Inside No. 9, one of the best anthology series in recent years, returns with a seventh installment. Creators and co-stars Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are back to make audiences laugh and shiver with these six diverse tales of various genres. And fans of the eerie and unexplained will surely enjoy this new batch of stories.
The season opens with “Merrily, Merrily”, which features one of the show’s most unconventional settings. After having not seen one another for some time, friends reunite at a lake, where they must paddle on a pedalo to reach their destination. As to be expected among friends who’ve lost touch over the years, arguments erupt. However, the worst of their reunion has yet to come — now their paddle boat is stuck in the middle of the lake. From there Inside No. 9 toys with the audience, playing on their expectations in the best way possible.
Next up is “Mr. King”, a startling fish-out-of-water story. A city teacher (Shearsmith) moves to a Welsh village cut off, both socially and technologically, from the rest of the world. And at this rural primary school, he gets a firsthand look at the locals’ unique customs and eccentricities. Highlights of this episode include Shearsmith dropping trou, incredibly awkward (but also hilarious) dialogues, and a conclusion that will make you gasp.
Things get heady in “Nine Lives”, a psychological metadrama about a troubled detective (Sophie Okonedo) haunted by an unsolved case. When it feels like this may be the most hackneyed episode of the series yet, you eventually realize that’s the whole point. As typical with Inside No. 9, appearances are deceiving in this especially twisty tale, and your patience is rewarded.
The season goes on with the funny and uneasy “Kid/Nap”. Here a woman (Daisy Haggard) is abducted by a masked man (Daniel Mays), and she struggles to escape not because her captor is particularly cruel and cunning, but because her husband (Shearsmith) and the police are not so great at rescuing. Aside from the frequent use of split screens, this story stands out because it’s not entirely set in one location. The plot of this tense tale ultimately doesn’t add up, but the actors’ performances are astounding.
“A Random Act of Kindness” concerns a mother (Jessica Hynes) who’s having the hardest time connecting to her teenage son (Noah Valentine) until a stranger (Pemberton) enters their lives. This bleak episode reveals its complicated sci-fi plot soon enough, but at its heart, this is a story about an estranged family and their regrets. Of all the offerings from this season, this one could easily be turned into a full-length feature.
Season 7 comes to a close with a dark finale called “Wise Owl”. The show creators, once again, reference collective nostalgia with amazingly constructed and executed satire. The episode is intercut with animated sequences resembling a British series of PIFs called Charley Says. And bit by bit, these moments reveal a disturbing and harrowing main plot about a traumatized man (Shearsmith) whose only apparent guide in life is the episode’s namesake, a ‘70s cartoon character voiced by Ron Cook. This story stings the heart in many ways and will surely become one of the series’ best as time goes on.
Shearsmith and Pemberton have done it again; they delivered variety and quality all within one enticing package. Inside No. 9 maintains its good reputation with another consistent and well-made mix of entertaining, creative, and, at times, thought-provoking stories. While other anthology series lose steam over time, Inside No. 9 only grows stronger with every new season.
Inside No. 9 Season 7 is now streaming on Britbox.
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