The 5 least popular episodes of Inside No 9 (and why I still like them)

[@CrazyBuffyFan1]

Of these, I actually really like Empty Orchestra. It was nice to have something that ended happily after so much intensity that season.

[@WeeLin]

It was such a dark series that the happy ending felt like the most unexpected twist of all. I loved it!

[@justrez3846]

@@WeeLin all of it

[@davidnelson9232]

Agreed it was on of the strongest episodes in my opinion.

[@rancidkippa4589]

I was expecting someone to horribly die at any point, so the lack of that was a nice twist

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

Me too!!! One of my favs

[@kittygrimm7301]

I feel like Empty Orchestra is one of the palatte cleansers of Inside No 9, much like how San Junipero was for Black Mirror. Also, maybe it's because I'm a hopeless romantic but I absolutely swooned when Dwayne put Janet's hand on his chest so that she could feel his heartbeat. It was so sweet!

[@WeeLin]

Nothing wrong with being a hopeless romantic! I love when Dwayne lets Janet feel his heartbeat, it's so intimate and they both look so happy! I also loved that she put her hand to the speaker while he was singing, as if to feel closer to him by "feeling" his voice. Apparently a lot of those details were Emily Howlett's own ideas too. I'm a big fan of San Junipero, and I feel like that came after one of the darkest episodes of Black Mirror, as Empty Orchestra came after one of the darkest No 9s ("Riddle of the Sphinx", which topped my "most disturbing episodes list). I'd actually taken a break from watching Black Mirror after the ending of "Shut Up and Dance" broke me, so it was delightful to have a feel-good ending - definitely the last thing I was expecting.

[@mattierenton701]

couldn't agree more, I was filled with so much joy and shed more than a tear of happiness, it was just so eo sweet and lovely, i'm deffo a hopeless romantic too, maybe one day I will find that kind of beautiful connection with someone

[@siep3417]

San Junipero is one of my favourite Black Mirror episodes, I feel like the episode is a milestone for BM marking the transition from an average budget channel 4 show to a big budget show that’s marketed to an international audience. San Junipero for me is a story about letting go of lost love and allowing yourself to be vulnerable by opening up your heart to a new person. I know I’ve gone on about BM and not Inside Number 9 but…

[@siep3417]

I too really enjoyed ‘Empty Orchestra’, because after multiple viewings you start to notice the depth the story has and how it works on so many levels (I sound like Mark Cousins haha) - I like to think that the people watching the episode have to do as Janet does and lay our hand on the speaker so we can feel the story and not just hear it on a superficial level - Janet adds such authenticity too and she has many heartfelt touching moments in the episode.

[@ziggystardusk6629]

This is how I feel about it, too. I really really like this one.

[@АленаШарахматова-ж7э]

How can one not like Nana's party? The pacing is incredible, the characters are unexpectedly deep, Reece's performance makes me tear up a little every time I watch it and the ending never fails to have me laughing to tears. One of my most favourite episodes!

[@WeeLin]

That bit where Reece says "don't talk to her like that" always gets me. He seems like a joke at first, but there's a lot going on with his character.

[@exile9521]

When Pat said "I know." :-(

[@Connorsea]

I find them hatable

[@dp-g5i]

​@@ConnorseaThey're all hateable except Shearsmith's character. He was actually sympathetic and committed to his relationship despite many problems.

[@hxllly]

makes me so sad that empty orchestra is on here. i loved it so much

[@WeeLin]

I love it too, but it kept turning up near the bottom of a lot of ranked lists. But at least it gave me an excuse to talk about it!

[@hxllly]

WeeLin i don’t think there’s any episode of number 9 you don’t love😂

[@WeeLin]

@@hxllly Ha! Guilty as charged

[@murrayjones694]

Personally I'm not a massive fan of it. I found it kind of boring, although I do appreciate there being an episode where things don't go wrong for once.

[@kittycattt93]

Nan's party was so on point for toxic families and the family gatherings

[@WeeLin]

You can just feel the tension in the air throughout - brilliantly done!

[@paulflint6254]

i love it, some dark humour and comic too.

[@thechazzler8934]

Genuinely it stuck such a strong cord with me cause I absolutely hate stuff like that soo much, made me really angry

[@joethelion6016]

Even the less appealing episodes of this wonderful series are better than 99% of the nonsense on television

[@Sleve-McDichael]

You can praise something you like without denigrating other artists, you know?

[@joethelion6016]

@@Sleve-McDichael dry up. I never mentioned any other 'artists. You bored mate? 😆

[@jamesmullen2231]

I absolutely loved "And the winner is...", I found the dialogue sharp & witty and the setting to be unique, a nice satirical fly-on-the-wall's eye view of a hidden process. I did kind of guess what the twist would be, but not from any clue in the episode itself, more from the meta-awareness that there would be a twist and the most likely one would be that someone was rigging the vote. It was still well played out though, even when I was 90% expecting it.

[@WeeLin]

Agreed - the writing in ATWI is sharp and brilliantly funny. I couldn't get my head round the fact that people didn't like it. And thanks - that does make sense for figuring out the twist. I almost never go in to the episode looking for it, as I like to be surprised!

[@FTZPLTC]

"Fuck you, you withered asshole" remains one of the best comebacks ever.

[@DavidZ4-gg3dm]

The characters aren't likeable, an unknown being invited to vote on a panel is unbelievable, it has no laugh-out-loud moments & the twist is weak compared to that of most Inside No. 9 eps.

[@AndrewMcClenning]

I love "Empty Orchestra". I fuckin' love music. Telling a story through the chosen songs just felt right - "I Know Him So Well", perfect choice.

[@WeeLin]

Oh, totally the right song. I love that the two women are unintentionally singing a duet about the same man right in front of the entire office! I love anything musical - plays, movies, TV specials - so long as it's done with passion. Empty Orchestra absolutely was, and managed to tell a story as well. I'll never hear "I Know Him So Well" without thinking about this episode ever again!

[@AndrewMcClenning]

I'm the same way with "Shine" from 'Cold Comfort'.

[@dp-g5i]

Also laughed at Greg and Connie getting fired while the lyrics "fire away, fire away" were playing

[@jrobertheath]

What I love about And The Winner Is... is that the ending makes the first watch quite satisfying as throughout the episode, Jackie is mistreated by everyone, and in the end, she's the one who gets the last laugh.

[@WeeLin]

I hadn't thought of that, but yes, very true!

[@bazdog4464]

I really liked the last gasp's ending because it's like shes letting his soul (In his last breath in the balloon) go up to heaven

[@WeeLin]

I thought so too, and it's actually quite a sweet moment. Sadly, I think it was lost on a lot of viewers.

[@Polytunnel]

"Empty Orchestra" is one of my favourites because of the comeuppance at the end, the inclusion of a deaf actor and the storytelling through song. I love their dark endings, but variety is important. Reece & Steve are amazing writers and actors. They are not afraid to experiment and they are generous to the guest actors. An occasional episode might disappoint, but that is always down to personal preference, not their talent.

[@WeeLin]

You've basically summed up in one KZbin comment what I've been waffling on about and trying to say for the entire video! :)

[@edwardmckenzie6988]

Empty Orchestra is my third favorite episode. Adore how genuinely uplifting the story is when it meets it's end.

[@WeeLin]

I love the ending! Between Fran, Roger, Dwayne and Janet, you can't help but cheer for the good guys. Often when I see a "nice" person in IN9 I'm thinking they'll either turn out to be horrible or something unspeakably bad will happen to them before the end. Not the case here!

[@crystal0913]

Thanks for this!! I love Nana's Party and the Understudy - they are still good in their own right just maybe not as strong as the other episodes. Sometimes I refrain myself from reading such "rankings" just because I don't want them to spoil my appreciation for the less popular stories.

[@WeeLin]

Thanks! I'm not overly fond of best to worst rankings myself (though the IN9 fanbase seems to love it - each to their own, I guess) unless it's around a specific theme. I once did a "most disturbing" episodes list, and even then I had to admit that it was totally subjective. The episodes are so radically different that it's hard to put them against each other in terms of quality. Plus it means some episodes keep getting left out of the conversation, so I'm glad I could include them here.

[@arandombard1197]

Understudy is fantastic. The acting and performances are really fun. Last Gasp is also great because it shows humanity at its absolute worst. I've had a similar situation where my extended family started fighting over the money left behind by a dead relative, before the body was cold.

[@WeeLin]

I probably should have said that more in my video, but I totally agree that Last Gasp did a great job showing humanity at its worst. Sadly, it's true that some people care more about material gain than the end of a human life, and there's nothing more ugly than watching them bickering over money and who gets what. I'm very sorry you had to witness that. No 9 goes to some dark places, but I think this was one of their darkest in terms of comedy. And yes, I'm also a big fan of The Understudy and was a bit surprised that it made the list.

[@hazeljaffray9020]

I love that you’ve shed some light on these episodes. I love all of them but have personal favourites rather than wanting to rank them so it’s nice to see analysis of the less talked about ones. Your channel is really good and I hope it continues to grow.

[@WeeLin]

I was surprised when so many people asked me to cover the less popular ones, but I'm really glad they did. I thought that would be more original than another ranking video, and that these episodes definitely deserved more love. Glad you liked it, and that you enjoy the channel!

[@endor8witch]

12 days of christine was what got me hooked to the show. it's just simple and emotional. such a ride!

[@WeeLin]

It's my favourite episode, and probably the one I'd show people to convince them to watch the rest.

[@dp-g5i]

​@@WeeLin Christine is probably one of the worst episodes for introducing someone to the show. Even though it's utterly brilliant, it doesn't give people an insight into what the show as a whole is like. I think they personally nailed it with Sardines as the intended introduction for the show, it's funny, it's cleverly written, it gets very dark and serious when it needs to and it's got a great cast.

[@drfabulous2804]

@@dp-g5i Sardines, A Quiet Night In and La Couchette are by far the best episodes, I also have a soft spot for Wuthering Heist, and the game show one with Lee Mack (I forget the name, something like 3X3)

[@jemimajust827]

I liked the 'egregious' reference you slipped in there. I also really enjoyed Empty Orchestra. It had 'don't you want me baby' in my head for days and it was so sweet seeing Steve's character so happy at the end of the show.

[@WeeLin]

I will slip an "egregious" wherever I can, usually with all the subtlety of Pauline ramming a balled-up sheet of paper into Ross' mouth.

[@grunkert]

Your channel is helping me get through some tough times. Thank you

[@WeeLin]

That's wonderful to hear - thanks so much for sharing that with me. It makes it all seem worthwhile. Hope things get better for you

[@RaRa-eu9mw]

I can't sing since you been gone in anything other than a drunken brummie accent now thanks to Empty Orchestra! Great video :)

[@WeeLin]

The definitive version from now on! Must be sung with tie on head for extra impact.

[@danm3882]

I thought it was just me. Just hear Steve’s brummie accent every time I hear it

[@oscarwrightphillips]

"And the winner is" is one of my very favourites. It's really funny and has a lovely twist.

[@WeeLin]

I thought it was hilarious, and I still quote from it from time to time!

[@littlemy1773]

@@WeeLin “she reminds me of my gran , well… except for wanking men off in car parks” that line kills me every time 😂

[@WeeLin]

@@littlemy1773 🤣

[@cara425]

A lot of these episodes are the ones that get better after rewatching them

[@WeeLin]

I find the second watch is always the best watch - once you know what's going on, you can really appreciate the finer details in the scripts and performances.

[@cara425]

WeeLin definitely! Empty orchestra is one that i love from rewatching it. All of the little jokes can go so un-noticed.

[@Capricorn152]

I wholeheartedly agree about Empty Orchestra. What a glorious episode. I love the ending.

[@WeeLin]

I'm seeing more and more love for Empty Orchestra since I posted this, and that just warms my heart. It's a brilliant episode that is sadly overlooked or written-off most of the time. I'm glad to see it has more fans, not just me!

[@eoj8371]

8:40 you’ve hit the nail on the head there as to why I love the show so much (aside from the amazing writing and acting) that I’ve never realised before. Almost every episode is about some usually untold, yet gleefully domestic or humane scenarios and occasions in life

[@WeeLin]

Thanks! I think everyone has a story to tell, and a truly great writer can always find meaning in the mundane. Thankfully, Inside No 9 has two great writers who can do just that.

[@heidihackleman7491]

I don’t think that they’ve made a bad episode to date. There are some I like less than others, but they are all good. Even if I’m rewatching them I never skip any. Thank you for your analysis

[@Sam-ym1sq]

Honestly, between empty orchestra and the song between Edward and Tubbs in the 2018 league of gents live show, I think Steve's a pretty decent singer (of course in the case of empty orchestra he's intentionally bad but the acting throughout each song is excellent as always)

[@WeeLin]

I loved that song from the live show... "Edward, can you hear me?" And don't forget the Denton's hygiene song (which has become surprisingly relevant again in these weird times!) Yeah, Steve's a much better singer than you'd think from watching Empty Orchestra, mind you drunk singing is a whole other skill set!

[@Sam-ym1sq]

Yep some of the dentons ritualistic upkeep of hygiene has become grimly necessary (though I must say they'd have a hard time getting separate loo rolls for 1s and 2s in these times)

[@WeeLin]

@@Sam-ym1sq Especially trying to get them in the appropriate colours.

[@jakekraweckyj2801]

@@WeeLin 'Wash your hands before and after, during if it's long'... so relevant these days!

[@soulfoodie1]

Been waiting on this and as great as I hoped! Thank you so much for giving some love and respect to these underrated episodes . They are all still astonishing pieces of work and knew you would do them justice. Giullem Morales praised Steve's performance in Empty Orchestra (and was full of praise for Steve as an actor) on Instagram a couple of days ago. (Personally both Empty Orchestra and Nana's party are amongst my favourite episodes-)

[@WeeLin]

That's so great to hear. I'm almost tempted to get on Insta to see what he said, even though I never use the bloody thing (kind of like Steve with Twitter, at least until recently!) I'm glad you liked the video, and that I could do justice to some of your favourite episodes - I think it's criminal that they aren't talked about more often.

[@elberno4243]

14:15 The "Visions" as you say, are anxiety daydreams, not premonitions. If Jim had blood on his hands, there could be foreshadowing, but he was innocent so pure fantasy

[@EshfulCookie]

Kirstie being first on screen in The Understudy could be a reference to the witches

[@WeeLin]

Huh... I hadn't even thought of that. Good shout! She is the one who sets the events in motion, so maybe she resembles them more than anyone else, secretly pulling the strings from the very beginning. I'd just thought of her more as Lady Macbeth without the guilt, but that makes more sense. I also like how Tony starts off as a stand-in for Duncan (albeit a very loud and sweary one!) and ends up being more Banquo's ghost at the feast. I love this episode, and Macbeth is one of my favourite plays.

[@loonylovely7]

It's actually just bad luck to say "McBeth" out loud while being inside a theatre because of that myth of that one time it was on and it went really badly with accidents and even a death I believe. Theatre people are a superstitious bunch, so it kinda makes sense. By the way, if you accidentally mention the play inside a theatre, the only way to not doom the play about to happen is to run around the whole building three times. Which would be hilarious if you're already in costume.

[@WeeLin]

I didn't know the myth was supposed to go back to one particular incident. But yeah, even in my own limited experience, I found theatre folks could be extremely superstitious - never caught anyone running around the building though!

[@dp-g5i]

​@@WeeLin I believe it was the Great Fire Of London hitting the Globe Theatre when Macbeth was showing at that time that caused people to think of the play as bad luck in a theatre. I've always wondered though, what superstitious people make of the play even being shown in theatres when the actors have to say Macbeth

[@callumboyle1600]

Yay! A new video! You’ve quickly became one of my favourite creators, I love listening to your voice.

[@WeeLin]

Thanks very much! Nice to hear I'm doing something right.

[@sarahclarkson1212]

I love that you gave 'No Reece' as a genuine reason for people not liking Last Gasp! I don't think I dislike any episode either but if I had to choose, the Reeceless one would be my least favourite

[@WeeLin]

It'd be hard to deduct points from any No 9, but "No Reece" has to count, I'm afraid! See also, "No Steve" in The Harrowing, though I'm not sure how they could have included him in that.

[@sarahclarkson1212]

@@WeeLin oh my goodness, it's only now that you've said that that I even realised there's a Steveless episode too! While I adore the two of them, evidently I have a favourite ... Having said that I just watched your lovely breakdown of the most disturbing episodes, and I think To Have and to Hold might be a contender for least favourite too, and I don't know if it's the very adult fear of a loveless marriage combined with the horror of what is happening behind the scenes or the fact that Reece's part in that is minimal too! Anyway, I'm so glad I found your channel, your content is excellent 😊

[@missjudd16]

I love how much effort you clearly put into each video - especially as inside no9 is such a little talked about topic on KZbin. Love your videos, thank you! x

[@WeeLin]

You're very welcome! I do put a lot of work into making these, but it's worth it because I love Inside No 9 and I wanted to hear it talked about more. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and start the conversation yourself!

[@peterhammond1701]

YES YES YES, an episode about Edward and Tubbs! Once again I must thank you for your insightful analysis and my housemate applauds your sense of humour (as do I). I'm using your vids to get him more into #9, with great success.

[@WeeLin]

Excellent! Glad you enjoy the humour and analysis, and I'm looking forward to talking about Edward and Tubbs (there's a surprising amount of material to get through!)

[@courtjester4400]

thank you so much for feeding my special interest with a 40-minute IN9 video, a true hero. (spoilers?) I absolutely love all of these episodes! I'm surprised people don't like them aha. -nanas party had me cackling. I yelled, because, i too have a very oblivious nan! I liked that it wasn't overly gruesome or dark; just a family tragedy. -...now this might be my special interest in Shakespeare but god did i love this episode. and it threw me off because i expected macbeth when all of a sudden the 'banquo' so to speak took the lady M role! I think it's one you gotta start with. -Empty orchestra was a little boring but HEY *HEY*!!! DISABLED ACTOR PLAYING A DISABLED CHARACTER. have to stan that! As a (though invisible) disabled person i had more of an angle to laugh and relate to it, and i liked watching it unravel. -The Winner is had the best twist it could have. and hey! acting commentary! It was slower, I'll admit, but i liked the character dynamics -last gasp is funny, to me. it may just be sick sense of humour, but hey!!!! its got its moments!!! plus, Tamsin Gregg.

[@WeeLin]

Totally agree - I was howling at Nana's Party, even with its moments of small, real-life tragedy. I think they nailed it. Loved The Understudy, especially as Macbeth is my favourite Shakespeare play - that's what threw me on the ending too. Big thumbs up for casting a disabled actor as a disabled character in Empty Orchestra, and you can see how much she was able to contribute to the finished episode (this is exactly why this matters!) ATWI is just straight up funny to me, with or without the twist. And yeah, I was also really happy to see Tamsin Greig in Last Gasp (big fan of Black Books right here!) Even if people don't like the episodes, they should at least appreciate that they're trying something new.

[@courtjester4400]

@@WeeLin EXACTLY!!! IN9 isn't a one trick pony, and they're allowed to make comedic episodes!!! i think that zanzibar is, however, the better shakespeare episode but dark shakespeare is necessary!

[@WeeLin]

@@courtjester4400 It's cool that they managed to do a Shakespearean comedy and tragedy in different episodes. Zanzibar was definitely the more ambitious, plus it was written once IN9 had become more established (I think it's also the biggest cast they've had to date). So yeah, I'd agree the Zanzibar was the better episode, but I still enjoyed their take on Macbeth here.

[@willorsomething4019]

You better believe I clicked on this the fraction of a second it showed up, cheers!

[@WeeLin]

Well, that's encouraging! Hope it doesn't disappoint.

[@MaskofMandarin]

It's nice to see alot of love for 'And the winner is' & 'the empty orchestra' . That they are atypical is in their favour, adding variety to a series line up.

[@WeeLin]

Exactly! Variety is one of the greatest things about this show, and these "lighter" episodes came straight after two of the darkest episodes they've ever done ("Riddle of the Sphinx" and "To Have and To Hold"). I think we all needed a breather after those!

[@starwinksbackfromtheskypit6790]

Hello I’m late to the party but happy I arrived. I’ve been a fan of inside no 9 for a while now and it’s very nice to revisit the episodes through you before I rewatch for the 100th time. One thing I would like to add from my pov about the episode “Empty Orchestra” is that one of the twists is that it shows the disabled are just like everyone else and by NOT creating some big reveal or dramatic cliche based around the fact she was deaf and able read lips, it normalizes the story and normalizes her handicap and all who live with physical disabilities. The Latin definition for orchestra is “the place in front of the stage where prominent persons sit” and each character were all different in so many ways, wore so many different costumes and had different battles in their lives, yet all in it together just like we do. So let’s sing and celebrate and pass the microphone! Much love from Music City Nashville TN. ❤

[@luuvfromeve]

I can't believe that some people don't like The Understudy! It's one of my favourite episodes, the lighting, the acting, the set design and the twist was all amazing!

[@Kagebrain]

I recently finished watching through all of Inside no.9 (to season 4 anyway) and I also really enjoyed all the episodes, even though it was some more than others. I understand the 'I saw the twist coming' reason for disliking an episode but honestly I think it's really hard to pull off a good twist with fore-shadowing and effective set up without giving it away to some. There were more episodes I saw the twist coming than didn't, wether it was from the start or half-way through but the journey of the story was often better than the twist anyway. The thing that gave it away for me in 'And the winner is...' was the emotional walking out. Knowing the typical formula of the show and the obviously twisted industry personalities being ironically honest in their portrayal, this action felt suspicious. Honestly, I wasn't upset by realising it as the performance was excellent. The series often stands on its storytelling and characters even if the twist doesn't hit but I can understand people getting frustrated if they only really watch it waiting for that surprise. Overall, it was a fantastic watch and I can't wait to see what else they do.

[@WeeLin]

The best twists are the ones that have seeded just enough info to make you say "No way", quickly followed by "... of course!" It's tricky to pull off, but somehow they manage more often than not. There's also nothing like a second watch of No 9 when you know what's going on and you can see all the details in their set up. I love it! But I agree, its real strength is in the characters, storytelling and script, and their work usually holds up for me, twist or no twist. Hope you enjoy series 5 - I have a playlist of short reviews I made while the episodes were airing. Nothing fancy, just a few minutes of initial impressions. And they have 2 new series confirmed for the future too!

[@Kagebrain]

@@WeeLin I'll defo give your impressions a watch once I've seen season 5! It's always interesting to see how others feel about an episode and see if there's something I missed :D Also, yay for 2 more seasons!

[@RaRa-eu9mw]

On guessing the twist in And The Winner Is, I "guessed" it to an extent. Because it's Inside Number 9 I knew there had to be a twist, and the "ordinary member of the public" was the only character not accounted for. She went way overboard on pretending not to really know anything, and I strongly suspected from very early on that she was hiding something and was perhaps pulling the strings somehow. I do remember feeling underwhelmed by the reveal. Not because I "knew" who she was, but because I knew "something big" being up with that character would be the twist :)

[@WeeLin]

Ah, I see! Well, that suddenly makes a lot more sense. I guess she didn't stand out to me as most of the other characters in this were larger than life... then again, they were actors! Thanks for that, it went completely over my head!

[@jlyndyt1396]

I was one of the people who could predict the ending and honestly it was a case of, ‘there’s going to be a twist, what could it be’ and just figuring it out but I attempt to figure out of all of them before the end of the episode and this is the only one I have done successfully

[@WeeLin]

I think I get it now, thanks! I never go in looking for the twist, which was probably why I missed it.

[@IfIHadMyTimeAgain]

Which episode was this?

[@WeeLin]

@@IfIHadMyTimeAgain And the Winner Is - people kept saying the twist was really obvious, but it managed to go right over my head!

[@IfIHadMyTimeAgain]

WeeLin same, but to be fair I wasn’t really focusing on the characters faces more on the drama

[@karenhunter8095]

Thank you so much for all of these League of Gentleman run downs! Also I love your puns/jokes/commentary.

[@WeeLin]

You're welcome, and I can never resist the urge to pun, so it's nice to see that's appreciated!

[@robparr2019]

Thanks for this great analysis of my favourite show. There isn’t a bad episode - they are consistently genius! Thanks for the love shown to Empty Orchestra: clever, insightful and the put upon triumph. And the use of Whigfield that doesn’t immediately sicken me!

[@WeeLin]

I don't know why, but I really love the way Reece says "Deedeedadara" at the beginning of the song. It just cracks me up! And from now on, I only want to hear Whigfield in this accent, it just works!

[@robparr2019]

WeeLin the only way to “.enjoy” Whigfield! Saturday night and the air is getting hot....it’s quite repetitive, isn’t it?

[@17thCenturyGhost]

So I found your channel recently, was extremely intrigued and being from the US finally splurged on britbox 2 days ago. I’ve now watched all of inside no. 9 and I’m absolutely in love with this series! So thank you so very much 😊

[@WeeLin]

You're very welcome! I'm so glad No 9 is reaching more people in the US (and then, so does my channel)

[@schpleeb]

I *LOVE* Empty Orchestra! And I also love that you have taken the time (and indeed love) to do these videos. Thank you so much

[@WeeLin]

You are so very welcome! It does take a lot of time and effort to write these, but it's worth it because I love this show so damn much. Knowing other people appreciate these videos is just incredible, so thanks for telling me this.

[@loosegoose2466]

Great video. Just watched Last Gasp. Loved the cynicism of humanity. Very dark. Reminded me of the way families argue over wills and estates, brings out the worst. Kid was great.

[@jonocour]

I thought I had been listening for 10 minutes at the end. Then I looked what run time was. And I surprised to see I had been watching for 40 minutes. That shows that this video was amazing. Thank you for making it

[@WeeLin]

Wow, that's a compliment and a half! Hope my video didn't distract you from anything important.

[@danm3882]

Thank you for posting this Inside No. 9 doesn’t give enough credit or analysis it deserves. Easily the best show of the 21st century. Both of them excel at writing and are acting chameleons. Will definitely be watching all your videos and future ones

[@WeeLin]

Thanks! I think "chameleon" is the best word possible for describing those acting talents - Steve and Reece are literally different people every week in this show, not to mention the fact that they made up two thirds of the performers on League of Gentlemen. Who knows how many different characters they've played by this point?

[@johncoffin9354]

I thought there was a line where Christy mentioned killing Laura. Empty Orchestra is technically amazing. Actually editing ongoing musical activity with dialogue and intercuts is something that Hollywood has never even attempted. That might not be enough to make the episode a Big Success, but it adds a layer that I suspect its detractors didn't 'get.'

[@WeeLin]

I didn't pick up a line about Kirstie killing Laura, but the fact that she'd taken the ring seemed a bit suspicious to me. Maybe it wasn't on her hand when she died, and Laura had thrown it away at some point, but it's still creepy as hell that she's now wearing it. And yes, recording an episode with live singing would be an absolute nightmare, but they pulled it off brilliantly! Apparently, everyone had an earpiece in (apart from Emily) so they could hear the backing track, which was then added in post. So it'd be very strange trying to act while someone's standing next to you belting out a song at top volume, all with no music playing. How they managed to get the timing of the script just right is beyond me as well!

[@nickpayne2102]

Almost every episode is worth a re watch. They get better the second time you see them

[@DiamantisHell]

Yup

[@lewiscuthbert2790]

Wonderful stuff as always, many thanks. I've always loved The Understudy and Nana's Party. Can't see why anyone should dislike them, hilarious and tragic as they are (though maybe the humour in the former is too actorly for some). Last Gasp's ending is really sweet. Not to doubt their storytelling ability but I do wonder if there was more they could have done with the video camera stuff set up at the start.

[@WeeLin]

Maybe you're right about The Understudy being a little too "actorly" for some - I'm not an actor myself, but I have friends who are, plus I did some youth theatre and drama studies back in the day, so I'm fairly familiar with that world. Still, Steve and Reece manage to make things relatable and enjoyable for everyone - I loved the referee episode for example, and I don't know squat about football! I wonder if an earlier draft of Last Gasp had other plans for the video camera? It just feels like it's going to be a hugely important detail later on, but it doesn't do much except capturing the footage of Frankie's collapse (I almost said "death", but of course that came later!)

[@lewiscuthbert2790]

@@WeeLin Hi again. Back on Last Gasp, I don't know if you've been listening to the Quiet Night podcasts but they suggested that the video footage at the start (along with Sally saying she felt funny after blowing up a balloon) was there to mislead you into thinking it would be a found footage horror type story. And of course the camera is used at the end so it's not an entirely wasted device either way.

[@ClaireWritesSometimes]

Saying "Macbeth" is only unlucky if you're actually in a theatre, I believe, anywhere else its fair game.

[@WeeLin]

Funny you should mention that, as there was a mention of Macbeth in one of the recent episodes that happened in a house around two characters who were theatre actors - they do a little "good luck" ritual straight after, just in case!

[@insertname175]

Nana's Party was the episode that really got me into No.9. I watched 12 Days of Christine before it and I just didn't think it lived up to the hype. It's probably one of my favourite episodes, just because it's so different to other episodes.

[@WeeLin]

While I love 12 Days of Christine, it's not exactly representative of the No 9 brand of dark humour, whereas Nana's Party is a fantastic example. Did you know it was actually the first No 9 script written? Fun, pointless bit of trivia there!

[@nathaliegrieves3859]

I didn't like the 12 days of Christine

[@duxwontobey4887]

Empty Orchestra is one of my fav episodes ever personally, it's just a really interesting slice of life sorta thing with a great plot and twist, and was honestly a relief after the tenser episodes in that series.

[@WeeLin]

It was the breather we needed after accidentally witnessing a snuff film and watching a professor being forced to eat a slice of human bum. Series three got a bit intense, didn't it?

[@duxwontobey4887]

@@WeeLin Sure did! one of my favourites too for that reason, but it's nice that we got a bit of a breather after all that insanity... before immediately going into Diddle Diddle Dumpling and Private View...

[@thomasmedway7261]

You can’t call yourself a singer unless you’ve sang half pissed in a karaoke booth/party.

[@WeeLin]

In that case, I can definitely call myself a singer!

[@kaylaglass7847]

around 32:40 "with a video camera that records when its not supposed to" that was the best shade. I thought the humor that older people can't work technology was perfect. They did a good job establishing she wasn't recording when she thought she was. I can't remember did they know they had him dying on camera by the end.

[@WeeLin]

I think they checked the playback at some point during the episode, but with older people working tech, there's every chance they ended up taping over it! I don't know, it just felt like the camera was set up to be a bigger part of the story than it was in the end. But the humour still works, especially if you've ever felt that sinking feeling when one of your parents is holding an electronic device and asking "can you give me a hand with this thing?"😂

[@judeh8160]

Empty Orchestra is such a lovely story. Everything turns out pretty much how you'd want it to, every character gets what they deserve, and it has such an optimistic ending. For a show as dark and disturbing as Inside No 9, especially in the same series as The Devil of Christmas, it made for a rare, relaxing breather episode.

[@WeeLin]

I mean, this was a few episodes after Devil of Christmas and right after Riddle of the Sphinx - we needed that breather! Happy endings and victory songs for those who deserved them, and a right royal comeuppance for those who'd earned one.

[@thenebulasystem8251]

Thank you so much for this and all your videos, it’s really nice to have so much smart and entertaining discussion on Inside No. 9 which is still criminally underrated. I really appreciated hearing your thoughts on these, as like yourself there isn’t an episode of No 9 that I completely dislike, including these five. Nana’s Party I’ve always appreciated for having an anti-twist, the whole episode you’re waiting for a knife to go into the head under the cake, and it never happens, and I think that’s a brilliant bit of trolling on the part of Reese and Steve. I also love Reese’s character, he’s so funny and kinda sweet too. I didn’t know The Understudy wasn’t popular, I’ve always liked it! Macbeth is my favorite Shakespeare play, the characters are really well written and fun to be around, and the “fuck me, it’s a ghost!” line makes me laugh until my sides hurt every time! Empty Orchestra did rub me the wrong way a little bit on first watch because I’ve always wanted a traditional musical No. 9, but I’ve come to appreciate it more and more over time, mainly because of its characters and also the ending which is really satisfying and sweet. And The Winner Is... might be one of my favorites when it comes to the more comedic episodes of No. 9, so many sparkling one liners and quips that go by so fast it, like every other episode, really benefits from rewatches. Also it’s lovely to see Noel Clarke in a No 9, as I’ve loved him since he was Mickey Smith haha. And then there’s Last Gasp, which does have the least amount of positives for me tbh, I will say Tamsin’s character is a big highlight, and the set up is strong, however I did find the ending to lack punch. I think it would’ve been interesting if they got greedy, decided to blow up a couple more identical balloons to pass off as ones the celebrity had blown up, and found that the reason he died was because that bag of purple balloons had been contaminated at some point, and so the greedy people die the way the celebrity did, leaving only a little girl and a camera they didn’t know was on to tell the story. But that’s basically just a rewrite and at the end of the day it’s a funny episode with strong performances, as they all are really. I think it’d be almost impossible for Steve and Reese and the whole team at IN9 to make a Bad episode, there’s just too much talent there. Thanks again for all the wonderful videos, they are greatly appreciated!

[@WeeLin]

Between the cake and the paramedic in Nana's Party, they really had us going (I like the phrase "anti-twist" and am going to start using it). I was also surprised to see The Understudy on there, but a lot of people did rank it quite low. Maybe I enjoyed it more because I love Macbeth. Empty Orchestra and And the Winner Is always make me laugh, but I get the impression that the comedy episodes aren't as popular unless there's some death or a dark twist. Speaking of which, that would've been a really unexpected twist for Last Gasp, and would have been the perfect way to kill the characters off purely through their own greed!

[@exodiasmith7276]

I liked Nana’s party. I absolutely enjoyed seeing all the skeletons come out the closet and I don’t know about anyone else but I found it rather tense when Pat and Carol were talking about their secrets with Jim (the hardcore pornography disguised as Countdown for the former and the love affair for the latter) in the presence of the fake birthday cake-Angela must have been fuming! Of course she wasn’t there anymore. This might make me sound horrible, but I absolutely love seeing middle class life fall apart. A lot of it can be so fake and to see it all come out in the open I find very satisfying! Plus this family does have plenty for me to get annoyed at-the most frustrating is Angela with her bloody tassels! On a side note if anyone else out there shares my pleasure of seeing middle-class sensibility collapse then I would highly recommend the film Carnage which completely throws a spanner at all things bourgeois. Overall I would say that Nana’s party is among one of my favourite episodes. Also btw I have finished watching season 1 of Psychoville. I’ve never finished a TV season so quickly! This has nothing to do with the small number of shows as it has taken me longer to finish shows with a smaller number of episodes. It was just so good, I was watching an episode a night where normally I would watch an episode then come back 2 or 3 days later however Psychoville had me gripped. It was just so weird, wonderful, funny, entertaining and doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. Will there be a spoiler discussion of Psychoville any time soon? As for me it’s onto season 2.

[@WeeLin]

I think Angela would have burst out of that cake in a fit of rage if she'd heard the conversation between Jim and Carol! I know what you mean about seeing the middle class home fall apart - I think for a lot of us, the values and preoccupations of households like these (or at least the ones shown on TV) feel a bit superficial and detached from real life. Compare them with the working class family in Love's Great Adventure and they really are two different worlds. Although I did get the impression that Angela became obsessed with unimportant things (like those bloody tassels!) because deep down she knew something was very, very wrong in their lives but she couldn't figure it out or face up to it. Or maybe I'm overthinking it. I did laugh every time Carol poked fun at her upper class aspirations though (the prawn ring, the meat from the "bahtchers" etc). Great stuff! I'll need to have a look at Carnage too, see if I can find that anywhere. I'd like to do another Psychoville video in more detail at some point, but I'm not sure when. The next video's taking longer than expected, and I have a few ideas for what I'd like to do next. Glad more people are watching it though! Series 2 is a bit different, but introduces some great new characters... not now, Silent Singer!

[@Jayforeman3047]

Three of my favourites are on here hahah! Love the channel.

[@hollyburton6860]

I adore Empty Orchestra partly because while the murder and dark twists are fun, there pretty mentally draining and oh boy is it hard to sleep on those nights! Sometimes you just need a light hearted feel good comedy. Also as someone with a profoundly deaf aunt, the representation couldn't have been better, I really like how Janet being deaf was never the butt of the joke. Even in a scene where she sings quite embarrassingly they don't play it for laughs which is terrific. I really love how her perceived "weakness" ended up being Connie's comeuppance.

[@WeeLin]

Absolutely - Inside No 9 needs that levity from time to time, especially in a series that was so unrelentingly dark at times. And I feel I can't praise the representation in this episode highly enough. I have a deaf friend back home who loves music and always joins us on karaoke night, so it was great to see them getting it right. That's a good point - while Connie was mocking Janet, the show certainly wasn't, and that comeuppance was just delicious!

[@Mia-dt3gl]

I consider And The Winner Is... to be a good breather episode. Low drama, no risks, and still a surprising twist.

[@johnclark6318]

I didn't realise that 'The Understudy' was unpopular. I love that one!

[@WeeLin]

I was surprised too - I loved The Understudy.

[@flowerfield3468]

Madness!! The Understudy is in my top 10 (and ranks quite high!) Interesting how each episode is so different, they appeal to different viewers. That type of variety is hard to find in other shows. There’s really nothing else like No. 9 atm.

[@Ben_Kirkham]

Yeah agreed, I love ‘The Understudy.’

[@robparr2019]

Thanks for your acute analysis as always. It can be lonely, being a critic! You always hit the spot. I agree, there are no bad episodes of Inside Number Nine. The creators are touched by genius. I love Empty Orchestra. It is gratifying that evil is punished and good triumphs. Being disabled myself, it’s moving that there’s no sense that she is a cipher, but rather a real three-dimensional character

[@haysleigh1190]

Great video as always! I think you nailed it - none of these episodes are bad, they’re just not what fans necessarily expect or want from Inside Number 9. I love Nana’s Party (it reminds me of my own family). It is close to home but no less enjoyable for it. Gallows humour indeed! Empty Orchestra is a perfect little romcom. As for The Winner Is, I think it is entertaining but I don’t like the twist. The reveal is far too cheesily done for the supposed greatest actress in Britain. In future I’m sure Thinking Out Loud will make this list, but I kinda love it. Stunning performances from Reece, Maxine Peake and Ioanna Kimbook, and some fantastic lines. They really fumbled the ending but that shouldn’t ruin the rest of the episode.

[@WeeLin]

Very good points - for some reason, I hadn't even used the phrase "gallows humour", but it's perfect here (and quite a common expression in Scotland, but I wasn't sure about anywhere else). Sorry the episode is so close to home! One thing that did bother me about the twist in And the Winner Is that I didn't mention in the video is the idea that somebody could have very easily walked in on Kellie/Jackie with the wig off and blown the whole operation! But I guess that was more for the audience and maybe said something about the character's arrogance. Minor thing, but didn't escape my attention! Thinking Out Loud was an odd one - the performances were superb (Reece nearly made me cry) and there were some great moments, but the ending was sloppy, hitting us with a sledgehammer of exposition and a bad mental health cliche. Still, there's a lot of the fanbase that absolutely love it, so maybe it'll end up ranked somewhere in the middle. For me, it's still a weirdly mixed bag.

[@haysleigh1190]

I’m coming back to this now three months later after watching And The Winner Is again. After another viewing, Phoebe Sparrow’s performance as Kelly/Jackie is a lot better than I gave her credit for. There are some really nice moments where the other jurors criticise Kelly and Jackie subtly reacts. I think it is the hammy delivery of “I AM the best AcTrESs!!!” that puts me off, plus the reveal of her taking off her wig to reveal... a much worse wig. I would have liked to see how Kelly managed to wangle her way onto the jury. Did a real Jackie win the competition and Kelly somehow managed to take her place? Winning a competition and then a major award through false pretences would surely be very illegal?

[@dariogeorge8680]

Good to have you back.

[@WeeLin]

Thanks! Sorry it took so long.

[@dariogeorge8680]

@@WeeLin It was worth a wait. Keep 'em coming (in your own time). Cheers!

[@xX88B88Xx]

Love all your content, thanks so much!!

[@WeeLin]

Glad to hear it, thank you!

[@SnowTheJamMan]

Nana's party is one of my favs, Reece as Pat is absolutely hilarious, one of his best characters

[@WeeLin]

Pat was great - I love the bit where he's talking about the "Countdown" video! He also had far more depth than expected, and I genuinely felt sorry for him by the end.

[@Aannan]

36:22 Yes, it sounds like David Bedella's singing voice to me. You can compare the voice singing One Day in Your Life in this episode to Bedella's performance of Sweet Transvestite here on KZbin.

[@WeeLin]

I just looked up his performance of Sweet Transvestite - that was fantastic! Thanks for letting me know about it. I'll need to listen again and see if it's up there with the Tim Curry and Anthony Head versions.

[@AshleySmith-dw6wh]

Great Video, Empty Orchestra is one of my favourite. Looking forward to the LoG videos.

[@WeeLin]

Great to see so much love for Empty Orchestra! Thanks, I looking forward to making some LoG videos.

[@joeyeulo1489]

I just finished a proper binge of every episode...twice lol.... And it's easily become a favorite series and I absolutely agree that there hasn't been a bad episode. I actually like every one in this list but can see why some may not. Fantastic video, definitely subbing now 😊

[@WeeLin]

Glad someone else agrees! I often find the second watch is the best one with Inside No 9. Thanks for the sub!

[@Pixietoria]

Empty Orchestra and Last Gasp are actually two of my favourites that I watch over and over. I particularly like Empty Orchestra because it’s just so sweet and plays on our suspicion that something far more sinister might happen. Last Gasp has me *crying* with laughter.

[@WeeLin]

Maybe I underplayed the humour in Last Gasp here, as many of the lines in it still make me laugh out loud. I hadn't even thought of Empty Orchestra as deliberately playing on our suspicions that something horrible would happen - I thought I was just recovering from what I'd witnessed in Riddle of the Sphinx, which made me realise there's no subject that's too dark for them. A happy ending was the last thing I expected after that!

[@Pixietoria]

WeeLin Well, I didn’t even notice that Reece isn’t in Last Gasp! I’m not sure I always expect to see them both.

[@Pixietoria]

WeeLin Just the thought of Last Gasp has me giggling. The way they all care far more for the money filled balloon than the two dying/dead people. The sequence where it’s so carefully carried up the stairs and placed in the bed is brilliant

[@Samcole0408]

I think the issue with most of them is there are no klings and there's to much acting

[@WeeLin]

At least we didn't get that Bradley Pith.

[@mudkipqueen920]

The trial of Elizabeth gadge is a favourite of mine, especially after 12 days of Christine cuz that episode royally fucked with my head so a funnier episode was a palate cleanser, at least for me

[@ChristopherHaleFilms]

You know I've always loved Nana's party, the use of music when everything is revealed made me shed a tear. However, I love your channel even more and I hope you keep producing content until the sun burns out x

[@WeeLin]

No pressure then! Thanks for that, and yes, I'm also a fan of that scene from Nana's Party. I love how the music choice starts as a joke between the hosts in the beginning, but then it ends up really fitting the drama of the scene. The bit where Carol says "I love you" just breaks me heart - she's so vulnerable in that moment.

[@ambers4075]

Another amazing inside no.9 video, you're saving my sanity during this lockdown ahaha. Stay safe!! ❤️

[@WeeLin]

That really means a lot, thanks. You too, and stay local!

[@JG-kk1mr]

i love your inside no 9 content sooooo much. (i also love your accent!)

[@WeeLin]

Cheers, and I'm glad I never lost my accent!

[@leejones8582]

I like Nana's party and Empty Orchestra.

[@WeeLin]

I love those episodes - I was surprised to hear not everyone else did!

[@husseintawfik962]

You raised some good point great job, one of the few shows that at its worst is still good and mostly enjoyable

[@WeeLin]

At its worst, No 9 is probably still one of the best things on TV.

[@lesblack8996]

Best Episodes for me: '12 Days of Christine' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'Once Removed' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@neonlemurs4865]

PEOPLE DONT LIKE AND THE WINNER IS?? By far one of the funniest episodes

[@WeeLin]

I KNOW, RIGHT? I was shocked to hear that people didn't like it. I thought it was hsyterical.

[@Katielovegood44]

Would u do a ranking of all episodes? I know u love 12 days of christine but I would b curious to your Ranking of all

[@WeeLin]

To be honest, I'm not all that keen on doing rankings unless it's around a theme (least popular, most disturbing etc). My opinions change all the time depending on what mood I'm in and, while I have a few stand-out favourites, the rest are hard for me to choose between and I don't feel right putting anything from No 9 on the bottom tier! If enough people wanted me to do it then I might reconsider, but I'm not planning a full ranking video any time soon. Plus Steve and Reece are still making new IN9 episodes (yay!), so maybe I'll save that idea until the show wraps up. My goal until then is to review every new episode as it comes out and do an analysis of every episode up until that point.

[@Katielovegood44]

I completely understand that reasoning actually :) I just love how rated the most disturbing ones. You really think deep about it. So excited there will be more episodes!@@

[@joshuawilliams7734]

I like every episode featured on this list. I thought Last Gasp was a fantastically darkly comical episode and Nanna's Party, the winner is are both perfect examples of how an ensemble cast can present a lot of comedic potential that always manages to hit their marks everytime I watch them. I want to also say that I loved The referee's a W***er its my favourite along with Empty Orchestra is a lovely episode, has great characters, awesome songs with meaning and who doesn't love a good musical great video

[@WeeLin]

Thanks! I'm glad you appreciate these episodes too - you're spot on with the ensemble comedies, and they really know how to get the most out of their casts. I also loved The Referee's a W***** even though I'm not a football fan by any stretch.

[@heatherstephenson3559]

Love your videos on No.9 so much, they're great. Last gasp is definitely an underrated episode (and Nana's party and Empty Orchestra are some of my absolute faves). I also agree about 'Little Britain' taking ideas from other shows as, in my opinion anyway and I don't like being too critical, 'LB' can't hold a candle to the shows created by Steve and Reece as 'No.9' and all of their shows are infinitely better in basically every way.

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

I love Nana’s Party for the whole family drama and crazy background...

[@WeeLin]

You really feel like you know the whole family by the end of the episode. Apparently the BBC were keen for Steve and Reece to develop this into its own sitcom, but they preferred to do the anthology series instead. Not sure where a whole series based on Nana's Party would have gone, but it's an interesting bit of trivia!

[@livviebrundle]

Actually; Frankie's music wasn't recorded for this episode. It comes from an existing album of David Bedella's that received limited distribution (which I own a copy of) called 'The Dean Street Sessions'. It was released, from what I understand, to coincide(? is that the right word?) with his 2nd touring run in Rocky Horror. :) hope that helps.

[@WeeLin]

Wow, thanks for that information! I've been wondering about that for years. I got to see David perform some of the songs on the Inside No 9 book tour, which was brilliant (he even collapsed on stage after trying to blow up a balloon!)

[@Callum_2613]

Nothing better than a Weelin inside no. 9 video to stave off the self isolation boredom. Tbh The Understudy is one of my favourites really and one of the big faults I think of is the cgi, but as you’ve mentioned they don’t have an MCU style budget so I can live with it. About ‘And the Winner is…” I’ve never ‘seen and ending coming’ in any No. 9 I think Reece and Steve are just way too smart for me. Great video as per 👍🏻

[@WeeLin]

Cheers! I only mentioned the CGI because I'd genuinely seen it mentioned as a reason why the whole episode was bad (yeah, it's poor quality, but it's like 3 seconds long!). I never see the twists either, but to be honest I don't look that hard for them. I like to be surprised.

[@Callum_2613]

WeeLin I think the only one I’d ever come close to “guessing” is the twist in misdirection really, but I was still pleasantly surprised with the ending of course because of how clever it all was

[@sumaiya5602]

omg i loved nana's party its prolly one of my fave episodes of the entire series

[@WeeLin]

I love Nana's Party! I couldn't believe so many people weren't keen on it. It's just so hilariously tragic to me.

[@iamwords2d200]

I didn't predict the ending for And the Winer Is, but not because it was hard to tell; rather I never even thought that Inside No.9 would do such a basic twist. And I think that might've purposeful, using the reputation for having grand twists make's so that many people could easily dismiss the twist on the basis of being to simple. Since episodes like the Devil of Christmas and the Stakeout, predicting the twist feel like something that you almost never solve. Which I find to be ingenious if done on purpose.

[@iamwords2d200]

That or I'm really overthinking a very simple script from a very brilliant show.

[@WeeLin]

That being said, it doesn't always have to have a twist (I'm pretty sure Reece was ranting about that on his Twitter bio during series 5!)

[@i_wouldprefer_not_to1196]

New subscriber! I really like your vids and the work of TLOG guys. I've commented on another vid of yours with questions about this show. I have a couple more: in the 'Empty orchestra' : how did they end up with that stuff on their faces that blew their cover? Also, what the hell was on Reece's chin in 'And the winner is'?

[@WeeLin]

I'm not 100% sure on the first one - maybe Connie's lipstick had something in it that showed up the UV light? I knew how it worked, but I hadn't thought so much about how it got there. As for Reece's chin, maybe it was deliberately put there as an odd quirk to make the character seem a bit stranger, or maybe he got a pimple or cut himself shaving and they thought a very obvious cover up might add some visual humour to the character. I wish they had commentaries for series 4, because I'm sure they would have told us then.

[@alagorical8001]

effing LOVE your channel! x

[@WeeLin]

Thank you!

[@miarose5156]

I saw this was uploaded and became super excited! I really enjoyed empty orchestra, it had relatable characters and it had a really good plot imo. But I can see why it’s not as popular as other episodes. But with IN9 every episode has something great to offer even if they’re not everyone’s cup of tea there will always be something that makes it worth watching. Whether it’s the comedy, the mystery or just Reece and Steve. Personally I think at its worst it’s still better than most shows out there 😊

[@WeeLin]

I've always said the "worst" IN9 episode would still be better than just about anything else on telly. There's always talent behind everything they make, and they're never afraid to try new ideas. Imagine they'd played it safe their whole careers - we'd never have League of Gentlemen, or Psychoville. They'd still be great writers and actors, but it's their willingness to take risks and believe in their own material that's made their work so special.

[@FTZPLTC]

Totally with you on the reading of Last Gasp's ending. I'm surprised that anyone thought Tamsin was supposed to be doing what she does to get revenge on the adults. From what we see of her, it would be pretty out of character, and it's much more fitting.

[@WeeLin]

I was surprised too - it seemed so obvious to me that she was sending Frankie to heaven! I also saw a review that said it was "not believable" that Tamsin would have asked for someone like Frankie on her Make-a-Wish bid. Again, I thought it was obvious that her mum pressured her into it, and it wasn't Tamsin's first choice, but she's a sweet kid who makes the best of things.

[@cbfdxbxsb]

My issue with The Understudy is that the meta idea of a Macbeth-type story happening around a production of Macbeth has already been done, quite a few times. Just seemed a little obvious for a Number 9 episode.

[@WeeLin]

I could see that being an issue, though I think it was the first time I'd seen "meta-Macbeth" used as a premise before, so it was new to me at least!

[@cbfdxbxsb]

@@WeeLin That being said though, I actually really enjoy the episode despite that. It's still done very well even if it's not the most original episode they've done. The weakest that No 9 has to offer is still pretty great :)

[@hgkhoi]

Excellent video!! Looking forward to your next work. I love Inside No. 9 and The League of Gentlemen. Psychoville is on the to-watch list. Anyone have recommendation for similar dark comedy show?

[@WeeLin]

If you like League and No 9, you'll love Psychoville! You know what, I was recently reminded of a very dark British comedy series I haven't seen in years. It was called "Nighty Night", and it had the fabulous Mark Gatiss as a recurring character. Not sure where you could find it, but if you like your comedy dark then it's worth a look.

[@hgkhoi]

@@WeeLin Thanks for the recommendation! Stay safe and keep up the great work 😁

[@christianblanco]

Thanks for another good video :) Like you, I liked them all, but here's what I ranked them in my rankings out of all 31 episodes and why they weren't higher: Nana's Party: 24th: Lacked a good twist. I was suspicious of the daughter going off to do 'homework' throughout, but the ending failed to pack as big a punch as other episodes. The Understudy: 20th: I think Reece's character's visions took away from the main narrative and was somewhat predictable. Empty orchestra: 30th: Lacked the shock value of other episodes and (even though San Junipero and Hang the DJ are my favourite Black Mirror episodes) was still a bit too happy in a cliche manner for its ending. And the winner is: 22nd: It dragged a bit. Last Gasp: 19th: There wasn't enough of a twist at the end and there was a lot of drag in the middle. I think that when an episode doesn't have a big twist/punch, it fails to get itself onto the same level as those top episodes that really left our (or at least my) jaw dropped in shock and desperate to watch it again!

[@WeeLin]

Thanks for that! I think it depends on what you're watching for - some are twisty, some make good dramas, comedies, horrors etc. It's really subjective, especially because the episodes are so different from one episode to the next - like comparing apples and oranges along with just about any other kind fruit. I think the daughter in Nana's Party was just trying to get a breather from her mad family, which is probably what I'd have done too!

[@christianblanco]

@@WeeLin Yeah it is a very subjective show and you're right, it's tough to rank some of them along side each other when they're so different! And yeah, I agree that Lorraine Ashbourne stole the show. The bit with the male stripper and seeing all the characters' reactions was one of the funniest moments of the season!

[@WeeLin]

@@christianblanco Seriously, if I ever randomly hear the Casualty theme I'll collapse in a fit of laughter. And no-one will understand why!

[@christianblanco]

@@WeeLin Now that you say that, I won't be able to stop laughing either :D

[@IfIHadMyTimeAgain]

8:54 is that a repo reference?

[@WeeLin]

Yes, and I'm amazed anyone actually got it! Trust me - anytime I say or write that phrase, I'm singing Repo in my head. Well done!

[@gamerpolice8235]

Now I know this isn’t the right video to say this on, but cold comfort is an episode I wanted to end happily. So, spoilers ahead I imagined once the guy pulled out the gun, he made the main character a hostage and it all ended happily ever after. He’s just a favourite character of mine for some reason

[@WeeLin]

Well, if the screen goes black at the end then I guess everything that happens afterwards is left to the imagination! Cold Comfort is a great episode that doesn't get nearly enough attention.

[@barneymetcalfe8896]

I enjoy all of these episodes. In fact, I really like Last Gasp and The Understudy, and I love Nana's Party

[@nxgan1088]

Seance Time wasn't featured, but it's still pretty unpopular, but I liked it a lot, I liked the actress playing the older actress. The "I auditioned to play Marple, but they said I was too mean. Bastards" (or something like that) line always gets me for some reason, and I like the idea of Reece's character not being able to escape his past and the karma following him. He's set up to be an arsehole from the start like he hadn't learned his lesson. I just wish they'd handled the little boy "haunting him" in a more subtle way. The ending was definitely satisfying just because he was such an arsehole. and maybe a little chilling (if only for the jumpscare). But it seemed a little chilling. But I don't think it was built up as much as it should've been, there wasn't the unfolding sense of dread amoung the comedy which I would've liked.

[@nxgan1088]

Also the twist of Nana's Party is gutwrenching and I just realised the old lady in Seance Time is Pam from Gavin And Stacey so that's probably why I like her so much.

[@WeeLin]

I LOVED that line in Seance Time ("they said I wasn't sweet enough - fuckers!"). And yes, the ghost story was set up very well in my opinion. I thought it might have something to say on how reality TV often invites us to laugh at other people's humiliation without thinking of how it affects those involved. Reece was an arsehole for sure though, and it was right that he was forced to face what he'd done. The build up is there in the episode, but only when you know what's coming (like finding the boy's teddy bear on the set). Maybe they could have done a little more on that, but I'm still happy with the end result. I talk about Seance Time at length in part 1 of my "Most Disturbing No 9s" video (I think it ranked at No 7?) if you want to hear more about it.

[@WeeLin]

Yep, that's Pam! She's brilliant.

[@nxgan1088]

@@WeeLin WeeLin I liked the idea of it being a stark reminder of how being the victim of a viral prank or viral video can affect a person. I think I remember you saying about Seance Time in the list video that only a small amount of people would have thought about the boy and how he felt, which is absolutely right. We spend more time laughing at and sharing around the humiliation than worrying about the person. It combines the reality with the supernatural and it almost feels like an urban legend. The supernatural element came out of nowhere for me though, I was anticipating the twist but I was only anticipating that somebody else would die I think. Or maybe that Clive would turn out to be a vengeful murderer or something like that.