Danielle Solzman
Series creator Mike Schur has reunited with The Good Place star Ted Danson as A Man on the Inside adapts The Mole Agent for Netflix. Executive producer Morgan Sackett deserves some credit for suggesting a remake of the documentary into a series and having Danson play the lead.
This was a particular quick binge the other night. Saturday, I think? Anyway, it was exactly what the doctor ordered at the time. It’s not just that it’s a comedic espionage series but that the whole premise is absurd beyond belief. This isn’t to say the show is absurd but how often does a private investigator hire somebody to be their man on the inside at a retirement home?!? The premise alone is hysterical enough to pique my interest. On the other side of the coin is a comedy series that makes us think about aging. Be sure to watch the credits because you might not know a character’s full name otherwise! I’m looking at you, Laverne Sernverlern (Julie Mann). It’s just a shame they don’t try to say some of the names out loud.
Charles Nieuwendyk is a retired professor. It’s been a year since his wife died and Charles is in need of a purpose in life. His relationship with his daughter, Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), has become a bit on the distant side. They are not at a point in which they estranged but it’ll get there if they don’t start working on it. Anyway, he runs across a classified ad and contacts Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), a private investigator. A recent client had sought out Julie’s services because his mother’ necklace had gone missing. She needs someone to go undercover and become a resident at the Pacific View Retirement Home. Taking the job comes as a shock to Emily, who now must adjust to the news.
Charles settles into the retirement home, befriending other residents and staff. The trick though is to do his investigation without Pacific View director Didi (Stephanie Beatriz) finding out. It’s easier said than done when Julie pretends to be Charles’s daughter, Emily. Even though he’s there for one thing, some residents like Elliott Haverill (John Getz) aren’t having it. Others–Virginia Foldau (Sally Struthers) and Florence Joanne Whistbrook (Margaret Avery)–welcome him with open arms. There are plenty of residents and while not all of them are suspects, he befriends a DC transplant, Calbert Graham (Stephen McKinley Henderson). Their relationship is probably the most important one on the series. Knowing that Schur is a baseball fan, it’s a no-brainer that they fit in a San Francisco Giants-Cincinnati Reds game at Oracle Park.
One of the heartbreaking aspects is watching Gladys Montrose (Susan Ruttan) battle with Alzheimer’s. The former costume designer has her good days and bad days. Charles has been through it before with his late wife so he’s got an idea of what could work with cheering her up. My grandmother suffered from memory loss so Gladys is one of those characters that you feel sympathy for. We don’t see her family visit during any of the episodes but you can’t help but feel the heartbreak as her personality slowly disappears. Even though it’s a comedy series, it still has some serious moments.
I have to admit that even though I watch a lot of documentaries, I didn’t watch the Oscar-nominated The Mole Agent. It is not for the lack of trying. Pandemic isolation in 2020-21 meant escaping into the familiar comedies. Many screeners that I said yes to watching just were not getting watched for this reason. But in briefly looking up the premise of the earlier documentary, I’d say this makes a heck of an adaptation.
Without getting into spoilers, I had so much fun watching the series. It was well before the week went to hell for obvious reasons. It would be a mistake for Netflix to cancel this after a single season. Here’s to hoping the writers have more tricks up their sleeves for a second season. The thing with this espionage series is that they can take this show in any direction.
I was already on board because of reunion between Schur and Danson. We’re talking about Sam Malone here! Anyway, we’re a far cry from the likes of Cheers or Becker. Danson is aging gracefully on the screen and that’s what makes him so perfect for the role. As much as A Man on the Inside is a comedy about espionage, it is equally a comedy about aging, friendship, and loneliness.
CREATED FOR TELEVISION BY: Michael Schur
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Michael Schur, Morgan Sackett, David Miner, Maite Alberdi, Marcela Santibañez, Julie Goldman, and Christopher Clements
CAST: Ted Danson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, and Stephanie Beatriz
GUEST STARRING: Margaret Avery, Eugene Cordero, John Getz, Stephen Mckinley Henderson, Susan Ruttan, Sally Struthers, Lori Tan Chinn, Veronica Cartwright, Miles Fowler, Nelson Franklin, Marc Evan Jackson, Clyde Kusatsu, Kerry O’Malley, Marc Anthony Samuel, Jama Williamson
Netflix releases the first season of A Man on the Inside on November 21, 2024. Grade: 4/5
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