I feel like I should admit up front that I’m a big fan of Michael Schur’s TV oeuvre. Parks and Recreation and The Good Place are two of my absolute favorite TV shows of all time. Brooklyn 99 and the underappreciated Rutherford Falls? I like those, too. So, I’m precisely the audience Netflix was hoping to loop in with A Man on the Inside, Schur’s new comedy series that reunites him with his Good Place star Ted Danson – along with his 99 star Stephanie Beatriz and a few other series guest stars you’ll recognize from elsewhere in the Schur-verse. But, even as primed as I was to go into this series with some bias, I’m here to tell you that while it isn’t the smash hit of some of his best work, A Man on the Inside is a funny, joyous, and surprisingly poignant series that is absolutely worth your time.
Danson plays Charles, a man who lost his wife following a battle with Alzheimer’s a year prior and who, much to his daughter Emily’s worry, seems to have lost himself as well. He doesn’t go out anymore. He has a regimented life that includes sending Emily newspaper clippings of articles he thinks she might enjoy (rather than engaging her in actual conversation – although Emily, who is played with just the right amount of frustration and love by Mary Elizabeth Ellis, isn’t exactly holding up her side of the relationship, afraid of just what kind of relationship the pair can have after the loss of her mother, their buffer). In short, he needs something to spark him back to life.
He finds that spark after he answers a wanted ad for a man, 75-85, who can go undercover at a local retirement community to investigate the theft of a ruby necklace from one of the residents. Julie, the private investigator who hires him (played with aplomb by Lilah Richcreek Estrada – who more than holds her own alongside Danson as the curmudgeon to his more empathetic character), sends him in with the warning that he has a month to get all the necessary information to help them solve the case. Of course, Charles finds himself swept up into the gossip, relationships, and lives of his fellow residents (played by a murderer’s row of older character actors, including Sally Struthers, Veronica Cartwright, and Stephen McKinley Henderson), finding some of the man he thought he had lost along the way. The head of the retirement community is Beatriz’s Didi, a workaholic who genuinely cares for each of her residents, but who has become a bit jaded after years of working there.
The relationships that form between this eclectic cast of characters run the gamut from hilarious to heartwarming, and more than once I found myself tearing up at the losses experienced throughout the series. Would I have liked to see this season (which ends with a hook for a second season, should Netflix want one) last a bit longer than eight episodes? Yes, as we could have used another couple to flesh out some of Didi’s character a bit more – it feels like we know just enough about her to help us to empathize with her, but still lack a real understanding of what makes her tick. But the season arc is nicely wrapped up by the close so there isn’t any reason you would be wanting more actual plot.
The writing is sharp – the dialogue sings and the narrative feels true to the characters and their situation. The central case is, of course, secondary to what Charles, Emily, and, to a lesser extent, Didi learn about themselves along the way. But the resolution is satisfying and tracks (even though you might figure it out a bit early). The performances, though, are where the series elevates from good to great. For one, Danson remains a complete pro – and Schur and his writing staff (some of whom have worked on previous Schur projects) know just what to give him to make him shine. Beatriz gets a chance to play a character almost the polar opposite from her 99 character, showing her vast range. And Estrada’s Julie was probably my favorite character out of them all. Snarky but not cynical, Julie is the classic Schur misanthrope who can’t help but find herself affected by the lighter, more social characters around her, despite her attempts to remain unchanged.
If you’re a fan of Schur’s other work, you’re destined to enjoy this one. And if you’re not familiar with his shows, well, dive into this one and then check out the rest of them. Schur remains one of the best comedic writers we have for television today. This is another winner.
A Man on the Inside is currently streaming on Netflix. All eight episodes are available.
