The Comfort TV Spy

It’d be easy to mistake A Man on the Inside for one of the comedy shows that Netflix releases. Netflix has produced more original content than any of its streaming competitors, but its most successful in-house programming tends to drama, like The Crown, Stranger Things, Ozark, and Narcos. Netflix’s comedy slate has been significantly slighter, as the service suffered a significant blow when many of its most library titles were returned to their original distributors amidst the “streaming wars.”

Former Netflix staples like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine are now on Peacock, and The Good Place will remain on Hulu for the foreseeable future. Beyond the fact that they’re all workplace comedies with a refreshingly positive take on the world, these four shows share a creator. Michael Schur is among the most successful comedy creators in the industry, as he’s done for sitcoms what Dick Wolf did for the Law & Order universe. Schur served as an executive producer on Aziz Ansari’s experimental series Master of None, but A Man on the Inside is the first show that he’s developed exclusively for Netflix.

A Man on the Inside is loosely based on the documentary The Mole Agent, which explored an elderly man’s attempts to go undercover within a nursing home in order to investigate a burglary. The series adds some supplemental dramatic context in order to sustain its premise for an eight-episode first season. Ted Danson is Charles Nieuwendyk, a former business professor who has a strenuous relationship with his daughter, Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis). Charles has struggled to find things to invest in following the death of his wife, which is why he finds himself interested in working alongside the private investigator Julie Kovalenko (Lilah Richcreek Estrada).

Julie’s taken up a case from Evan Cubbler (Marc Evan Jackson), who claimed that his mother was robbed when staying in the Pacific View Retirement Community in San Francisco. In order to investigate whether there is any shady practices in places, Julie has Charles go undercover as a new resident. Charles has to conceal his identity, but also finds himself striking up friendships with the other retired citizens who’re searching for things to do. Although he’s devoted to solving the crime, Charles is accepted into the community that he was hired to infiltrate.

The issue that the streaming era of sitcoms faced is that comedy doesn’t congeal with the “binge model.” Although they each had dramatic throughlines, shows like Parks and Recreation didn’t attract regular viewers who were solely interested in seeing whether Lesley Knope could pull off her next public event. The show provided its audience the opportunity to hang out with a group of familiar characters on a weekly basis, and made itself accessible for those that were simply flipping channels. Some viewers watched The Office and Brooklyn Nine-Nine religiously, and had every character’s backstory committed to memory. Others passively watched episodes here and there while they were folding laundry.

A Man on the Inside is the closest that Netflix has come to capturing this model, as it’s a series that can meet subscribers with different viewing patterns. Although the notion of “channel surfing” doesn’t exist on Netflix, a viewer could catch a few episodes of A Man on the Inside, and then not return for several months. Some will watch the entire first season in one block, as each episode segways into the next with a fun cliffhanger. There’s enough detail for those invested in every detail of the case, but a complete understanding of every red herring and potential suspect isn’t necessary to enjoy A Man on the Inside.

The mystery at the heart of A Man on the Inside is a framing device, as the identity of the jewel thief isn’t that consequential, or very interesting. However, the series does reward viewers through Charles’ gradual willingness to accept his age. Independence itself isn’t enough, as it doesn’t take Charles long to recognize that the lack of structure in his life has turned him bitter, unenthused, and lonely. Although putting on the guise of a spy gives him the feeling of superiority, it’s the involvement within a community that becomes his most rewarding experience.

A Man on the Inside retains many aspects of a weekly, half-hour show, but also benefited from the freedom that comes with not having to meet a broadcast time slot. Episodes vary in length, and the season finale is a few minutes longer in order to tie up loose ends. There’s also an undercurrent of drama that’s present throughput. The scenes between Charles and Emily are profound, especially for anyone that’s dealt with an aging parent or mentor. Nonetheless, the most old-fashioned aspect of A Man on the Inside is its optimism. Schur’s faith in the fundamental goodness of people has become the most radical component of his creative style.