Every Inside No. 9 Episode Ranked From Worst To Best
31. Tom And Gerry
Plot: An unwell teacher (Shearsmith) allows a homeless man (Pemberton) to move into his flat, but the man soon takes over his life in a sinister manner.
Location: A flat.
Three season one episodes have ended up in the bottom ten. It should be said that while season one was good, it was with season two that Inside No. 9 really became a televisual masterpiece.
This one being so low down could be controversial, but on reflection it does have some issues that hold it back from greatness. It doesn't always make that much sense, it's quite slow, Conleth Hill is wasted and its presentation of mental illness is somewhat retrograde.
Still, this is also a genuinely moving and powerful story that concludes with a very clever ending - you'll think that you've worked the big twist out, but then it pulls the rug out from underneath.
As well as the typically strong work from Shearsmith and Pemberton, the episode also features an excellent guest performance from Gemma Arterton as Gerri, the protagonist's girlfriend. All in all, it's a moving episode, but a step down from the show's first two stories.