I didn't see that coming! The ending truly upset me.
shareYes! It was one of those rare shows that completely surprised me and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. Superb piece of television.
shareI guessed what was going on purely because it had very similar elements to a film with the same premise. I've hidden the following comments under Spoiler tags in case anyone does not want to know what the film is.
Jacob's Ladder. This episode of Inside No 9 simply transferred the confused suburban flashbacks of a dying soldier in Vietnam to that of a dying Christine in a car accident. Even the ending was somewhat similar when the son appeared, and it was time to let go.
and of course it's an old trope all the way back to
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" or "A Dead Man's Dream" by Ambrose Bierce
but that didn't stop it being bloody marvellous
I was so upset for her at the end.
shareYeah, it did a number on me too. Totally didn't see it coming. Now I have a serious case of the feels. I may have had a little sniffle at the end. Just a little one, I swear! D:
shareInitially warm, then scary and finally very moving. Brilliant.
shareGot to be at the top of the top ten. Absolutely brilliant and worthy of Hitchcock.
Thought Sheridan Smith was superb and Reece's appearances very clever.
Made me jump at one bit, which hasn't happened since the end of the "Carrie" film and yes, I had a tear in my eye at the end.
Must watch again to pick up on those little clues that were interspersed throughout.
Brilliant episode. Definitely had a speck of grit in my eye at the end.
Absolutely love Sheridan.
"Nazarene, you have won nothing."
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Caught it by chance as I was about to turn my TV off, kept me glued throughout.
It had this really tangible feeling of nostalgia and longing. Sad vibes.
Hmm, now I need to check out some other episodes...
Very good episode Sheridan Smith was great as usual. It does take inspiration from the likes of Incident at Owl Creek & Carnival of Souls, but still manages to be intriguing.
BliBlaBlubb
I agree with Unaoyk, I wouldn’t want to heap as much with those who loved this episode. It was pretty good but not as inspired as other people think in my mind. As he stated If you’ve seen the movie Jacobs Ladder (or An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge which featured as an episode of both Alfred Hitchcock present and An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge back in the 50’s and 60’s) then it’s denouement wouldn’t have seemed to be much of a shock or a revelation. Still pretty good though, it had first rate performances across the board and it was nice to see veteran actress Michelle Doctrice of from Some Mother Do ‘Ave ‘em fame making a guest appearance. Still not as good as last weeks opening episode though which although It’s ending wasn’t overly surprising was more sublimely constructed.
share(Replying to Silence-will-fall)
I think you're missing the point. There is no new thing under the sun; Shakespeare's & Dostoevsky's plots & devices were hackneyed. Does that matter?
This was not an Agatha Christie, where the only satisfaction comes from some pedestrian clue-solving, like a basic crossword, but from the way it celebrates the life of an ordinary, ordinarily pretty girl living an ordinary life. The depth it gave to her character, in such a simultaneously dense & pared down manner was, however, utterly extraordinary. As was Smith's performance, a tour de force among uniformly excellent performances. Direction, editing, lighting, timing, filming, everything was about as near perfect as you'll get.
The party scene showed that love alone can rescue us, that love is all that matters.
TV does not get any better than this.
"Time has transfigured them into
Untruth. The stone fidelity
They hardly meant has come to be
Their final blazon, and to prove
Our almost-instinct almost true:
What will survive of us is love."
-Philip Larkin