Every Inside No. 9 Episode Ranked From Worst To Best
12. The Referee's A W***ker
Plot: Football referee Martin (David Morrissey) is about to manage the last game of his career, but things soon go completely pear-shaped.
Location: Football changing room.
Although season five wasn't quite as strong as the three seasons that preceded it, it did start off brilliantly with this wonderful episode that displays nearly all of the best qualities of Inside No. 9.
As is so often the case with Inside No. 9, the screenplay builds up a fully-realized world populated with compelling, memorable characters in the space of just thirty minutes, while practically every single joke is hysterical too.
The farcical plot is very compelling, the satirical commentary on football - namely, people's OTT investment in it and corruption within the sport - is excellently done and, as always, the episode rounds up a great cast. David Morrissey is typically excellent in the lead role, but Steve Spiers damn-near steals the episode as a rowdy mascot.
The one thing that really doesn't work here is the twist, but that only comes at the very end; therefore, it does little to cast any shadow over this joyous half-hour of television.