There’s always a time and space for wholesome media when everything else around us is dark and unpredictable. Despite criticism these days that perhaps there’s too much of it, I’d counter that belief with the fact that there’s simply not enough. As I sit here trying to find new things to watch while I’m in a not-so-great headspace, I find myself rewatching things instead of starting new ones because we simply can’t predict where things will go. Yet, in 2024, A Man on the Inside was one of the best things that premiered, and few properties promise us goodness.
1. A Man on the Inside Is a Mike Schur Production
But wait, how do you know a show can promise us anything, some might ask? Mike Schur. It’s that simple. In my years of covering TV and movies, there are few people I could trust to deliver satisfying arcs and narratives that feel like a balm to the sadness we all carry. When a Mike Schur property makes me cry, it’s not because I’m angry; it’s because I feel everything. Whether it’s Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, or even Brooklyn Nine-Nine (co-created with Dan Goor), there’s something so uniquely healing about how Schur paints the goodness in humanity, even amid our flaws.
Additionally, the charm also relies heavily on the fact that Schur spotlights people we don’t often see on our screens. We have countless procedurals about doctors, first responders, lawyers, and even detectives, but a small parks department somewhere in Indiana? A group of misfits who get a second chance to make things right? NYPD officers unlike the ones we usually see? People who look like our grandparents in retirement homes? That’s where so much of the beauty and comfort lies, and it should be enough reason to press play immediately.
2. Ted Danson Delivers One of His Finest Performances
Ted Danson never misses, but there’s something so riveting about what he does in the first season of A Man on the Inside. Since he has the opportunity to have fun with the role, it simultaneously makes the emotional beats even stronger as we dig into Charles Nieuwendyk’s inner world and understand his character better.
Danson gives us a character who’s undoubtedly going to become a safe space. Someone that we know if we were to end up in front of them in the real world, we wouldn’t have to panic. And I don’t have to say how rare that is today for people to know what I mean. There’s plenty within the series that works, and it’s Danson’s performance is icing on top of a fantastic cake.
3. The Plot Is Unique
The plot being unique and a Mike Schur property often go hand in hand, but for those wondering what the show’s about. In short, a grieving man responds to an ad in the paper about aiding detectives for a job where he ends up in a retirement home to help uncover who’s stealing from people. It’s from that moment that we understand we can expect some great hijinks, but simultaneously, we’re bound to get some emotional beats as well.
4. The Characters Are Lovable and Complex
Additionally, the best part of highlighting demographics or certain employees that are rare is that we get characters that are both lovable and complex. Recently, there’s been a bit of discussion on whether characters have to be relatable or not, and I’d argue that characters have to feel grounded. It’s not so much about being relatable to me, but it’s about being relatable to someone. It’s about ensuring that we tell stories about all kinds of people—lovely, a little rough around the edges, confused, etc.
And in this show, we get something unique with everyone that allows the series to feel that much more nuanced. It’s overall a sweet and inherently comforting feeling to have characters that simply feel real.
5. It’s Incredibly Wholesome
I need to reiterate this part one more time because even though there are heartbreaking elements in A Man on the Inside (characters living with Alzheimer’s, grief), it’s still deeply warm in how it presents everything. Watching the show doesn’t feel heavy, but it feels comforting. It feels lovely to watch something like this, and maybe a little more, if, like me, you don’t have grandparents around anymore. It’s comforting for me to see versions of them represented on screen as it makes missing them a little more easy.
A Man on the Inside is now streaming on Netflix.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Netflix