Reviews

I saw the Sixth Sense in theaters when I was 12. When it ended, my friend looked over at me, smiling, and said" what did you think of the ending?" I said - "it was ok, but they should have made it a surprise." I don't obsess over crumbs left on the trail throughout the story. Rather, my mind always takes whatever I'm watching and weaves it together into "the best story." Some would disagree, but I am biased, and my narratives are regularly second to none (kidding). I don't look for crumbs. I don't consider red herrings. I just let my mind go to work. I consider this season of No 9 the "Outside No 9" season. The "post-twist" season works fine, as well. Either way, that outside phrasing is apt here.

Through this season, we got a very good episode that I have to believe was purposely giving away the twist early on. We got an episode that had three endings, none of which were very shocking or innovative. We got a Christmas episode for which my review was called "recycled No. 9 Lore" - need I say more? We (not me, I'm in the states) got an episode that by the reviews seems to be 80% conceptual and 20% a genuine attempt at decent television. This does leave us with the second installment - which (see my review if you're interested) was my favorite.

So what's the deal with "The Last Weekend?" Well, it's got a few really cool ideas. A beautiful setting. An extremely well acted role from Pemberton and a corny but fitting one from Reece. We get a minor classic Inside No 9 moment with the Blue Jeans Baby song, too! But from the beginning, there are sinister, dark overtones, and there are ambiguous clues that leave your mind spinning to create the most out-there, brutal story you'd expect from the series.;

But that's not where this goes. 2/3rds in, there's a scene I'll paraphrase as: "surprise, I've done something no human on earth would ever do to anyone under any circumstance because it's so completely insane that a schizophrenic conjoined twin would die from cognitive dissonance upon attempting to make sense of any shred of thought process that almost took place before presumably imploding into its sheer absurdity, then I became an alcoholic."

I really admire what Pemberton and Shearsmith did with this season. I think they really tried to get past one upping themselves. But if that is their desire, pay homage to something you love, like Hitchcock, or DePalma, or Welles. This was utterly ridiculous... although, the closing was chilling. So 5 starts for that alone. Whatever you do - DO NOT THINK ABOUT THIS EPISODE. It can only do more harm.

This is hard to rate. It would be totally justifiable to give it a 4, or 5, or 7, or 8. The problem is that I wouldn't really recommend it to people who aren't (yet) fans of the show but I quite liked it. It's just a little footloose and fancy free.

We have a present day setting that goes back and forth between a virtual speed dating service and an IRL meetup, both from the perspective of Vicky. And before the evening begins, we learn that there is a serial killer called the Lonely Hearts Killer on the loose. From the brief scenes we get with Vicky and a mysterious man who has come to her flat, She seems to have met somebody who checked all the boxes, but it becomes increasingly difficult to believe she found the man of her dreams as she spends one 5 minute session after the next encountering a completely different kind of crazy. There's a cocaine fueled gigolo, a man more interested in finding a replacement for his mother, and a woman who claims to have been mistaken for a man by the agency. Each scene is very sharp, the writing is top notch, and there's so much wit and flavor to the dialogue that it really is a fun ride.

There is a big problem, however. Spoilers aside, this basic premise has been in every anthology show ever produced. The whole concept for the episode is unoriginal. And, less importantly, both Pemberton and Shearsmith do a pretty mediocre job as actors here. Vicky, on the other hand, is fantastic, and carries this segment to the very end. An average story told exceptionally well and a fine - but not outstanding - addition to the 8th series.

I blame Shearsmith and Pemberton for the following chain of events: I watched this episode, then when I was putting my favorites in order I listened to the inside inside No 9 bit online, heard Shearsmith drop the name of a public information film (Apache) which I then, for some reason, also looked up. What's really disturbing to me is that Apache - a mind boggling exercise in poor taste itself - is maybe a little less or just a tiny bit more disturbing than Wise Owl. But Wise Owl, of course, didn't miss the mark, it hits it so accurately that you find yourself laughing and at the same time feeling so very empty inside. The context of revisiting the actual participants in these accidental horror anthologies of the 1970s and 1980s is useful in both viewing and interpreting Wise Owl. But you might find that it's best to just appreciate it for what it is and what you hope it's not.

Not my favorite, not a particularly pleasant experience either. I have to imagine this was completely unintentional, but it was similar to an episode from the 1980s reboot of the Twilight Zone. For anybody who might remember, perhaps the Card (credit card episode) or something like that, just a very in your face incarnation of folklore and superstition with heaps of irony and absurdity. It makes for a memorable story -- but not in a wholly positive way. There are two or three ideas that are best represented by the image of people screaming "You've got to believe me!" "Can't you see what you're doing?!" and "Don't tell me you can't remember!"

It's really not that bad, but it is extremely uncomfortable. And the episode is about a man with a fear of Friday the 13th, although it sounds like he got through the film without any major issues.

This is so good. The number of times I've been able to watch it and pick up on something new is impressive. The plot concerns a magician whose signature act is lifted from a former colleague and this results in a real time confrontation between a young, aspiring magician and a well established older one. There are a number of spectacular, memorable, unique and baffling elements at play, but the more you've seen the trick, the more it seems superbly clever yet logical.

Inside no 9 - among other shows like black mirror - often run with concepts that are self referential and illustrate a well known concept in overly literal and often ironic terms (an EC comic famously depicted a baseball team exacting revenge and then using body organs as equipment for example). The concept of misdirection is "an Inside No 9 style episode in which the misdirection is misdirection." And it works out exceptionally well. It's probably a bit helpful to be a little familiar with Derren Brown who is peripherally and at one point overtly referenced. A few complaints in other reviews are, sorry to say, objectively wrong. For instance, saying that the conversation between Neville and his wife is a plot hole because he ignores a huge warning is simply wrong. It may not sit well with people but the lack of attention to his partner is an integral part of the story. As for the suggestion that the ending should have been more shocking, I think this came from people who did not understood the trick properly. And I don't blame them for that, the show doesn't patronize its audience at all. Even the fantastic Mountweazle story was so confusing to me on first watch I had to rewind three times.

From there, it's a matter of taste, as the story is so exhaustively detailed, showcased, and brought to life with an amazing set and on-brand suspenseful score I'm not certain how much could have been changed without a whole rewrite. An easy top 5 episode for me and one of two or three that I would suggest to anybody watching for the first time.

Minus one episode (an oversight) I have watched this entire series up to this point, and like most Americans, I had no clue this had aired until long after the fact. Many reviews have aged poorly, IE "should have thrown it out before it went bad, hopefully there will be no series 4." It appears that the audience reaction to 2022's final tale was as enthusiastic as Pemberton's character tolerating the truly awful jokes written for the otherwise decent Bones of St. Nicholas. Every anthology show has had an immortal holiday episode, from Tales from the Crypt's maniacal Santa to Black Mirror's bite sized story to Tales from the Darkside's joyous Grither. Maybe it is the fear of having to one-up themselves that left fans with the feeling of recycled lore, minimal effort, and familiar themes in the shape of a terrifying 14th Century anti-Claus. On the other hand, the subject of the piece is a terrifying 14th century anti-Claus. Maybe it was the hole in my spirit left by 3 months of no Christmas spirit, but I found this to be decidedly above average. Despite the feeling that we've seen this one before, it was a more polished product than they usually deliver, and at worst, it's recycled Inside No 9, by which I mean better than almost everything else.

Points awarded for unique approach, for not doing a Scrooge episode, for hiring a female to act in their show (well done, boys) and serving as a reminder that any review declaring the show dead is, yet again, wrong.

The lowest rated episode at this time, which makes some sense (but not much). What I can understand is that 1. As an American some uniquely British references don't translate and 2. While some of the episodes are much weaker, I'm sure some people felt strongly about them while there isn't much here to be enthusiastic about. Has a contemplative nostalgia. Introspective and peppered with references to culture and religion, it is surprisingly memorable nonetheless. I hope it gets some love before the next series debut and if you're watching the old episodes in a predetermined order you have been warned that while there are a few swings and misses, this was more along the lines of light contact.