Nine episodes and recommendations for Inside No .9

 

 (TW- references to suicide)

This is a slightly more detailed look at a really great and underrated show that I’ve been watching a lot of lately but haven’t talked about that much on here so I decided to right that immediately. Thinking about it, it’s another brilliant show featuring a nine in the title and as a significant aspect (as the number 9 appears in every ep of Inside No.9 in some way eg a house/seat number). For instance, there’s this show, Brooklyn 99 with the famous ‘99’ chant and even Superstore (which admittedly isn’t my favourite but is still so good) is based in a store called Cloud 9 as well, so some cool links there, even if unintentionally.

‘Inside No. 9’ first aired in 2014 and is an anthology series, which often falls into a dark comedy, drama or horror genre but some have more supernatural elements and others are less overtly gothic/disturbing. Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton (of The League of Gentlemen and Psychoville) are the writers and both appear in all but 3 episodes. The performances and writing are always superb with so many brilliant turns from the guest actors too.

(These next sections may contain spoilies (for 1 x 4, 3 x 4, 4 x 2, 5 x 6, 7 x 1, 5 x 3, 2 x 5, 2 x 6 and 8 x 6) but I’ll avoid them when I can).

 3 of my absolute favourite episodes

Merrily, Merrily - 7 x 1

Starting off with an episode that definitely deserves more appreciation (although we’ll get to the underrated ones soon), this was such a strong start to the seventh series and that’s in a show that doesn’t have a ‘weak’ episode at all, I’d say. Mark Gatiss (also of ‘The League’ with Reece and Steve) and Diane Morgan (Philomena Cunk herself) appear in this ep too and are unsurprisingly great. As it’s a reunion for them to be working with Gatiss again (and they all met at uni irl), the premise of this ep is about a reunion with old uni friends catching up after years apart and being unexpectedly joined by Donna (played by Morgan), who’s dating Pemberton’s character, as they were expecting a big party. It’s a unique ep for No. 9 by being set entirely outside but still captures the claustrophobic feel that this show creates so well as they’re on a pedalo the whole time. The comedic timing and chemistry between the actors works so well here but it's also really poignant. This is especially the case with the scenes about Callum (Gatiss) feeling unfulfilled after actually getting all the promotions that he worked for, Pemberton’s character opening up about why it’s important to him that he’s started writing and Shearsmith’s character dealing with grief and feeling stuck in that uni life and like he hasn’t ever moved on from their time there. The fireworks scene is incredibly touching and lovely as well.

                               

  Empty Orchestra - 3 x 4

So excited to talk about this one, no matter how many times I watch it, it just keeps getting better and is another one that definitely deserves a lot more love. It’s tonally a different vibe from many of the other episodes as the stakes are seemingly lowered and it isn’t about a murder or a disturbing reveal but one of the many great things about this show is that each ep is varied, complex and stands on its own so if one ep isn’t your favourite, the next one might be right up your street. Not to mention that this ep still has twists and turns (as this show is renowned for the grisly, dark twists in the final act), they’re just a bit different here. This one takes place in a karaoke booth for a work night out with Pemberton as the boss. Every character has their song and they’ve been cleverly picked to give insight into the situation and how the characters are feeling and the overall mood as the characters begin to worry that one of them is about to get fired. There are also a few links with Miranda with this episode, as not only does the awesome Sarah Hadland appear as Fran (who’s wanting to get serious with Greg, her boyfriend/co-worker who’s having an affair behind her back) but Tamzin Outhwaite (who was married to Tom Ellis from Miranda irl) also appears as the office ‘mean girl’ Connie. Emily Howlett portrays Janet/Jan (I love the Fran and Jan rhyme), who’s bullied by the ableist Connie for being deaf. I’m not qualified to talk about representation in the media with regards to the Deaf community but Janet is such a great character who feels really fleshed out and her storyline and characterisation are just so respectfully handled. In fact, just when I thought I couldn’t love this episode any more, it was so great to discover that Howlett, who’s deaf in real life, had just the most positive things to say about her time on set and her suggestions/ideas from her real life perspective/experience were thoughtfully incorporated into the ep (BSL is also used in a few scenes and there are several moments that give you an insight into Janet’s perspective by removing the sound and leaving the vibrations from the music), which made me love it all the more. We also get jokes, some cracking musical numbers and some wholesome and satisfying feels with the ending for Janet and her crush, Duane (Javone Prince), and a feminist, happy ending for Fran.

  Bernie Clifton’s dressing room - 4 x 2

A firm favourite among many ‘No. 9’ fans and it’s not hard to see why, it’s incredible. Apart from a great appearance from Sian Gibson (from Peter Kay’s Car Share), it’s mostly a two-hander between Steve and Reece and as much as they have brilliant chemistry with every actor that they work with*, it’s always amazing to watch the two of them together. Steve even won a very well-deserved Bafta for this episode and they definitely both deserve all the awards for their impressive range and abilities. In this episode, they portray a former comedy double act reuniting for one last show together after many years apart (seems fitting with them being such an awesome, connected, tight knit team and duo irl). Steve’s character (Len) wants to stick to the old routines they were known for decades ago but Reece’s character (Tommy) has a serious, corporate job now and seems to want to move on from their partnership. He also rightly points out that their dated sketches with racist stereotypes wouldn’t work now. (I really like the part when he asks what the joke actually is with those sketches as the episode does such a great job of reflecting on the magic and potential tension/darkness of the double act while acknowledging that not everything from decades past has lasted well and that comedy has to move with the times). As they work on their final performance, more comes to light about how Tommy was hurt about not being considered as funny as Len and Len’s alcoholism. It’s then revealed (in a wonderfully acted, heartbreaking scene) that Tommy actually really loved performing together and only pulled the plug on their double act because he feared for Len’s life with the amount that he was drinking, including while they were performing their routines. Without giving too much away about the twist, I’ll just say that the way that they both portray hurt and sadness while still caring so much about each other (as the twist is revealed and just in the episode in general) is heart-wrenching and very powerful. It also creates a whole new viewing experience and atmosphere once the real reason for their ‘reunion’ is revealed. The song they sing together at the end is so moving as well, really can’t fault this episode at all and I can’t recommend it enough.

*Side note- I love that Steve and Reece speak so highly of the guest actors that they work with and how they really respect and hype up everyone involved in making the show (and vice versa as just about everyone who’s met them or worked with them on any of their shows has nothing but great things to say about them too).

Underrated Episodes

Nana’s party - 2 x 5

Such a brilliant episode, I can’t believe that there isn’t more love for this one, it’s phenomenal.  It’s more of a family drama with a lot of serious and comedic moments but is seemingly less grisly/dark than many may expect from this show and it’s a real shame that it’s so underrated.  It tells of Angela (played by Claire Skinner from Outnumbered) and her husband (Pemberton) and teenage daughter, as they celebrate the 79th birthday of Angela’s mother, where they’re joined by Angela’s sister and brother-in-law. There’s an increase of tension right away as we quickly learn (through the story being told in flashback) that an ambulance will be called at some point and that Angela’s sister, Carol, is an alcoholic. There’s also the suspense with the trick with the cake (and later the knife) as Angela’s husband, Jim, is determined to get back at Carol’s husband, Pat, for the countless pranks he’s played on them. There are a lot of humorous scenes with the pranks as the big reveal about the ambulance at the end and their subsequent reactions to it are priceless but there are also plenty of impactful moments where we learn more about the tense, complicated dynamics between the sisters. For instance, Carol seems very envious of Angela’s house, life, family, her buffet spread, and, as it turns out, her husband too… Carol also seems to feel that Angela’s life is ‘better’ than her own in almost every way (even feeling that their mother prefers Angela),  which causes her to view her husband (and situation in general) as not measuring up and she seems desperate to become a mother and/or become a motherly figure for her niece. Some of the episode is left open to interpretation but, once Carol has had a lot to drink and begins revealing things, we learn for definite about the secret that Carol and Jim have been keeping from everyone about the extent of their relationship and the empty promises that he’s made. I love that despite Carol's unkind comments towards Pat and his unwavering loyalty to her, she's not framed as a heartless villain as it's Jim who's hurt and betrayed everyone in the family and the episode excels at having compassion for both Carol and Pat.  The performances are all spectacular but I particularly wanted to highlight just how great Reece is as Pat as he nails the prankster side while seamlessly showing how much more there is to him and how that side is at least partly a front when he affirms his love for Carol by consistently defending her honour (in a gentle but still resolute way) despite what he’s always actually known about her and Jim. It really moves me when Pat, ironical(ly) at perhaps his most subdued, confronts Jim after he makes Carol cry, such powerful stuff.

Love’s great adventure - 5 x 3

Another one that doesn’t have the anticipated disturbing moments that fans may expect but is such a moving, poignant and honest story that definitely deserves more appreciation. This episode tells of a family getting ready for Christmas. Pemberton plays Trevor, quite possibly the loveliest patriarch in the world, and the episode follows him, his wife, Jules and their teenage daughter, Mia. Connor, the young grandson of Jules and Trevor, also lives with them because of their son’s drug problem. It’s told through the dates on an advent calendar, which is such a clever idea and we get some insight into the daily goings on with the family as they get ready for the holidays. They do an excellent job of making the characters feel like people that you could realistically know (a bit like how 'Nana's party' reminded me of some all too real family dynamics) and the drug issues with their son, Patrick, are handled very well, I thought, as he’s not cast out and the family do really want a relationship with him (same as how Patrick clearly wants a relationship and to bond with his young son). However, they also acknowledge the challenges and hardships that the family have faced and that they aren’t perfect as they say things that they regret and have disagreements etc but are ultimately always there for each other and stand by each other through thick and thin. Trevor’s brother (Shearsmith) talking about his late wife and offering to help the family out after some pretty significant car trouble (as they're struggling financially), Trevor sweetly comforting Patrick and Jules making a version of the expensive dress that her daughter asked for always tug at my heartstrings.

Last gasp - 1 x 4

Definitely an underrated one which deserves more appreciation as the way that the tension builds is really funny and clever (as it's executed in a super dark way that never feels too horrible/mean-spirited). It also serves as a fantastic satire of the idea of fame/being a celebrity and how celebrities are treated like commodities rather than humans. It tells of 9 year old Tamsin, who has a terminal illness and as part of the Wishmaker UK scheme (like the ‘Make a wish foundation’), the famous singer, Frankie Parsons, comes round to pay her a visit for her birthday. Sophie Thompson (sister of Emma) and Steve play her parents, Jan and Graham, and Tamsin Greig (pretty cool that she shares a name with the little girl in the episode) gives a truly brilliant performance as Sally from ‘Wishmaker UK’. Unfortunately, it soon becomes evident that this wish isn’t really about Tamsin at all as her mother is the Frankie fan rather than Tamsin as Jan even talks about wanting it to be ‘her moment’ instead of something for Tamsin. Things take an unexpected turn, however, when Frankie arrives at the house and has a very short but ultimately nice interaction with Tamsin but sadly dies midway through blowing up a balloon. Rather concern for him or Tamsin who was there when it happened, the adults (apart from Jan, for the most part) focus on the fact that they could sell the balloon containing Frankie’s last breath and make a fortune. Tamsin is pretty much the only decent or mature character in the episode as the way that Sally casually dismisses the death of a child she met and focuses on the reactions from the press establishes that she is not nearly as well-intentioned as a job like that might have you believe. There are some touching moments with Tamsin though as she wonders what will happen to Frankie and asks about how many more birthdays she’ll have, which would be a heartbreaking concept for anyone but for a child that age, it’s devastating to think about. There is a twist with this ep (though maybe not in the way that fans might have expected) in that Frankie is maybe, actually.. not dead at all. Then, in a way that even seemed to horrify Graham, who’d been as set on getting the money as anyone, Frankie’s assistant ends up… shall we say, making sure that Frankie won’t take another breath. (I mean, he did refer to Frankie as a ‘dick’, but wow). Not everyone will agree on the ending but there is something quite satisfying about Tamsin letting the balloon that everyone was desperate to sell, float into the air, as there’s maybe something about her commenting on them prioritising the balloon and profit/money over someone’s life and about freeing Frankie’s soul, in a way.

  Episodes with so many more details to notice on a rewatch

Cold Comfort - 2 x 4

Such an impactful, funny and dark episode (and a really effective, unique one too as it all takes place as if on CCTV cameras and, like Nana’s party, was directed by Reece and Steve). It tells of Andy (Pemberton) who begins working at a crisis helpline and quickly sees the different types of approaches that volunteers take when he meets the friendly Liz (played by Jane Horrocks) and the more serious Joanne (played by Nikki Amuka-Bird), who both offer him differing forms of advice about responding to calls. There’s also an almost similar idea to some of Sally’s plot in ‘Last Gasp’ with the idea of less than moral people working in rewarding, important jobs that can make a big difference and involve giving back and how they feel entitled to treat people however they like and that they deserve something in return for the kind of work that they do. This is at least partly exemplified with Shearsmith’s character, George, (the supervisor at the helpline) and his treatment of Liz as they also disagree about the different methods that they see as the most conducive to supporting others with George even going so far as to be almost violent towards Liz when he believes that she’s taking a personal call. A big shift takes place, tonally, however, when Andy gets a call from an extremely unhappy teen called Chloe and he actually hears her take her own life over the phone, which deeply distresses him. This in turn causes him to act insensitively to a woman grieving the loss of her beloved cat, which sadly has tragic consequences. However, Andy keeps getting calls from this mysterious ‘Chloe’ and it becomes clear that there’s something deeply disturbing afoot. The big reveal about ‘Chloe’ is very well done, with the camera footage changing how you watch it and what you notice each time, as you might focus on different screens on subsequent rewatches. The way that the upbeat Take That song ‘Shine’ is used throughout (and in the credits scene) is a massive, super memorable gut punch (with the lyric ‘your time is coming’ taking on a potentially whole new, darker meaning)...

The Stakeout - 5 x 6

This is one that I rewatched again recently after I hadn’t seen it for over a year and it was done in such a fascinating and clever way with the twist and build up as it included multiple aspects that you wouldn’t necessarily notice the first time you watch it. Practically all No.9 eps take place in a single confined setting/location (eg one specific house or even room) but this one takes that to extremes by being set entirely in a police car during nighttime stakeouts and being pretty much a two-hander with Steve and Reece. It tells of police officers, Thompson (Steve) and Varney (Reece), who have just been paired up for a stakeout after the murder of Thompson’s last partner. A lot of the episode is about them trying to entertain and/or distract themselves and fill in time (lots of interesting, clever scenes with the ‘Fortunately, Unfortunately’ game and the differences between them with their contrasting approaches to their job and ideas about the best way to spend the time and Varney’s reaction to Thompson’s curry etc). The episode also deals with the idea of tropes and cliches in a smart, surprising way, which subverts all expectations with how it comes back round to that theme with the final scene and big reveal. It’s certainly a pretty nasty, bleak ending for Thompson but quite satisfying to see how all the clues and hints come back to reveal and lead up to the big, surprisingly supernatural and gothic twist (with references to things like the absence of a reflection, Varney being invited in and being covered in blood in the opening scene, the name of the episode containing the word ‘stake’ and even Varney’s response to the smell of the curry all being crucial for the twist).

The Last Weekend - 8 x 6

Quite fitting, perhaps, that the last episode on here is the last episode of the most recent season and while not necessarily a perfect episode, it’s certainly a very strong one and an impactful, effective end to the season. It tells of Joe (Pemberton) and Chas (Shearsmith), who are a couple going away for the weekend of their ninth anniversary. It’s not the first time that Steve and Reece have played a couple in the show as the very first episode of ‘No.9’ saw them playing a couple as well. In this episode, though, we learn that Joe has terminal cancer and that they meet up at weekends and like to come to Scotland for weekend getaways, with Mollie (Sheila Reid) as the housekeeper/cleaner for the house in Scotland. We learn more about Chas too as he was a former pop star in a boy band in the 1990s (and was known as Chazz rather than Chas) and while he has a genuine love for Joe and so doesn’t regret giving up certain things to be with and care for him, he still feels conflicted about what might have been and a part of him wishes that he hadn’t had to give up so much. The couple have some heated disagreements (including one about the ‘Milk Milk Lemonade’ rhyme and I’d actually only heard the ‘fudge is made’ version before this episode so feel free to say in the comments which one you’ve heard), but despite the tension, it’s clear that they care a lot about each other. At least, that’s what it seems like as things aren’t at all what they seem…  This episode also deals with the stages of grief and how they don’t always happen in the same order or the same way and that you can grieve a lot of different things in your life that aren’t necessarily to do with someone dying, as well as how it relates to the idea of revenge and grieving a career and the idea of what your life could have been and the loss of hope. The performances from both are phenomenal as usual (as is the writing) as Reece’s emotional acting is always fantastic (for instance, his pleading, tearful attempt to get Joe to forgive him in the bath scene and him telling Joe that he loves him and wants to care for him no matter what). Equally, Steve expertly going from appearing like a caring, devoted partner to revealing his true intentions and feelings towards Chas really demonstrates his impressive range and skill as an actor. For instance, it’s demonstrated in the ep how Joe has been able to keep up the appearance of caring for Chas (eg getting him presents, the pamper night etc) but has plenty of moments where he lets himself communicate his real feelings while not revealing them completely (eg not actually telling Chas that he loves him, undermining Chas and raising his voice during arguments etc). Interestingly, though, Joe doesn’t raise his voice at all as he enacts the final part of the plan and explains it all to Chas (and the viewer), in the last scene. It’s such a brutal ending (and this is in a show that doesn’t shy away from those) but it’s cleverly built up, especially on rewatches (eg the references to a mouse trap, maybe alluding to the idea of Joe wanting to ‘trap’ Chas in a sense, the mysterious ‘Mick’, the references to ants and Joe opening the window to let more in, Chas making some thoughtless comments etc). Furthermore, ‘Blue Jeans Baby’ (the song that Chas released with his boy band, Atlantic 5, and that Joe and Chas sing and dance to in the episode), is brilliant too and a bop for sure.