Must Watch reviews The Inside Man

Thursday 29 September 2022, 9:45

Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week, Hayley Campbell and Scott Bryan review The Inside Man.

BBC One showcases life in the quaint English village where everyone is a murderer. A drama from Stephen Moffatt, featuring David Tennant and Stanley Tucci.

Hayley says "I'm not entirely sure where the story is going or how it will end, so it's keeping me guessing in a way not all shows do"

Yes, it's a must watch because it has David Tennant, Dolly Wells and Stanley Tucci and I love all of them. But also because I'm not entirely sure where the story is going or how it will end, so it's keeping me guessing in a way not all shows do. I also like how it's basically a psychological wrestling match in the complicated grey area between good and evil. It's about morality, and why people do the things they do.

The one thing I would say is it does have little Steven Moffat-y things in it which can annoy me about Steven Moffat shows in general. It's the fact people always people talk in the kind of witty quips that you only think of on the way home from the conversation, rather than when you are having the conversation. To me it can make non-smug characters come off as smug, because they are in a smug script. But it is unusual in its place and characters, and definitely worth a watch.

Scott says "The plot highlights people doing good things, but end up taking the worst decisions imaginable"

This is a Must Watch. Part of it is trying to work out how these characters from completely different backgrounds; David Tennant as a vicar and two convicts on death row in the US, one played by Stanley Tucci, end up getting tangled in the same storyline.

Tucci and his co-inmate Dillon, played by Atkins Estimond, are very much like Sherlock too. It feels a bit like Steven Moffat has taken a little bit left over from Sherlock and put it on this show. It is not necessarily a bad thing, they manage to solve cases and riddles, like Sherlock and Watson do. The difference of course is that they both can't leave their cells as they are on death row.

The second strand I like is that it goes into morality quite well. Essentially... Why do good people do bad things? It explores the idea that all of us, regardless of our morals, in the right circumstances we have the potential to do something really bad. The plot reflects this by highlighting people doing good things, but end up taking the worst decisions imaginable.

I am just intrigued about where the plot all ends up. It feels like ‘Am I Being Unreasonable’ and 'The Outlaws', which goes against viewers expectations by becoming incredibly unpredictable and an edge-of-your-seat thriller. I just find that really exciting.