What Paul dos in the shadows eh ? Great guest stars and a silenced part at the end I didn't see coming. Great physical comedy including Reece's tash. Kayvan's character really was a "cleaner" as well. Top review ,cheers WeeLin.
My very first inside no 9 episode loved it. … tuned it the following week and they were all talking … haven’t watched an episode since (joke). As was talked about in this excellent essay the utter craziness of having this as the second episode opens the doors to the rest of the seasons more experimental episodes. I rate this episode up there with the very best. (So glad I stumbled on this episode / series purely by accident)
Yay Weelin!! I am super happy you are doing these full reviews from the first series!! Always look forward to your videos 👍I am about to start watching the ENTIRE No.9 all over again... and your reviews are a perfect thing to listen to after watching each episode! Long may this continue!!
Thanks! I'm glad this is something worth doing, because No 9 is the kind of thing that merits endless rewatches, and you always find something new! It'll be nice when I have every episode reviewed (which I'll probably put into one huge mega playlist), even if the quality ends up a bit inconsistent because I started doing these in series 5!
@@WeeLin It's definitely worth doing, I'm loving these reviews 👍 And u are so right, each time I watch an episode I see something new, then you point out even more things I didn't even think of 😁 I'm really hoping you will eventually do a Psychoville episode review also... that show was/is epic!! Love your channel and appreciate your dedication to such a phenomenal tv show!
I don't know why but Reece's face when he discovers Sabrina is transgender while shes taking a leak had me in stitches. Something about the confusion on his face framed by the goofy balaclava just looked ludicrous.
Reece has so much talent for doing faces and reactions that just slay me every time. I've been rewatching some clips of him as Stella in The League of Gentlemen, and what that man can do with a single expression is priceless!
I well remember the hazy Summer holidays of the 80s, when impressionable young minds were blithely exposed to sexual innuendo on postcards and highly inappropriate shop window displays of fake breasts and adult playing cards. It was a different time, certainly, but it all passed by with a minimum of fuss. Inflatable dolls, in that context, were neither one thing nor the other. We noticed it but we ignored it, for the most part. Conversely, Americans are rather squeamish about that sort of thing, generally speaking. It's a shame they took umbrage with such an innocuous thing as "Dolly".
Can confirm, the summer holidays of the 90s were pretty much the same! It kind of cracks me up to think that "Dolly" would make American audiences squeamish - you do realise we don't *actually* find those things sexy, right? Just standard British joke shop tat - I don't know where they ever got the impression that we were sophisticated!
i had to avoid showing my mother this episode during the first time i showed her the show (very out of order, started with misdirection), because of the sabrina reveal, she’s a really big transphobe.
Well, at least it's an anthology, so the order doesn't matter (otherwise Misdirection would be REALLY far along!) The weird part is, if you distracted someone during the Sabrina reveal, or just took it out of the episode, it'd pretty much have no impact on the rest of the story.
@@WeeLini tried to talk to her about the dog scene because she tends to look at me when we talk (or ignore me and look at her phone), but this was the time she decided the show was just too good to stop watching.
Sardines is definitely odder and darker in terms of its comedy, but this one has some excellent timing and slapstick - I can see why so many people think it's one of the funniest episodes they've done.
Brilliant gag, perfectly executed! And if you've ever been chopping chillis then accidentally scratched your eye (as I have stupidly done in the past), you have some idea of the pain that character must be in!
This was the first episode of No. 9 I ever watched, and it must have done something to me because I was pretty hooked not long after that. Less funny at the time, but when I first watched it (I was probably too young to be honest, but oh well) I assumed all episodes would be similar, and so I went straight on to Tom and Gerri afterwards. Big mistake, as the image of Mig in the bath frightened me so badly that I couldn't go to the bathroom on my own for about 2 weeks out of fear. Thank god I got over that, as this has become my all-time favourite telly show, so sad it's over, but glad that it happened! And it's quite heartwarming to know that the Streece (Steve and Reece, I'm coining it) duo wanted to be in Brum, as that is my absolute favourite childhood show! Funny how life works.
I can absolutely see those "Streece" characters in an episode of Brum. Very cute wee show, that was! That last scene with Migg in the bath must have been pretty horrible if you weren't prepared for it, although I think the end to The Harrowing is probably the most frightening ending in series 1.
Very random thought about the episode as someone with a medical background, and I may be reading too much into it, I did wonder if the numbers in the episode represented GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) with a score of 8 normally meaning someone is classified as being unresponsive/comatosed thus once he's at 9 he's showing significant signs of life. Again might be me reading into the episode too much but I wouldn't put it past the inside no 9 boys. Love the reviews by the way, keep up the good work 👏
That's amazing! Maybe they weren't aware of the GCS (and I'm now wondering how my home city got its own coma scale!), because I reckon that's something they wouldn't resist including somewhere. What a fascinating detail - thanks for sharing! :)
I love BoJack! There are some great channels on here that do deep dives on the episodes and characters, and I'll watch those over and over again. I remember that part with Sarah Lynn hitting really hard the first time I saw it... and every time since.
British comedy really loves... "dollies", doesn't it. Red Dwarf never showed "Inflatable Ingrid, Your Polythene Pal", but she was regularly referenced. And I always remember a really strange movie called Wilt, in which Griff Rhys Jones wakes up after a stag do with one attached to himself.
@@WeeLin it’s definitely welcome but yeah as a writer I know that taking a healthy break now and again is very wise otherwise it can be very damaging. Certainly glad to have you back though and starting off with a belter too
I never thought about this episode’s similarities to Hush, which is really funny because my mom loved showing me that episode of Buffy and this was her favorite episode of No. 9 (as far as I know. She didn’t watch as much of it as my dad and I, but she loved the silent comedy 😭).
Frankly, I thought this episode was terrible. I expected it to be a fun, slapstick, silent comedy, which it was for the first few seconds. Then, out of nowhere, there was a ghost for some reason? The announcer informed me it was just a glitch, but I'm not sure I buy it. And then, showing some really shoddy work from the BBC, a weird workplace comedy starring Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton as themselves started to play (I assume by accident). Also something about Coronation Street and ancient burial grounds? Absolute rubbish.
I saw that broadcast too! Did you hear the announcer screaming in between? Very unprofessional work from the Beeb, I thought. And then they're just cutting to the actors talking to their pals on Twitter? Outrageous! Hope they had someone's head for that nonsense.
Welcome back WeeLin, I hope you had a good holiday. This is one of my favourite episodes and the fact it has Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter in it is an absolute bonus. I don't know if you've seen it but Reece's character reminded me of Griff Rhys Jones in the Smith and Jones Homemade Christmas Video. If you haven't seen it, please give it a watch. It's hilarious and on RU-vid. #WeeLinDollyGate !! 😹
I nearly spat my tea at the DollyGate hashtag! I had a lovely holiday, thank you! Is the video worth watching now, or better saved till Christmas? Thanks for the recommendation either way!
Yeah I didnt know about the link to the world’s greatest slug balancer Charlie Chaplin either that was a lovely surprise and makes the episode even more precious. As for #DollyGate 🙈
I really appreciate your segment on discussing what criticisms there are for the story considering how adored the episode is in the fandom - in my own series ranking (which is about halfway done now) it's ended up lower than I would've first thought and a part of that is that as a non-binary person the fact that Sabrina is trans is only used for a joke doesn't sit the best with me - still though, it is a very good thing to show how Steve & Reece have gotten better over time, both with later series having better LGBTQ+ rep and by showing how far they'd already come from the taxi driver in League of Gentlemen; the episode itself is still incredibly bold and defining for how early on it appeared and that it's not ranked as highly as others would put it in my own books is much more a testament to how truly excellent the competition is than anything else - it doesn't get a full pass per se but I think at least enough has been done since to forgive it
Thanks for telling me that - while I think it's a brilliant episode, it didn't feel right to ignore those elements. And while fandoms can get up in arms if you criticise a fan favourite or don't love something as much as the rest, I don't think that's a very healthy way of thinking. As I said, it's 100% possible to enjoy something and accept it isn't flawless! Plus, I know there's already a non-zero sum of trans and non-binary folks in the No 9 fandom (I've spoken with a fair few over the years), and I'd hate for people to feel alienated or laughed at. All it takes is a little willingness to see things from another point of view, and then the whole community becomes a better place for it. Thanks again! Lx
Taking this chance to recommend something to you, the web series Spooky Month. It's about two kids obsessed with Halloween living in a small town full of weirdos and monsters. It started as a 90 second joke animation and has since spiraled into a 10 part story with the next major installment slated for October 2025 with smaller shorts coming out in the meantime. Not only does every episode have a unique post credits scene on the Newgrounds version, but starting in episode 3, every episode has ARG elements and a hidden overarching plot about an eldritch cult. The whole thing balances elements of both TLOG and Psychoville, there's even a disturbed exterminator and his cat lady mother who remind me of a certain mother-son duo from London's Wood Green.
Cheers - I'll take a look at that! I do enjoy a good, weird web series from time to time, and if it's anything in the spirit of TLOG/Psychoville then I'm in!
@@WeeLin Happy to hear it, it's always been a hope of mine to meet SM's creator SrPelo and ask if he's seen any of Steve and Reece's shows, since there are a few funny similarities, and because if he hasn't, he would absolutely love them.
you’re just biding your time before unleashing the Reece rage machine, the whole series ranking. As you said, “if we can hit Mulberry Close levels of rage, it has to be done!”
Unfortunately there was no one I could share my enthusiasm for the show with, but finding your channel was the next best thing. I already purchased a ticket for their theatre production next year when I can finally watch Number 9 with fellow enthusiast.
Glad you found my channel then! The No 9 sub reddit is a pretty good community as well, plus there are still a few decent Facebook groups out there ("League of Psychos Inside No 9" is good if you're into their other series as well). Very keen to see what a No 9 theatre crowd looks like next year!
Think i was around 12 - 13 at the time? 🤔 Saw it not knowing it was supposed to be fake and yeah not much sleep was had that night! It was great lol. I remember everyone in school was talking about how mental it was. Good times! 😂👍
There were so many clues in this episode that completely flew over my head! I.E. “you’re the one who’s going to have to live with it” “I love you, Millie, why can’t you hear that?!” “Necrophilia more like!” “They’re putting on a brave face”
@@WeeLin agreed! I went into this episode blind. Good thing for recording programmes right? I agree with your statement of “if I took a blood pressure reading it would’ve gone through the roof” as this episode so exhilarating! I loved how Pemberton played a down to earth fun loving father instead of neither a frustrated support line worker, a cold hearted vengeful father who’s has his life ruined by the same gay celeb who told the same father’s daughter to off herself. Was it odd to see Pemberton in the goofy dad role? Yeah. Was it nice to see him in a role of a giant goofball since A Quiet Night in and Burnie Clifton’s dressing room? Also yeah
Could the names of the rounds also have a double meaning? “3’s a crowd” - they have to get rid of the dad “3 blind twice” - three blind mice - lab mice/rats
I think i was 11 when it was on TV and my sis was 15. We were freaking out big time, running out the room then coming back for more. It's without doubt the best thing they've ever put on TV at halloween.
Definitely one of the most underrated shows. It is a rare gift to be able to create something that is genuinely funny and clever while also being genuinely disturbing and horrific. I remember when I first saw the silent singer I couldn't get it out of my head after the episode ended.Thoroughly creepy. Reece and Steve are brilliant and I can't believe I have not seen Inside No9 yet. I will be starting the series in the next few weeks though so happy days ahead.
I’m surprised these are the least favourites, I personally hate the Xmas episode and the one where it does those webcam monologues, and Hotel Zanzibar was a crappy one too.
Fantastic video on a genius production. I'd not noticed the phallic drawing before. I can't be the only one that finds that with the bunny's eyes really dark?
If anyone wants to know what that vault of horror image is, it was 2 horror films that were related in some way, whether by the same director or similar plot, and was presented by dr terror (the guy shown). If memory serves me they showed the fog and the thing after ghostwatch.
Just for the topic of the future of your channel and that : Any other type of high quality British/UK show you would recommend, I would watch on your part. You convinced me to watch Psychoville and i loveddddd it. Same with deadline So I Definitely would be interested in most anything you would recommend. Also, looking forward to all of the other types of videos you mentioned at the end of your "Plodding on" review (finally got to watch it, wonderful!) Going to miss the show but glad to have your channel here and I did appreciate the kind words you put into the plodding on review as well.
Series 9 was a renaissance. I felt series 7 and 8 dropped off a little bit but series 9 was back to the old standards. Thanks for the reviews. I usually watched soon after watching the episode to see what I missed
Genuinely loved this episode, I think Reese had the grovely tone to try to make us think he was some sort of sinister bad guy but that's just my take. This might have been one of the strongest inside number 9 episodes in the last couple series, at least in the top 10 for me, It's subverted my expectations.
Best guest characters? ✅ Best twist? ✅ Best ending? ✅ A little bit Funny? ✅ Heart attack inducing? ✅ Best 9? ✅ Best villain? ✅ Best characters? ✅ Best Steve/Reece performance? ✅ I’ve done an on site escape room for my 21st birthday which was awesome! And no wasn’t in a coma!
How did I not see this show before? I only just discovered it and it's so well written and acted. This episode was brilliant, I knew there was a twist coming but never figured it out until it hit. Interestingly my reading of the first party scene was a little different; I thought it falsely made Christine seem a bit immature and maybe even a little sleazy. Because of that it hit me even harder later. You get to the ending and realise she was a kind, sincere and promising young woman with an amazing future ahead of her that she never gets to see.
I love the Empty Orchestra, i just love how the bullied girl gets so many wins in the end. Nana's Party is very Hitchcock-y, with a bomb under the table, an ambulance for someone in this case, keeping you in suspense all along. But apart from that, the actress for the drunk aunt does a flawless job. Who witnessed it irl can attest to that. The Winner to me is just a Doctor crew getting together, so i can't dislike it. So yeah, the rest is not that great tbh
When I started watching the first episode of this show, I thought it was a comedy (I didn’t know Shearsmith and Pemberton’s legacy). For 29 mins, the episode delivered on that comedy caused by awkward situations then the ending hit me like a ton of bricks ! And this is how I knew I discovered a gem that I am obsessed with till now..
Anyone else freaked out by Val clearing up fox-chewed food waste from her drive, then stroking her face and hair and heading out without washing her hands? (I realise it's a minor point though!)
