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Inside No. 9: Nine Lives Kat (2022)
Stilted acting, confusing ending, uninspired writing
Fun writing tip: pointing out that something isn't very good doesn't make it less bad. Probably the worst episode so far for this season of Inside No 9 which is a shame.
Inside No. 9: Mr. King (2022)
The Wickerman in Wales
Very obvious homages to The Wickerman here, which while I did get a kick out of it, it wasn't very original.
Another idiot ball plot: why the hell didn't the teacher immediately call the police?
Excellent buildup, with some nice comedy in between. The ending scene has some genuinely frightening cinematography. Could have done without seeing a bunch of small cocks though.
Inside No. 9: Merrily, Merrily (2022)
Not the best start
I don't know how to feel about this. The atmosphere, especially near the end was wonderful, with the shots of the lake being used to full advantage. It was nice to see the league trio back on the screen together (minus Dyson ofc) and Diane Morgan was (as always) a comedic treat. This was a quieter episode, leaning heavily on the dialogue which I liked.
However, the problems arise in the last 5 minutes(ish) which just... meh? Is that it? It's a parody(?) of Charon from classic greek mythology, which was cool and nicely presented, but also felt quite disjointed from the rest of the episode (which was very grounded in reality). The ending fate of the three still on the peddalo was a bit vague and confusing as well. I took it that the empty peddalo and the dialogue of them being "on the other side" implied the 3 had died and had already crossed over to the dead. However, my sister (who was watching with me) pointed out that as Shearsmith /was/ already dead and travelling to the land of the dead, "the other side" could equally mean the land of the living, as that would be the opposite for Shearsmith's character. Ambiguity sometimes makes a good ending, but here it was just frustrating.
Also, slight nitpick but Shearsmith's character vomits up a coin for the ferryman after his trip. Traditionally, the coin would have to be buried in the deceased's mouth, as a huge part of the story is that those without the coin are doomed to wander forever. So how the hell did it get there for Shearsmith? He was surprised to see it, so obviously he didn't place it there. Did someone find him and bury him? Gagh, I don't know.
The characters also all seemed to hold the idiot ball for the plot to work. Why were they all seemingly waiting hours on end before doing things like checking their phones, or swimming out to check on Shearsmith's character? The dialouge mentions they've considered this previously, but I mean seriously. Hours on a peddalo would wear away the patience quite fast, especially with no genuine prospect of rescue presented. I don't know, maybe I set myself up by expecting a crazier twist. Kudos to the fireworks scene though, that was beautifully shot. I'm excited to see where next week's episode goes.
Dodger (2022)
A good bit of fun
I am definitely not the target audience for this show - neither a child, nor someone who has children. But I am a hugee Dickens fan, so that counts for something.
Personally, I love this show. I find it quite difficult to define what it is - while it is definitely marketed as a children's show (with it's predominantly child main cast, CBBC airing, and general silly moments), there are still moments which very much feel more like a family show from the early 2010s like Merlin, or Doctor Who ect. There are several really dark moments in this show - the very first time we meet Fagin and his gang they are mourning over a child being HUNG. There are similair moments throughout - shots of decomposing mummies, children being strangled and threatened by adult men, a two characters are nearly executed and one guy is straight up MURDERED in the last episode (although it is from the Disney fall of doom so maybe that does make it a kid's show.) The fact the show is simultaneously being aired on BBC 1 right now does not help settle the children/family show debate. Am I trying to justify me binge-watching this series when I should be focusing on uni? Yes. Yes I am.
Tangents aside, this show really is a good bit of fun. While the child acting can be cringe at times, it generally holds it's own. The soundtrack is limited but not too annoying, so you don't really care. There is some really good depictions of industrial London here, which I ALWAYS enjoy seeing, with fun slang, pretty damn good sets and costuming, and a nice whistle stop tour through the more bizarre aspects of early victorian times. The real stars are the adult cast - Bill Sykes is absolutely hilarious (which is a sentence I bet you'd never think you'd hear) while also still remaining genuinely threatening when needed. Minnie is a delightful character, who I hope we hear more from in Season 2 (presuming we get one (please)). Nancy, while not very accurate to her book counterpart (if the Nancy that gave her life to protect Oliver Twist saw THIS Nancy dumping the kids at a fairground, I fear she'd have a fit). She's still entertaining to watch, although her screentime is limited. The chief of police takes the ham to the MAX in his performances, which I personally love. The incompetent yet well meaning police duo is a trope done so many times I don't need to talk about it. Queen Victoria and Albert is a VERY fun portrayal I've not really seen done before - that of silly young people more interested in having their weird (alluded to) dating life than to properly rule a country. But it's Fagin - FAGIN! - who takes the crowd. Oh Christopher Eccleston you beautiful bastard you've done it again. There's something so compelling to this guy - he is literally the worst man ever (crimes include murder, child exploitation, and a truly staggering amount of theft) but is still so compelling to watch. Eccleston plays him with a real sadness that I think is true to the character. Also shoutout to the creators for keeping Fagin's jewishness in the story while removing it from it's anti semetic origins.
My main problem's with the show is the complete inconsistency shown to some plot points and characters. Dodger goes from an outsider to someone Fagin apparently sees as a son in what felt a short time with very little pay off. Same with Dodger apparently becoming 'a legend' in London thanks to the Police Chief's excessive attempts to catch him despite there not being a single memorable moment I can think of where anyone outside of the main cast is show being scared of Dodger, or indeed even pickpockets. A lot of the plots relay on a character of choice holding the idiot ball, and some of them are just poor stupid. I'm sorry, I will NEVER forget the mummy episode for pulling that cult out of nowhere. It was so dumb. Some season arcs are also really poorly developed, with little pay off. Charley's origins are played with for about 3 episodes in the series, before the final episode's reveal having no effect on the rest of the plot, as even Charley refuses it and decides to return to the status quo. Ditto with Dodger - we get this really sinister mill owner who looks like he's going to be one of the main antagonists but after the first (and maybe second) episode he quite literally never appears again. What a waste! And while I am glad Ms Piptree wasn't completely forgotten, I was still hoping to learn more about Dodger BEFORE the gang. I think Tom's character could have been developed better as well, as one shot of him shivering on a bed in a cell, while effective, doesn't help establish his standing in the gang prior, which means Dodger acting as his 'replacement' has less effect.
Whatever. All of this can easily be fixed in season 2 (which please god BBC commission). It's a shame most of the reviews seem to be negative based only on the fact that there are a lot of people of colour in the cast - to which I say literally who cares. We all know Victorian England WAS mostly white, however this is a 2022 production for a 2022 audience, including a lot of children. This is not the time for gritty historical realism. This is the time for a bit of light hearted fun to the backdrop of criminal victorian London. God.
Anyway, I really enjoyed watching this, and can see myself rewatching in the future. 7.5/10.