by Helen Langdon
Last week, Reece Shearsmith warned us not to get too enamoured of the twist endings in Inside No 9. And then this week’s episode came with a sting in the tail, demanding two viewings just so you can watch it knowing what’s going on, rather than presuming you do.
Last week, Reece Shearsmith warned us not to get too enamoured of the twist endings in Inside No 9. And then this week’s episode came with a sting in the tail, demanding two viewings just so you can watch it knowing what’s going on, rather than presuming you do.
Because this episode invited you to guess what was happening. Some *SPOILERS* ahead, just to warn you, because it’s difficult to talk about this episode without giving away plot details. It never tried to hide what was going on. Instead, it highlighted the fact that Tom was only ever in the room with one other person at a time through shot compositions and musical cues. You can’t help but try and figure out what’s going on, because in this day and age everyone knows the plot twist to The Sixth Sense. Obviously, Tom was hallucinating that person, right? But then is he also hallucinating that one? It wasn’t until the final moments that both questions are answered, and even then you’re left wondering if you missed anything.
It was easy to believe that Steve Pemberton’s Migg was a projection of Tom’s mind. He didn’t seem to exist as his own character, with his own clear motivations – instead, he seemed to be exactly what Tom needed. Tom’s a struggling novelist, with a love for Charles Bukowski and Allen Ginsberg, so what he needs is a man who met one of his heroes, right? And a man who will become a friend and encourage Tom to follow his dreams. When Tom first met him, Migg seemed oblivious to Tom’s polite social cues to leave. It’s only later that he becomes more openly manipulative, hiding Tom’s money and offering to take the flat away. At this point, the story started to take on a potentially supernatural tone. If Tom was hallucinating Migg, after all, there was a possibility that Migg was merely a spiritual doppelganger there to take over Tom’s life. Steve Pemberton’s performance in this role was brilliant, subtly changing each time he was on screen as he rose in counterpoint to Tom’s decline.
It was easy to believe that Steve Pemberton’s Migg was a projection of Tom’s mind. He didn’t seem to exist as his own character, with his own clear motivations – instead, he seemed to be exactly what Tom needed. Tom’s a struggling novelist, with a love for Charles Bukowski and Allen Ginsberg, so what he needs is a man who met one of his heroes, right? And a man who will become a friend and encourage Tom to follow his dreams. When Tom first met him, Migg seemed oblivious to Tom’s polite social cues to leave. It’s only later that he becomes more openly manipulative, hiding Tom’s money and offering to take the flat away. At this point, the story started to take on a potentially supernatural tone. If Tom was hallucinating Migg, after all, there was a possibility that Migg was merely a spiritual doppelganger there to take over Tom’s life. Steve Pemberton’s performance in this role was brilliant, subtly changing each time he was on screen as he rose in counterpoint to Tom’s decline.
But this wasn’t really a story about the supernatural, and the twist was almost unnecessary. At its core, this was a story about loss, and coping with grief. When things go wrong in life, it’s always tempting to ignore it in the hopes that everything will go away. Most of us don’t have an unwanted houseguest pushing us to take that to its ultimate conclusion, but it’s an easy emotion to identify with. And when Gerri appeared at the right moment to save Tom from his misery, it was a bittersweet moment. Because yes, she does save him, but conveniently timed returns of loved ones only exist in wish-fulfilment fiction. And that’s not what this episode was.
It ranged from disturbing, to sad, to comedic all over the course of a single half hour. Just as difficult to pin down are the characters, who are never entirely good or bad, but instead all just human. While all of the tales so far have left a sweetly sad feeling behind them, this was the saddest of the lot.
It ranged from disturbing, to sad, to comedic all over the course of a single half hour. Just as difficult to pin down are the characters, who are never entirely good or bad, but instead all just human. While all of the tales so far have left a sweetly sad feeling behind them, this was the saddest of the lot.
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