Mike Schur’s “A Man on the Inside” is a delightfully pleasant charmer, a comedy that’s almost calming as it drops into a tumultuous world. The co-creator of “Parks and Recreation” and “The Good Place” is not only one of the best writers in the history of the form (he also had his hand in “Hacks,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and “The Office,” for the record), he’s also an impressive advocate for and believer in genuine human decency, an increasingly rare commodity. After all, he wrote a book called How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question that embraces the imperfections of the human condition while also exalting its potential. In his latest project, he adapts the Academy Award-nominated story of “The Mole Agent” with delicacy and grace, starting with a mystery before revealing that this is about much more than a stolen necklace.
It helps a great deal that Schur is reunited here with the legendary Ted Danson, who has quite simply been one of the best TV presences for four decades and counting now. The star of “The Good Place” completely understands Schur’s comedic voice, one rooted in both intellect and compassion. He plays Charles, a retiree who is still grieving the loss of his wife Dorothy, who passed after a battle with dementia. We’ve seen a lot of stories of dementia over the years, but the stories of survivors are more seldomly told. It’s hard enough to lose someone you’ve been with for decades, but it’s even harder when you can’t really say goodbye because they long ago forgot who you are.
Charles carries this grief into an unexpected project when he answers a classified ad placed by a private detective named Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), who has been hired (by a character played by Schur regular Marc Evan Jackson) to investigate the theft of a family heirloom at an assisted living facility known as Pacific View. Charles is going to go undercover, be the “man on the inside” who moves into Pacific View and solves the case. He hides the job from his daughter Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) and acts like just another client to the home’s manager Didi (Stephanie Beatriz, another Schur vet).
Of course, the structure of “A Man on the Inside” allows for Schur and his writers to populate Pacific View with memorable personalities, including the amorous Virginia (Sally Struthers), charming Florance (Margaret Avery), grumpy Elliott (John Getz), paranoid Susan (Lori Tan Chinn), sweet Gladys (Susan Ruttan), wonderful Calbert (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and more. The writers deftly avoid the easy jokes that would be made on the CBS studio audience version of this show. It reminded me of this year’s excellent “Thelma” in the manner in which it pokes gentle fun at the elderly without punching down to get laughs. A delightful Struthers and understated Beatriz are perfect, but the standout for me is Henderson, a wonderful character actor who gets to lean into his warm screen presence in a late-season episode that’s among my favorite half-hours of the year.
All of the supporting players work, but it’s really Danson’s show, and it’s one of my favorite comedy turns of the year. He shows a more vulnerable side than normal, embracing his age more than usual—somehow, he’s almost 80, which absolutely blows my mind—and speaking with gravity about the blend of satisfaction and fear that comes with reaching the end of life. His relationship with his daughter feels a bit forced and awkwardly written—I never quite bought they were related—but it’s really a door to give Danson some of the most moving material of his career late in the season.
“A Man on the Inside” could falter for some viewers by virtue of being another one of those comedies that isn’t exactly laugh-out-loud funny. Sure, there are witty lines of dialogue, but this is more character- than punchline-driven, which is an asset for this viewer, but I could see fans walking away wishing they had laughed more than they will. It may not be the funniest show of the year, but I don’t think Schur and company are aiming for that title. They just want to give you a bit of a life lesson embedded in a quirky mystery: value the time you have with loved ones and recognize that it’s never too late to meet people who can change your life forever. I don’t know about you, but I needed that.
Whole season screened for review. On Netflix now.
