I have recently come across a Netflix production titled “Man on the Inside”, starring Ted Danson. I watched the whole first season in a few days. I have not yet started the second season, which looks like it’s going in a different direction, but the first one is one of the best and most touching series I have watched in a long time.
The show follows an elderly widower who has isolated himself from life in general since his wife’s death. Urged by his daughter to start “living” again, he answers to an ad looking to hire an older man who is technology-savvy (who knows how to use a phone, lol). Turns out this is a detective agency who needs someone to go undercover into an assisted-living facility to investigate a theft.
The show has hilarious moments, such as when Ted Danson starts his recorded daily reports with a detailed weather-report or when he has a surprise visit from his daughter. The laughs are frequent and well-written, but it’s the heart of the plot that really got me.
The show explores the world of seniors, a world of loneliness where perfectly capable and intelligent people no longer feel needed or useful. It touches on Alzheimer’s and its effects on the patient and their family, the awareness that your body is preparing for the end, parents-children relationships, and loss.
Even though many of these themes are by nature sad, they are done perfectly, with sensitivity and well balanced with humor. As someone who is now the same age as old people, it spoke to me, but I believe it will touch everyone of any age.
Great show, great themes, and great acting as usual.
Highly recommend it.
Author Natalina Reis 