Even after six seasons, the British anthology Inside No. 9 remains unparalleled when it comes to crafting self-contained universes and eccentric casts. Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton‘s fluency in genre helps their series elude stagnancy; one week is drama, and the next is horror. This unpredictability keeps audiences on their toes.
“Wuthering Heist” seems like an odd choice for an opener, but its ambition is laudable. The overtly comedic episode, featuring Kevin Bishop as one of the masked bandits, draws from modern heist narratives and classic commedia. It relies on both high and low-brow humor, double entendre, fourth-wall asides, and slapstick. Although not every joke will land smoothly, the effort does not go unnoticed.
The tense episode “Simon Says” takes a page out of real life and sees a man going to extremes when meeting the source of his fanaticism. After the devotee witnesses his hero accidentally kill another obsessed fan, he covers up the crime in exchange for the TV writer’s compliance; the stranger wants his favorite show’s finale redone. The following display of disturbed enthusiasm is an obvious knock at the entitled fandoms of today. Effective creepiness notwithstanding, avid Inside No. 9 watchers will undoubtedly feel déjà vu here, seeing as “Simon Says” poaches from similar and better episodes.
“Simon Says”
The highlight of the season may just be “Lip Service.” Fleabag alum Sian Clifford plays a professional lip reader hired to spy on a client’s unfaithful wife, and during her unusual assignment, the character’s ulterior motives slowly come out. Shearsmith takes a backseat to Clifford and Pemberton, whose excellent chemistry undercuts the caricature quality of their respective roles. And on top of funny lip misreadings and sentimental detours in the story, viewers get their money’s worth in this episode; there are three twists, with each one being bigger than the last.
A heavy contender like “Lip Service” is hard to follow, but “Hurry Up and Wait” is no lightweight, either. A supporting actor in a new crime drama awaits his scene inside a family’s mobile home. The more he gets to know his hosts, the more he suspects they are hiding a secret. Admittedly, this episode’s mystery is not hard to crack, yet how it comes out at the very end is delightfully ghoulish.
“Hurry Up and Wait”
“How Do You Plead?” is another of the season’s more impressive entries. The truth hides in plain sight as a sick barrister confesses his greatest sin to his supposedly altruistic caregiver. In the vein of The Devil and Daniel Webster, Satan then shows up to honor a contract between himself and Derek Jacobi‘s pathetic character. However, the lawyer refuses to go easily; he has found a loophole. Inside No. 9 is often at its best when it channels horror, and this episode is menacing for reasons having nothing to do with the actual resolution. The foreboding music is vital to the overall terror, and the nurse’s vivid nightmare is unsettling.
The final episode “Last Night of the Proms” is a decisive moment in the series because of how unequivocally political it is. Up until now, Shearsmith and Pemberton have avoided topical politics for the most part. Their decision, conscious or otherwise, keeps the show timeless rather than timely. Newer anthologies date themselves as soon as they forego storytelling in favor of diatribes. In what feels like uncharted territory, the season closer uses a family gathering to examine hot topics like nationalism and xenophobia; an evening of watching the annual Proms becomes a microcosm of post-Brexit attitudes and division. In the long run, an episode as audacious as this will be more relevant to those directly impacted by Brexit.
A series as eminent as Inside No. 9 can afford to have a few so-so offerings here and there, and even the weak spots are still entertaining. The sixth season is bookended by two divisive episodes, but the remaining four set things right.
Season 6 is now streaming on BritBox.
“Lip Service”