Inside No. 9 (TV Series) Love's Great Adventure (2020) User Reviews

Family drama with a subtle twist

[jj_6379 · 8/10 · 19 May 2020]

This is different to the episodes this series is known for. It's a family drama set in the lead up to Christmas as they deal with problems in their lives and hold together as a family. The adults Trevor and Julia are grandparents bringing up a 6 year old grandson and teenage daughter. The daughter Mia wants a new dress for school prom but they can't afford it. The grandson Connor wants his absent dad Patrick to show up. Trevor breaks his arm so money's tight as he can't work, though the real reason it happened is revealed later on, while Julia worries about money. The son Patrick turns up and the relationship between father and son over his drug addiction is acted really well. I thought Reece Shearsmith was out acted by Steve Pemberton by a long way but his character had a key part in revealing the plot twist (see below).



SPOILER: I'm adding this as it's a subtler twist than usual and might be missed. Patrick owed money to a loan shark who was knocked over in a hit and run car accident. Julia had a car accident that Uncle Alex paid to fix. Julia was the driver in the hit and run.

Grandma's Knickers.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 18 February 2020]

This is one of those episodes in the style of Diddle diddle dumpling, which makes you question what this show is, whether it's a comedy, a drama, or something entirely different. What this episode is, is again a Masterclass in writing and acting. The lead up to Christmas should be a fun time, and on most tv shows it's idyllic, Michael Buble, smoked chestnuts and grinning family members, when in reality it can be a tough time.

This family are struggling, but still trying to make Christmas a special day for the youngest family member, they don't have much, but have one another. It was very moving, and rather sad I thought, but a terrific piece of writing, showing the duo's inexhaustible variety.

Top notch acting, Pemberton was particularly good here. Very good. 8/10

Subdued yet superb

[gormoproductions · 8/10 · 18 February 2020]

The episode feels different to other Inside No. 9 episodes with a subdued, loach-esque style, story that makes great use of it's narrative device (the snippets from the advent calendar). Being Inside No. 9, there is a brilliant twist which has been suitability obfuscated to match the restrained and gritty tone of the episode which makes it even more rewarding.

This ain't Charlie Brown's Christmas

[safenoe · 7/10 · 9 December 2020]

Cinéma vérité is the name of the game in this Christmas episode of Inside No. 9, with Ken Loach and the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure. The subplot of the loan shark being run over by the grandmother is something I only picked up through web commentary and the Inside Inside No. 9 podcast.

Definitely this isn't Charlie Brown's Christmas.

A beautiful Loachian microcosm

[davewadam1982 · 9/10 · 27 April 2021]

The first time I watched this I would have given it 7/10, maybe I wasn't watching it in the right conditions or something... not sure.

Upon a second viewing, everything seems to sing. The advent calendar format is a beautifully simple way of telling a story of this one microcosm of humanity - an unassuming family in the north of England (I myself grew up in Sheffield and Leeds, so all the details make for a rich background to the story - the terrible singing Christmas tree, mum inexplicably buying Brazil nuts and saving the satsumas as a treat for Christmas day, the panic of approaching a roundabout in your driving lessons).

The direction by Guillem Morales is so nuanced and he brings out beautiful performances from a very talented ensemble of actors (special mention goes to Bobby Schofield for a gutwrenching performance so real it made me IMDb him just to find out where the hell he came from suddenly).

The one moment of terror (when Trevor waits up all night) is far scarier than anything Shearsmith and Pemberton attempted in The Harrowing and Seance Time because we don't want anything bad to happen to this family. Maybe they remind us of our own little family trying to get by. It's subjective I suppose. I definitely felt it.

Probably my favourite episode

[Orlando_Gardner · 10/10 · 1 November 2021]

I dont usually subscribe to the "you didn't like it because you didn't get it" school of thought but on reading the bad reviews I think this really maybe the case in this instance. There are many instances in this story that show what we all know in our heart, that we would do almost anything for family that we'd never think of doing for others. The one major instance in this episode ties the whole story together and gives the it a real poignancy. I know quite well my mum would do the same for me without hesitation. Mums eh. Brilliant writing and brilliant acting from all involved. I think it's my favourite episode so far from this really brilliant show.

Criminally underrated

[jonathan92 · 10/10 · 21 September 2021]

This was beyond any of my expectations for this series. The writing was fantastic, subdued and realistic, but the performances make this episode, and in my opinion were the best of the entire show. The twist is so subtle it is almost inconsequential, as the journey getting there is what is truly satisfying. This might be my favorite episode of all.

Twists galore if you look hard enough

[hellopaddy · 10/10 · 18 March 2020]

Lots of folks writing about this being more of a drama focussed on Christmas and lacking in the typical twist plot line of most other episodes.

There are a good few twists here, and after a second viewing I think this is one of my favourite Inside episodes of the entire vehicle. Everyone in it is superb, Steve Pemberton is an absolute tour de force, and should be expecting a call from Shane Meadows any day now. Everyone else is spot on, and as the story unfolds you can't help but have a deeper faith in the meaning of family, especially when witnessing it through such potential hardship at a time like Christmas.

And all that in half an hour! Absolutely superb.

The acting wins, the script less so

[eppingdrwho · 25 February 2020]

This was a more mundane episode of Inside No 9. The narrative was delivered in an interesting way revolving around an object we are all familiar with and the acting was very good but sadly it is one of the weaker scripts of the series, so more of a mixed bag.

I didn't get it

[kurtmax · 5/10 · 29 February 2020]

Half way through I was expecting it to start picking up. 3/4s through I realised that it wasn't going to. I didn't get it.

A great episode

[wladisha · 9/10 · 12 September 2020]

Like the title says.

One of the rare recent Inside No. 9 episodes that does not rely on unnecessary twists or meta narration, and does not try to take the easy way out with its story.

This is a character-driven episode that is thankfully not cheapened by an Inside No. 9 "stock shock" ending. It, along with the previous episode (albeit in slighter regard) is slowly restoring my faith in the show.

Inside No 9 takes us on another adventure

[YourMyWifeNow · 8/10 · 9 April 2020]

Well written and brilliantly acted, this engrossing episode is another unexpected treat for fans of Inside No 9. I can't help but feel disappointed that the bad reviews here are all written by people who admit they 'didn't get it'. Just because it's a bit more subtle than usual and went over your heads, doesn't mean the episode was poor. You might as well have just written "I'm not very bright and I don't pay attention".

Stayed with me for days

[gbbdjydzr · 10/10 · 19 May 2023]

This episode is simply brilliant from start to finish- the acting, story, pace, and execution. The family is so real and so relatable, their dynamics and communication universal. It makes it that much more compelling as the plot unfolds. They are messy and complicated and yet their love for each other is clear through the story. I loved the telling of the story as vignettes of days leading up to the holidays. The whole thing was both funny and poignant, mundane and shocking.

Don't listen to the haters, who are only telling on themselves by rating this low because they missed the point. It only proves how good an episode it is.

"Cartwright. Russell. ******* Godber."

[southdavid · 8/10 · 25 February 2020]

A real change of pace for this weeks "Inside Number 9". Foregoing either broad comedy or outlandish horror, "Love's Great Adventure" instead chooses the naturalistic "Kitchen Sink" drama and the domestic horrors of drug abuse.

Trevor (Steve Pemberton) and Julia (Debbie Rush) are a married couple bringing up their daughter Mia (Gabby French) and Grandson Connor (Olly Hudson-Croker). Their son, Patrick (Bobby Schofield), Connor's father, has a history of drug abuse issues and is not living with them. As they are preparing for Christmas, Patrick returns home, but is in debt to a serious loanshark and fears for his life.

This episode is mostly about the performances, the story is solid and works well tied in with the opening of a day of the advent calendar signalling the forward movement of time. There's isn't a twist, as such - though there is more to the plot than is explicitly stated if you're paying attention. Given how arch Steve Pemberton can be, when the role calls for it, it's easy to forget about the range he has and how natural he can be too. I bought into his relationship with Debbie Rush's character and with the children in his life. It's his relationship with Patrick though, which is the most heartbreaking - desperately defending and covering for his son and pleading for him to get help, despite the personal cost.

Slightly disappointed that this wasn't shown as a Christmas special, as that might have added more poignancy to the episode, but ultimately it's another example of "Inside Number Nine" being one of the most versatile shows on television and that Shearsmith and Pemberton are underrated writers and performers.

Bad

[13Funbags · 1/10 · 6 March 2020]

They tried to recreate The 12 Days of Christine and fell flat on their faces. I don't even understand the end.

Unexpectedly poignant and moving

[peterkirk-50902 · 9/10 · 19 February 2020]

As ever, not what we were expecting. A beautifully written and acted 'kitchen sink' drama with moments of comedy and poignancy. Not as dark as many of the others and all the better for it Right up there with the best

Hare

[thomkat-1 · 9/10 · 20 February 2020]

18:51 on the shelf.

Superb episode. Worth a rewatch.

No.9

[garybulmer-32925 · 10/10 · 18 February 2020]

Incredible well done for delivering a perfect episode

Utter rubbish

[smithuk-52308 · 2/10 · 9 March 2020]

Kept waiting for some kind of twist but there wasn't one,it was like watching an episode of eastenders but with less shocks.What was the point ? Very disappointin g

Not the worst, just boring

[daisyisabaker · 2/10 · 21 December 2020]

There isn't a big plot twist, nothing really happens.

You're just watching a broke family prepare for Christmas, while they try to deal with money problems.

Found it a bit weird that the daughter was having a Christmas Prom, I've never heard of that in England

Episode 503

[bobcobb301 · 4/10 · 5 May 2021]

An underwhelming episode to say the least. No twists, no turns, nothing shocking, just an episode that ends in unsurprising fashion.

Christmas Ruins Everything

[texshelters · 5/10 · 21 August 2022]

In the obligatory Christmas episode, not much happens and there are no surprises, except perhaps one. It's "touching", sure, but that's not why I watch Inside No. 9. If I wanted a heart-warming Christmas tale, I could watch dozens of other shows. Inside No. 9 can do better and have until this tepid episode.

You can skip this one and not miss a thing.