EWhile the episodes of Inside No. 9 vary dramatically, they are all essentially the same. Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton tend to begin each installment of their epic comedy-horror anthology by evoking a uniquely British everyday scene. It’s small, boring, awkward, wry and funny – the gray areas of everyday life sparkle with snippets of laughter – and loud and hilarious. But from the start, that picture of normalcy is loomed over by a nauseating horror, and the show ends up mining a shot or two of horror out of it. We know it’s coming, but we don’t know how or when it will happen. To date, Shearsmith and Pemberton have used this formula almost 50 times. It’s nothing short of a miracle that he’s still producing half-hours of television that are so horrifyingly fascinating, heart-stoppingly suspenseful, and incomparably wise.
Perhaps not wanting to push their luck, Shearsmith and Pemberton are finally closing the door on the ninth episode as this ninth series airs. Pemberton said this was not a definitive finale, but a “pause” in production. That non-committal approach will likely dash any hopes for a plot twist to end all plot twists. Inside No 9 is infamous for its unbelievable ending, a shocking reveal that makes the ground move beneath your feet. It would have been fascinating to see how it pulled off the final grand finale.
But at least for now, we have to move on with the opening episode of the new series. Once again, a typically mundane scene is established on a sparsely populated London Underground train, but you’ll pinch yourself if you realize you’re actually sitting in this carriage. A roll call of notable star names including Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley), Charlie Cooper (This Country), Philippa Dunne (Motherland), Joel Fry (Plebs) and Mark are among the stars of recent television. It’s like being in a mashup of hits. Bonner (Guilt, Catastrophe), Susan Wokoma (Year of the Rabbit), and an almost unrecognizable Matthew Kelly.
Inside No 9 is clearly a dream gig for any actor (Eddie Marsan, Natalie Dormer and Adrian Scarborough appear in later episodes). But despite their star accomplices, Shearsmith and Pemberton are still the show’s beating heart. Despite their storytelling genius, Inside No 9 would never have worked without the duo’s ability to read depth and backstory into their characters in mere seconds. Here, mustachioed and tweed-jacketed, Shearsmith is a man reclusive in a world of gentle comfort – his wife (Finellan) recoils at her late husband’s accommodations – while Penn Burton plays a drag queen who is as proudly unawakened as a viper. Eventually, Cooper’s homeless man staggers into the carriage and demands money. The train screeches to a halt. The light doesn’t turn on. Suddenly, a nurse (Dan) reports that his wallet is missing. Teacher Bonnard, seething with barely contained anger, decides to search everyone to find the culprit. But Fry’s mercurial conspiracy theorist refused to let the bag be inspected.
Unlike other episodes, which are often peppered with handbrake turns, this one ends with us sitting tight for the big reveal. And it is completely impossible to guess – that violent change in perspective was carried out calmly. But unfortunately (and it pains me to say this considering how engrossing the rest of the episode is), the actual development is a bit flat. The most successful endings are those that tie together clues hidden throughout, but this ending seems to come out of nowhere and is so outlandish as to leave you with more questions than answers. This is perhaps one of Inside No. 9’s most meaningful episodes, and while it does make some thought-provoking political points, the revelations work best in This is when it feels plausible on a literal as well as a symbolic level.
But Shearsmith and Pemberton still have five more chances to pull it off, as they have so many times before (upcoming productions include Escape Room, The Edwardian Piano Tuner, and A strange new neighbor appears). And even in a slightly frustrating episode of Inside No. 9, he’s 100 times more original and influential than 99% of what comes on screen. In most series, one big development lasts him ten hours or more. This show gives us plenty of ingenuity.
Shearsmith and Pemberton have announced a West End show based on the series. While theater will no doubt add an extra dimension to their gruesome tales, it’s television, with its haunting intimacy, that feels like a natural home for them. We hope these two great minds that grace our screens don’t stay apart for long.
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