The Cutprice Guignol

Well, we’re here at last: the final episode of the last season of Inside No. 9.

And I have to admit, I’m feeling some type of way about it. Inside No. 9, quite simply, is one of the best TV shows of the last decade, amongst the finest anthology television series ever made, and, most importantly for me, an endlessly joyous celebration of genre fiction in almost every conceivable form. From noir to meta-textual to horror to comedy to drama to found footage to tragedy to science-fiction to bizarre, brilliant intersections of all of the above with a few spectacular wigs sprinkled on top, it is truly a masterclass in short-form storytelling, and I will never, ever stop banging on about how fantastic these half-hours of TV are. I think it’s the peak of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s careers so far (though, as someone who accidentally inflicting League of Gentleman on myself the first time I got stoned and thusly traumatised myself with a full-frontal blast of Royston Vasey, I might be biased), and, while I’m excited to see what comes next for them, the end of Inside No. 9 will leave a hare-shaped hole in my heart.

But it’s not quite over yet, of course. We’ve still got one final episode to go. Plodding On, the finale for this season, comes on the heels of Curse of the Ninth, an interesting meta-narrative about creativity and success, and has been kept a closely-guarded secret up until broadcast this evening, right down to no reviewers receiving advance screeners. I love it when Inside No. 9 gives us proper event television (3 By 3 is probably the most iconic example of this, and still one of the most outrageously fun evenings to have been part of the fandom), and it feels so right for the show to go out by keeping us guessing one last time – what is Inside No. 9, after all, without a twist?

And this last episode, in a lot of ways, is the only kind of finale Inside No. 9 could do: one about Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton themselves. This show is unique for an anthology, in that it really hinges on their partnership, on screen and off, and their relationship is woven throughout the very fabric of Inside No. 9.

And giving us this enormously self-indulgent meta-episode is, as a finale, one that feels right (mostly – but we’ll get to that). Plodding On is packed with inside jokes, episode references, and even a delightful subplot revolving around Robin Askwith and the legendary lost episode, Hold On Tight!. Dozens of returning cast members fill out the backdrop, playing, as is always called for in these meta-stories, the absolute worst versions of themselves possible (Anne Reid gurning herself into a taxi remains my queen of queens, and the fact that Amanda Abbington had a small side story revolving entirely around Really Needing a Shit feels very correct for this show), but the focus is on Shearsmith and Pemberton, and it’s probably my favourite thing about this finale.

Plodding On is a relatively small episode, all things considered, but it’s one that draws on this beautifully lived-in relationship between the creators and their creative partnership. Steve Pemberton (the character, in this case) pursues a job overseas, leaving Reece Shearsmith behind to navigate their next project alone (after a deliciously brutal rejection from Mark Gatiss – and, I have to admit, I am with Reece on the ranking of Midsummer Murders over Sherlock in terms of cultural significance). While last week’s episode explored creativity after success in a more abstract way, this one is more direct in how it approaches their relationship (professional and personal) and what it means to move on without each other, a genuinely intimate portrait of a creative partnership that has spanned the better part of three decades. In an anthology show with no real direct throughline to wrap up in this finale, this story makes sense; it’s this relationship that formed the backbone to this show. There’s wit and insight and real affection in how they write and perform these versions of themselves, and it’s a sweet, sharp note to end the show on.

And, while I do really enjoy Plodding On for the well-deserved victory lap that it is, I have to admit, I would have loved to see the show go out on a more traditional episode that wasn’t as meta as this one happened to be. I think this is a really solid finale to a show that must have been exceptionally difficult to write a finale for, but I can’t see myself coming back and watching this over and over again as I could with some of their other episodes. If any show has earned the right to look back in such celebratory pride over an incredible run, it’s this one, but still, I would have loved to see one more classic Inside No. 9 story before we closed out of the show’s run proper.

In all, though, I did really like this episode – it’s a love letter to the show, to the fans, to the enormous creative team behind it, and to Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s ability to piss each other off and make each other laugh in equal measure. I’d love to hear what you made of it in the comments!

To round up, I’d like to briefly offer my thanks to everyone who’s been reading these reviews – covering Inside No. 9 for the last few years has been something I’ve looked forward to enormously, because of how lovely the fans are and how fascinating it is to chat about these episodes with you. I’ll be going back and reviewing the show from the start once I have finished my deep-dive into Christine and reviews of this season of Doctor Who, so if that’s something that interests you, feel free to subscribe to stay updated.

If you liked this article and want to see more stuff like it, please check out the rest of my Inside No. 9 reviews. I’d also love it if you would check out my horrible short story collection, and, if you’d like to support my work, please consider supporting me on Patreon!

(header image via Wales Online)