A Man on the Inside

Creator: Michael Schur
Starring: Ted Danson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, Stephanie Beatriz, Eugene Cordero, Sally Struthers, Marc Evan Jackson, Kerry O' Malley, Margaret Avery, John Getz, Susan Ruttan, Veronica Cartwright, Clyde Kusatsu, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lori Tan Chinn, Jama Williamson
Original Airdate: 2024

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)  

Having built his fifty year career on such eclectic roles as Cheers' Sam Malone, Damages' Arthur Frobisher and Bored to Death's George Christopher, Ted Danson reunites with The Good Place creator Michael Schur for a part that's custom made for his talents. All the trailers for Netflix's immensely satisfying new series A Man on the Inside suggests a spy spoof with about a bumbling senior going undercover to solve a crime, but that thin description does it a major disservice, at least compared to what we actually get.

While very much a palette cleanser in the vein of  traditional network sitcoms, it's surprisingly moving in how it explores heavier, emotionally resonant themes with an ideal mix of comedy and drama. And if Netflix often catches heat for haphazardly churning out an inconsistent buffet of content to boost subscriptions, this is a reminder that when they want to get it right, they can. 

With just eight episodes at a half hour each, it's a breezy, effortless watch that prominently features an ensemble of actors in their sixties and seventies, which is rare in itself. But rarer still is how someone of any age could watch and be able to appreciate the material from a different perspective. 

Whether it's an elderly individual facing similar issues as the show's protagonist or a middle-aged parent serving as caregiver to their own aging relative, the premise carries a universality that somehow avoids coming across as overly sentimental or maudlin. And if much of that can be attributed to Danson's lived in portrayal of a retired widower at a crossroads, it's also due to Schur maintaining a steady, consistent tone. Resisting any urge to raise the stakes too high, he instead tells a compact, humanistic story from start to finish, keeping its focus on these realistically fleshed out characters.

Retired San Francisco engineering professor Charles Nieuwendyk (Danson) is lonely and isolated following the recent death of his wife Victoria from Alzheimer's. Secluded from the outside world, he spends his free time cutting out newspaper articles and sending them to concerned daughter Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), who's hands are full with work and three teen boys. 

When Emily suggests her father get a job or hobby of some sort, Charles answers an ad from private investigator Julie Kovalenko (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) seeking an assistant to go undercover at the Pacific View Retirement Community, where a priceless ruby necklace was recently stolen. 

Looking for an applicant in their 70's or 80's with a passable tech skills, Julie thinks she's found her guy, until realizing this could be a steep learning curve for Charles, who immediately draws attention to himself at Pacific View. While the facility is run by the caring but overworked Didi Santos Cordero (Stephanie Beatriz), her loyalty and keen sense of observation threatens to jeopardize his cover. But as befriends this quirky group of residents and realizes the value of their companionship, the case becomes a pathway for Charles in coming to terms with Victoria's death and reconnecting with his daughter.

After an effective prologue featuring a digitally de-aged Danson as Charles giving the toast at his wedding, we're given a glimpse into how much purpose he's lost without the love of his life. And as the series progresses and more details are revealed about her passing, it's revealed that he still harbors a lot of relatable guilt and regret over those final days, much of which he had very little control over. 

Describing Victoria as the glue that held his relationship with Emily together, Charles is understandably drowning in grief while she's frustrated at his refusal to talk about it. And none of those elements are forgotten when the plot seamlessly shifts into comedic mode, as going undercover was hardly what Emily had in mind for his recreational hobby.

There are some really inspired gags revolving around just how bad Charles' sleuthing skills are, like when he obviously questions residents, blindly trusts key suspects or hilariously fancies himself a Bond-like super spy. Subtlety isn't his strong suit, and while his no-nonsense boss Julie thinks she's made a catastrophic mistake hiring him, he does start making friends, all of whom are entertainingly quirky in their own way, but also dealing with various issues. 

Among others, Charles will spend time with fun loving, energetic best friends Virginia (a great Sally Struthers) and Florence (Margaret Avery), former Broadway costume designer Gladys (Susan Ruttan), new backgammon buddy Calbert (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and a cranky, jealous Elliott (Jon Getz), who sees Charles as a threat to him winning back ex-fiancee Virginia. And you can see why since their newest resident is pretty much Mr. Popularity right off the bat, which isn't ideal for undercover work, but is helping him heal his soul.

If Danson is the show's star then this setting comes in a close second, with Charles accurately observing how the environment more closely resembles high school than a retirement home with all its petty drama. But along the way he slowly gets a lot better at spying, to the point that he's legitimately on the brink of solving this mystery, though possibly at the expense of his friends finding out he isn't who he says. The theft itself is low stakes, but anything more involved would be at odds with not only the show's tone, but overall purpose. 

Smaller details and character moments resonate most, like Virginia's insistence on Florence getting massage chair, Elliot's sarcastic one-liners, or Cal's fractured relationship with his son. The always impressive McKinley-Henderson brings a restrained dignity to Cal, who also comes into his own through the bond he forms with Charles, culminating with a meaningful day out in San Francisco where both open up about their pasts and fears. 

Maybe the most poignant sub-plot involves Charles' attempts to help Gladys, who's suffering from dementia and about to enter the community's memory care ward. Attempting to assist her as he did his late wife, he's shocked how even those closest to this woman pull away out of fear, even while eventually recognizing his well-intentioned approach could be going a bit overboard. That this all doesn't come off as hopelessly triggering is a testament to the deft writing and Danson's skill in organically shifting between the spy hijinx and quieter, more human moments.

If there's a turning point in the series, it comes in the sixth episode, "Our Man from Sacramento," which follows Didi through her day and charts the enormous challenges she faces in running Pacific View as a possible promotion looms. Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Beatriz plays her as tough, fair, and empathetic, but the performance really hits its stride here, revealing why Didi does this and just how difficult it is to leave with so many depending on her. The whole arc is a reminder of how professional caregivers make sacrifices that go above and beyond, often helpless as the residents' needs get tangled up in bureaucratic red tape, unrecognized by corporate higher-ups more concerned with the bottom line.

While Didi fights every day for these people, Charles and Emily attempt to meet each other halfway and reconnect. Schur gets it right with that dynamic, including even Emily's three teen boys, who provide a surprising amount of laughs as she exasperatingly tries to contain their rambunctiousness. Ironically enough, they seem more receptive to their grandfather, which feels plausible since nearly everyone else does too. 

Initially hesitant about Charles' undercover assignment, Emily starts coming around after recognizing how it's helped, landing both at a place where they can finally talk honestly about about their loss. Even the hard to please Julie starts appreciating his skills, letting her softer side seep through while attempting to keep Charles on the task.

Of course we know Charles has to solve this case, but the other shoe also has to drop when everyone finds out why he was really there. Both these elements are tied up magnificently, as Danson's nuanced turn charts the journey of a man who gradually learns to move to the next stage of his life, slowly letting go of his grief and guilt day-by-day. 

If there's any drawback to the series, it's that the inevitable second season could have a challenge matching it with a new case and setting. But for a show far more interested in exploring characters than manufacturing plot devices, none of it works without Danson, who you may as well pencil in for an Emmy nod right now. Playing to his strengths in a way even some of his best roles haven't, it only solidifies his reputation as one of our most overlooked and underappreciated actors.