Here’s one thing I basically never do: Sit down and binge a new Netflix show in its entirety in one sitting. It’s never been my style. In fact, I rarely do this with any TV show. I rarely have time and besides, I like to spread things out a bit. Sometimes, however, that’s just not possible. A show will grab me and the next thing I know, it’s over.
This was the case with Ted Danson’s new Netflix dramedy, A Man On The Inside, which I thought I’d check out last night, maybe watch a couple of episodes and then just watched the entire thing before bed. That’s the tl;dr version of this review. It was so good, and so very pleasant and watchable, that I watched it all at once.
It’s cliché, I know, but I laughed and I cried. This is a show that tugs on the heart-strings but gives you plenty of moments of humor, conflict and good natured fun as well. It’s also my favorite Ted Danson role since The Good Place.
Both shows were created by Michael Schur, who some of you may know as Dwight Schrute’s cousin, Mose, from The Office. He’s also the creator of many of my favorite comedies, including Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks & Rec.
A Man On The Inside reminds me of all those shows—and you’ll see some familiar faces—but it has its very own flavor. The series follows Charles (Ted Danson) a retired professor of engineering whose wife has passed away, and who now lives in relative isolation, sending newspaper clippings to his daughter via snail-mail and going on long, wistful walks by himself. He’s lonely, but comfortable in his loneliness.
Until one day, urged by his daughter to do something to occupy himself, he stumbles on an intriguing classified ad.
The job is unique. A private detective, Julie (Lilah Richcreek) hires him to go undercover at a swanky retirement home in order to catch a jewel thief she’s been hired to find without anyone at the retirement home knowing. This includes the director of the home, Didi, played by Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum Stephanie Beatriz.
I won’t spoil anything beyond this premise—the entire thing is based on Maite Alberdi’s 2020 documentary The Mole Agent—but what follows is not only a clever mystery with a totally unique take on spycraft, but also a genuinely heartfelt exploration of friendship, romance and parenting in the twilight years. I admit, though I’m still a long ways off from my dotage, I’ve been thinking a lot about getting older and death these days (it’s the subject of my latest poem) and this felt like a remarkably timely series.
Charles finds himself having the time of his life at the Pacific View retirement home—“It’s like high school!” he exclaims at one point—but balancing the genuine connections he forms with the people there against his role as a spy proves more difficult than he anticipated. The lingering grief over his wife’s passing also weighs on him as he comes into close contact with other senior citizens suffering from the same malady she succumbed to in her final years: Dementia. I’d liken the tone to dramedies like Shrinking, which also handles weighty themes with a wink and a smile, or to one of my favorite cozy mysteries, Only Murders In The Building, though it’s not nearly as goofy.
There are lots of little spy references throughout. Charles is reading Smiley’s People, one of John le Carré’s famous novels, before he goes on his own spy adventure. The titles of every episode reference some spy or mystery film or book, many of them from le Carré like “Tinker Tailor Older Spy” or other classics: “The Man Who Knew Too Much About Bridges”, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Painting Class”, “Presents and Clear Danger” and so forth. It’s all very clever.
I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a lighthearted—but emotionally poignant—cozy mystery. So many shows and films focus on youth and the struggles of youth; it’s nice to see one tackle old-age and what that entails. Danson is absolutely perfect as Charles, though he’s given plenty of help from an incredibly charming cast. While it’s not the funniest or most unique of Schur’s projects, it’s still a profound and deeply satisfying watch. Give it a shot. It looks like they’re hoping to make a second season, but this particular story is all wrapped up in Season 1, so no need to worry about cancellation.
Have you watched A Man on the Inside yet? What did you think? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
