Inside Number 9: Episode 4: Last Gasp

Not as twisted

or shocking as other episodes.

Instead, here we have

 a moral drama

with dark and revealing

ideas.

If Tom and Gerri acts as the perfect encapsulation of the series in my eyes, then this episode acts as the odd exception to the ideas established throughout the series. Last Gasp has no twist ending, it cannot even loosely be considered a horror themed episode and it doesn't even feature Reece Shearsmith in an acting role (I realise I've been misspelling his name so far, I am a moron). Despite being the season's most a-typical episode, I still find much to enjoy here and recommend Last Gasp as the morbid moral drama it is.

Although Shearsmith does not appear here, Pemberton carries the torch with what may be his most layered and detailed role of the season. A conflicted father attempting to do what is best for his daughter, whilst still clearly being deeply affected by the consequences of these actions. The cast for this episode outside of Pemberton is also fantastic, featuring much of the sadly underrated acting talent within British television. The cast comes together to form characters who are probably the most identifiable of the entire season, all understandable in their motivations and limitations. The episode also features Tamsin, the only prominent child character and performance in the entire season, who is handled with shocking delicacy and realism. Overall I cannot praise the character acting in this episode enough, nor the excellent writing with is used to bring the characters to life.

The plot of the episode is a moral drama which exposes perhaps the most ugly aspect of the British psyche, the obsession with celebrity. The episode clearly condemns this obsession, yet does so through action rather than by lecturing the audience. We are made to form our opinions on the issue by watching the increasingly disgusting actions of the characters and the lengths many will go to in order to exploit other human beings. If he were still alive this would be the kind of story I could see Sidney Lumet directing, and the Inside duo handle it masterfully.

Overall, despite an ending which I found to be slightly rushed, I consider this to be a great episode. It is far from my favouite, and it is certainly an odd one within the season, yet overall it provides an uncomfortably frank tale of greed and brutality.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review

Inside Number 9: Episode 4