The Cutprice Guignol

We’re gathered here today, friends and foes, to talk about the majesty that is Monica Dolan.

I need you to know that this site is nothing if not a Monica Dolan fan account. I truly think Dolan is one of the most skilled actors I’ve had the pleasure of watching on British TV – rarely a lead but always a highlight, she’s got the range, she’s got the depth, she’s got the wit, the weight, the presence, all of it. Wolf Hall! Witness for the Prosecution! A Very English Scandal! She got a BAFTA for about twelve combined seconds of screentime in Appropriate Adult, and you know what? She deserved it! As soon as I saw her potter on screen in a sensible cardi, I knew I had no choice but to dedicate at least 25% of this review to talking about how fucking brilliant she is.

Ahem. Anyway, with that out the way, I suppose that I can actually get to the episode at hand here, Twice Removed. If there’s been a theme of this fourth season so far, it’s been stretching the boundaries of what the show can do – from a Shakespearean opening to a small-scale two-hander, we’ve had a bit of everything (and we’ve got even more to come, not least next week – yeesh). And Once Removed fits right into that, with a story that’s cut up into several short chunks and told in reverse order.

It’s a total gimmick, and the show’s not trying to dodge that – Once Removed is as much an exercise in writing and plotting as it is a story in its own right, but the meticulousness with which it’s put together makes it an enormously entertaining one to watch. I love the way the episode introduces these key details, and then unravels the utter mundanity that led to them falling into place – like a character moving a rug to hide a stain on the floor, that later serves as a murder weapon. It’s beautifully crafted, and a testament to the confidence behind-the-scenes that the show was able to pull off something this intricate.

But Once Removed doesn’t rely on the gimmick, even though it well could – no, beyond just the framing device, there’s a really entertaining story here about deception, desire, and the horror of a house move. Reece Shearsmith (in an absolute all-timer of a bad wig) leads as an assassin sent to a rural home, only to encounter a number of obstacles – from Percy (David Calder), an elderly man convinced he’s Andrew Lloyd-Weber (and, yes, I know I missed ten thousand jokes at the expense of the man himself, and I’m trusting you to fill me in on them in the comments), to the perspiration-heavy estate agent Hugo (Pemberton), the episode’s got a spry, witty edge to it, despite the littering of bodies scattered through the house. Dolan shines, as you’d expect, as suspicious neighbour May, and somehow manages to make erectile dysfunction puns sound like Waiting for Godot (Wanking for Godot? Is that anything?).

Beyond my worship at the altar of Monica Dolan, Once Removed is a playful, witty episode that doesn’t rely on the gimmick of its backwards storytelling as a sole selling point. And no, I’m not just talking about the RightMove listing.

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 THETVSHOWS)