Ted Danson Shines in Netflix’s Unexpectedly Emotional Comedy

Michael Schur A man inside
takes us to a nursing home following Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson), a former engineering professor. Charles is a widower who lives a quiet, retired life and raises his daughter, Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis). At the request of his worried daughter, Charles finds an advertisement in the newspaper for a man aged 75 to 85 for a private detective job. He shines as a star candidate, and after proving he can handle the most basic pieces of technology, he infiltrates the Pacific View nursing home to solve the mystery of a stolen necklace.

Early on, the show turns on the waterworks with a frighteningly dead Charles; the emotional punch is effective. From that point on, we watch Charles move forward and eventually find his position as a private detective, channeling his inner spy. The show is a change of gear for Danson, who is coming off a series of sitcoms (Image: Disclosure)The good place, Mr Mayor) playing similarly dressed characters. Men love suits.

However, A man inside explores the actor’s most emotional side. He plays a distressed man who ends up suffering from loneliness. Charles is different from Danson – but Schur has developed a character that only Danson can play. Charles’ emotions swing from melphalan to giddiness, from sadness to joy, and Danson is instrumental in landing the emotional plane carefully to tip the show’s balancing act.

The casting of a man inside is perfect

The series also balances humor and the reality of aging

Adapted from the 2022 documentary The mole agent, A man inside offers a bite-sized comedy that aggressively hits the feels and tickles the funny bones. There are plenty of hearty laughs, but the show’s brilliant achievement is being so enjoyable without skirting the sadder realities of aging. The simplicity of the production helps highlight the emotional beats without involving them in over-the-top antics, over-the-top camerawork, or bombastic performances.

As far as the performances go, the cast is brilliant, featuring familiar faces who shine brightly. What makes the show work is the characters’ lack of artifice. There is a genius in every person, giving the feeling that everyone is playing a version of themselves because they identify with each other. The honesty in the performances makes the heartbreaking moments and the joyful moments so impactful.

Despite the show’s brilliance, it’s difficult to see if the series will have longevity. Despite Grace and Frankie Being a Netflix staple, the streamer can’t be trusted to renew anything. On the one hand, there’s something downright charming about Danson leading a show about an amateur private detective in his golden years. The community he finds in Pacific View is something I could revisit every year for as long as possible. The people, the laughter and the tears are so worth it.

The Netflix series is less about the mystery and more about the heart

A man inside no really cares about the mystery nor is he treading the Matlock track itself. Instead, the show is an emotional, life-affirming tale that tackles the anxiety and fear of growing old and eventually dying, but does so with laughs. Sometimes I thought, “Wow, this show couldn’t be better timed,” launching right after Joan’s golden romantic adventure on ABC’s The golden bachelorette.

The warm and fuzzy feelings that arose from watching Joan’s group of men talk about their respective deceased spouses and express excitement for what’s to come in their Golden Years were on my mind as I watched. A man inside explores the pain and sadness that accompanies surviving partners and aging parenthood, but as Charles enthusiastically tackles the robbery case, he gains much-needed perspective on his situation and the reality that loneliness is in fact the number one threat to older people, something that is preventable.

Schur’s latest is funny, sweet and engaging. Most importantly, it’s moving. The series strikes the delicate balance between having fun with the realities of nursing homes and embracing the bittersweet. Danson is perfectly equipped to express this delicate balance through his thoughtful and engaging performance.

He shines in embracing Charles’s general melancholy, but as Charles gets used to living in Pacific View, Danson becomes increasingly vibrant. Charles is giddy, relaxed, joyful, and fulfilled after such a huge loss. It’s funny to think that a premise like this could be the basis for such a touching display of support and love for the senior community, but leave it to Schur to never give us a straight comedy that doesn’t have a lot of heart and affection.

All 8 episodes of A man inside are now available to stream on Netflix.