“Old people solve crimes” isn’t a new trend at all. From Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple to Murder, She Wrote’s Jessica Fletcher, detectives of a certain age are timeless — just peruse British streamer Acorn TV, and you can’t move for characters solving crime in their golden years. But in recent years, this subgenre has become wildly popular, and it doesn’t take a sleuth to figure out why: the major success of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, which elevated the whodunit genre with its cast full of baby boomers (and Selena Gomez.)
Now, Netflix is trying its hand at the elderly crime story with not one, but two stories. One, Chris Columbus’ adaptation of Richard Osman’s smash-hit novel The Thursday Murder Club, is slated for release next year. But before that, the streamer is trying something a little different: a mystery comedy series from Mike Schur, the mind behind The Good Place, and starring his old collaborator — and comedy legend — Ted Danson. The result is charming, cozy, and surprisingly tender without sacrificing the central mystery.
A Man on the Inside follows Charles (Danson), a retired engineering professor floundering after settling into life as a widower. His daughter, Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), senses that her mother’s loss has affected both him and his relationship with her, so she suggests he find a hobby. Through a classified ad — the best way to reach old people — he finds Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), a private detective hired to find the thief of a necklace at a retirement home. His mission, should he choose to accept it, is to move in as a new resident, surveil the other tenants, and find a likely suspect.
What he actually finds is a motley crew of characters, all played by stellar actors who prove they aren’t past their prime. Suzanne Somers proves her comedy chops didn’t end with Gilmore Girls as the flirty Virginia, and Stephen McKinley Henderson delivers a touching performance that shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who watched Dune or Civil War. Keeping a careful eye over the entire facility is Didi (Stephanie Beatriz), who just wants what’s best for her residents, even if that means rooting out Charles’ real identity.
Perhaps what’s most interesting about A Man on the Inside is its origins. It’s based on the Chilean documentary The Mole Agent, following a real elderly man as he is sent undercover to a nursing home — the first example of a documentary-to-scripted-comedy adaptation. Much like the original documentary, A Man on the Inside touches on a very sensitive subject: dementia. Charles lost his wife after a fight with Alzheimer’s, and when he notices symptoms in a fellow resident, he tries to help, only to realize that’s often in vain.
It’s another example of this series finding a way to be unlike anything else: it’s absolutely a mystery show, a bit of a spy show, certainly a comedy, but I found myself tearing up at it over and over. A father and daughter arguing over why they don’t have the relationship they want or a widower crying over how he promised his wife he wouldn’t put her into care don’t sound like laugh-a-minute scenarios, but Mike Schur’s masterful control over tone keeps the heart and humor perfectly matched.
A Man on the Inside may be the latest example of the “elderly detective” genre, but it really deserves a category of its own, a story that can explore some of the darkest parts of familial love and loss while always being able to come back to a hilarious status quo. Wherever Charles’ next case takes him, Netflix should follow.
