A Man On The Inside
By Sioph W. Leal
A year after his wife passed away, retired professor Charles (Ted Danson) is stuck and isolated from life. He’s lonely and distant from his daughter Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) with no friends and seemingly lost in his own grief. Encouraging her father to find something in life, Charles follows his daughter’s advice and responds to an advert from private investigator Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), and so begins his adventure to infiltrate Pacific View Retirement Home to uncover a thief. With so many staff and residents, everyone is a suspect, but Charles must ensure that director Didi (Stephanie Beatriz) does not blow his cover, so he easily integrates into the world of Pacific View and becomes the inside man.
For an ensemble show with a short runtime, the characters blend well, and everyone feels fleshed out and contributes nicely to the story in their own way. There are, of course, eccentric characters, but in a grounded way that allows the subtle comedy to run alongside the story nicely and makes the short episodes feel well-rounded and paced well. Ted Danson is the perfect choice for Charles, with an instant likability that sells the premise of the series and allows his character to integrate effortlessly (and believably) into the new surroundings. With that, we see his character open up more to the world around them and see more past the charming and easily liked professor to an empathetic man who longs for connection and battling his sadness at losing it in all areas of his life. He doesn’t say much, but it's clear the character wants connection, and his silence makes it more heartbreaking when it's denied but just as touching when he finally connects, and genuinely so, with people.
The comedy is there, but it's subtle and balanced well with the variety of characters, each having their own unique comedic elements. Some can be quite dry and sarcastic, while others are more outward, but the characters' differing humour is natural to them, and it works well together. Despite comedy being the primary genre, A Man on the Inside is much more than a comedy with a lot of hard topics shown—the main being loneliness in all ages, the grief of someone passing away, and the grief of losing someone who is still around physically but not there mentally. It’s not all doom-and-gloom but rather creates a nice blend, resulting in something touching and making the series a comfort watch even with the heavier topics shown. Since the two themes work in harmony with each other, it adds more weight to both ends. The comedy feels natural because of the harder themes, and the harder themes don’t feel as heavy because of it. It’s a great balance and makes for a good, easy watch that uses the characters and outrageous situations to keep you watching.
If it’s a fun, comforting, and easy show you want, then A Man on the Inside is the perfect fit. It can be heartbreaking from the middle episodes, but the humour rises out of it and combines well with the heavier moments. There’s an array of quirky characters that lift the series with their unique humour, but it all feels grounded into something entertaining but with something to say. It’s a quick comfort watch with some big moments carried by an engaging cast.
A Man on The Inside premiers on Netflix, November 21st 2024.