. It is unknown exactly what happened next, but it is probable that Jen was drunk at the time and the relationship did not continue.
Despite this, Jen only saw Moss as a work colleague, and never as a friend, until she went to an interview for another job. There she realised that Roy and Moss need her, and that she couldn't possibly leave them. This indicated a genuine liking for both Roy and Moss, who she had originally seen as only work associates. Jen later admitted that Moss and Roy are her friends, and on one occasion stood up for them when Douglas Reynholm began insulting them.
Douglas Reynholm
Douglas Reynholm[]
"I'm told my father was particularly proud of the IT department, run by a dynamic go-getter [Jen], a genius [Moss], and a man from Ireland [Roy]"
- Douglas on the IT Department
Douglas is the second-generation manager of Reynholm Industries and hence is Moss' boss. At first, Roy and Moss had little respect for Douglas, giving him a phone which vibrates violently when rung. Despite this, Moss learns to respect Douglas, to the extent that he was willing to ring the emergency services for him when Douglas accidently shot himself in the leg.
Despite this, Douglas has called Moss an 'idiot' in the past and has been known to insult both him and Roy. In 2007, Moss was assaulted by Douglas after Douglas had accidently consumed rohypnol, concealed in a cup of tea (that he meant to use on Jen). Moss sued Douglas to the value of £560.
Richmond Avenal[]
Moss, Jen and Roy trying to find out what Richmond is looking at
"Hey, look, Richmond is still alive"
- Moss on seeing Richmond
Moss and Richmond had a difficult relationship at first, and he and Roy made an unanimous decision to banish Richmond behind the red door, where he was told to look after monitors with no additional briefing to what he was meant to do. However, when Jen joined the office, she campaigned for Richmond to return to his original job.
Moss, as depicted on a DVD cover
After Richmond came out of isolation, Moss' relationship with him improved slightly.
Moss and Roy share the idea that Richmond does nothing but 'bring the mood down'. Moss and Richmond have discussed commiting suicide together. It is unknown if Moss tried to trick Richmond into killing himself, or if he genuinely had suicidal thoughts.
Physical description[]
Moss is nearly always seen wearing a short-sleeved shirt and tie, wearing his corduroy trousers very high. He wears large, black glasses, and may change the size of his spectacles if he gets too excited. He keeps his many glasses, of all shapes and sizes, beneath his desk.
He is of both white and black heritage, with a slightly dark skin tone. He has brown eyes and wears his black hair in an afro-style, but it seems that a large section of his hair is missing.
Behind the scenes[]
- Moss is portrayed by comedian and actor, Richard Ayoade.
Name etmology[]
- Maurice is of Latin origin, and means 'dark-skinned' or 'moorish'.
- Moss, as well as meaning the small, soft plants, is of English origin, and translates to 'savior'.