Series 2 of Inside No. 9 establishes the extraordinary variety and effectiveness of this anthology show
“Not since the escaped cow has there been such excitement here”
Having finally entered the world of Inside No. 9, perhaps inevitably I’m kicking myself for having left it this long. Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s anthology series continues its genre-fluid escapades but there’s more of a sense of it exploring the vicissitudes of human behaviour and its impact on those around us. From sleeper train carriages to 17th century witchcraft trials, Victorian séances to suburban birthday parties, so much of the human experience is here. Including Jack Whitehall.
Chief among these episodes is The 12 Days of Christine, anchored by an extraordinary performance from Sheridan Smith. Cleaving a little closer to drama than usual, Christine is experiencing her life through a splintered perspective as we visit key holidays in a non-linear fashion, a haunting stranger always present and her state of mind increasingly unravelling as Tom Riley’s husband, Michele Dotrice’s mother and her young son look on helplessly. It turns gut-wrenching and as she so often does, Smith demonstrates such dramatic integrity in her performance.
The beauty of Inside No. 9 is perfectly demonstrated by that episode being followed by The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge, a brilliant wry takedown of 17th century witchfinding practices and the permission structures granted to it by an unscrupulous society. With a judge looking to use the trial to boost local tourism, accusers wanting their spare room back and witchfinders called Mr Warren and Mr Clarke, you can see the comedic thrust, but there’s depth to the hypocrisy being exposed here too. Ruth Sheen’s Gadge is perfectly pitched as the accused woman, and it’s always good to see Sinéad Matthews with an accent.
Elsewhere, the particular joys of trying to get your head down in a sleeper train are amusingly explored, Jane Horrocks excels as a busybody volunteer in the troubled atmosphere of a support helpline call centre and the sitcom-esque vibes of Nana’s Party are the perfect venue for Claire Skinner and Lorraine Ashbourne’s strained sisterly relationship to implode. As with the first series, the final episode tips into outright horror but even with Alison Steadman in tow, I’m not sure Séance Time quite nails the tone as effectively as it could but that is mainly because the bar has been set so insanely high already.
