Every Inside No. 9 Episode Ranked From Worst To Best
6. Diddle Diddle Dumpling
Plot: A man (Shearsmith) finds an abandoned shoe and becomes obsessed with tracking down its owner.
Location: A suburban house.
Diddle Diddle Dumpling is, due to how disturbing and haunting it is, one of the darkest and least-funny episodes of Inside No. 9, but it's one of the greatest all the same.
Not only is it a powerful and beautifully-written story of grief and mental illness (done in a more sensitive way then earlier episodes, such as Tom & Gerri), but it's also the finest ever Inside No. 9 episode on a technical level. It's filled with stunning cinematography that cleverly reflects the episode's themes and it uses Vivaldi's Four Seasons to great effect too.
The episode also has two excellent lead performances from Shearsmith and Keely Hawes (playing the lead character's wife), as well as a memorable guest turn from Horrible Histories' Matthew Baynton.
Overall, this isn't the easiest Inside No. 9 episode to watch, but it remains one of the show's greatest achievements.