4.5 out of 5.0 stars
The newest addition to Michael Schur’s legacy of sitcoms arrived on Netflix Nov. 21. “A Man on the Inside” stars Ted Danson as Charles, a retired professor and recent widower, who accepts an offer from a private investigation firm to work undercover in a retirement home. The first season follows Charles as he figures out how to be a 70-year-old spy and step out of his lonely shell, finding companionship alongside the other residents at the home.
From Cheers to The Good Place, Danson is an actor who, since the ‘80s, has known his way around the sitcom formula. It’s like the show is already expecting the audience to be cheering for him, consequently lacking a bit of personality for Charles because of it. Lilah Richcreek Estrada — who plays Julie, the PI who hired Charles — and Mary Elizabeth Ellis, who plays his daughter, Emily, are fine supporting characters. Estrada’s deadpan is sometimes a bit too dead and Ellis’ character works well when paired in scenes with her dad, but when the show attempts to give her a solo plot in early episodes, it doesn’t land as it feels too far from the main plot. The cast has enough chemistry to distract the audience from those little mistakes. In contrast, Stephanie Beatriz’s Didi is a strong character who gets good moments that show how thoughtful her character is and how important she is to the story.
Many storylines feel rushed, even for an 8-episode pacing. Events that would be great later on — after more time for character growth — are still good but wasted early. It seems the show is angling towards an anthology, where every season Charles helps the PI firm in a different case. This could be interesting (and the only way to further conflict), but unfortunate, considering how endearing the characters in the home are and how important they become to Charles. The wholesomeness of their arcs makes more sense but it feels like a loss of opportunity to waste that cast’s chemistry so fast by shipping Charles away to the next location.
The show does a great job of portraying the elderly, though, as it captures their resemblances to children in a way. Living in a retirement home together allows them to let go of expectations more and go back to childlike habits. “A Man on the Inside” conveys perfectly how someone can return to a feeling of youth at an older age, especially how the sensation of risk is different. Kids think nothing can hurt them because nothing has yet. The elderly think nothing can affect them because they’ve already been affected by everything, so they go back to this peaceful limbo. Risk will always be there but it isn’t worth it to stare at it and wait for something bad to happen. A big message of the show is to open yourself up to enjoy life more — to live.
Although it has its faults, it is overall a good season of television. Also, it is important to remember that this is only its first season. Not having a spectacularly strong first season shouldn’t mean its demise. Many of Schur’s now very successful TV shows — like “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office” — didn’t have excellent first seasons. The beauty of sitcoms relies on having time for that growth to happen. And even by the eighth episode, there was already significant change. As the characters grow closer and their humanity is displayed, the show naturally gets funnier and more emotional.
Anyone who knows their way around a joke has the ability to make a funny TV show. Schur’s sensibility is what makes his shows unique. “A Man on the Inside” is funny, but it’s got so much heart, too. Yes, the season could benefit from a longer run time with more episodes, but it still manages to pull through. You laugh when you watch it, and once it’s over, it feels like a warm hug.
