By David Craig

Published: Wednesday, 01 June 2022 at 12:00 am

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Just when you thought there were no storytelling tricks left for Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton to play with, they hit us with a part-animated episode of Inside No. 9.

Titled Wise Owl, the final episode of season 7 tells a dark story revolving around isolated recluse Ronnie (Shearsmith), who is haunted by memories of an eerie children’s television show warning of life’s dangers.

The cartoon segments were designed to look dated, mimicking the style of a 1970s public service announcement, with episode director Louise Hooper collaborating closely with animation director Sam O’Leary and Blink Industries to get the tone right.

O’Leary said: “Working with Louise was an utter delight. Always upbeat and steady, she steered us all in the right direction. I know she’s also a huge fan of Reece and Steve, so it just felt like we were giddy kids in a fan club.”

Here’s your spoiler-filled briefing on the plot to Inside No. 9’s Wise Owl.

Inside No. 9: Wise Owl ending explained

Please note: this recap contains discussion of sexual abuse that some readers may find upsetting. 

Shearsmith and Pemberton disorientate us once again with a setting that is not what it appears.

We’re led to believe that Ronnie has isolated himself in his own home, perhaps due to agoraphobia or paranoia, with only his taxidermy animals to keep him company.

However, as is often the case when you’re Inside No. 9, the reality is quite different, which is exposed when Ronnie proves he can’t stuff an animal to save his life.

He is approached by neighbourhood man Mr Blenkin (Steve Pemberton) to perform taxidermy on his pet rabbit, but makes an utterly grotesque mess of the job.

Blenkin confronts Ronnie upon collection, declaring him to be an imposter after learning that the genuine resident of the property is a man in his 70s.

Indeed, as it turns out, Ronnie has been squatting in the home of his estranged father, Wilf, who has been away on business in Pickering for the last few days.

When he eventually turns up, he’s drunk and not particularly pleased about the family reunion.

Again, the narrative proves unreliable, as through the medium of animation we are told that Ronnie’s irresponsible actions as a child caused a fire in his family home, which led to the death of his younger sister. This is a lie.

Though the boy’s father was quick to shoulder the blame and paint himself as a hero, the truth is that he was also in the house that night. After decades of letting the truth tear him apart, Ronnie is finally ready to confront his father about what really happened.

BBC

As the animation depicted, Ronnie’s younger sister had wanted to light the candles on her birthday cake; but unlike the fabricated story, he had actually tried to stop her, realising that it’s dangerous for little children to handle matches.

Wilf was the one who allowed his daughter to light the candles unsupervised, leading to the blaze that took her life; but as if that wasn’t bad enough, there is another layer of darkness shrouding this tragic tale.

The fire got so drastically out of hand because Wilf was upstairs, where we learn that the reason he had not noticed the incident sooner was because he had been abusing Ronnie.

This horrifying twist had been alluded to earlier in the episode, when Ronnie had a nightmarish vision of a nude man in an owl mask making his way towards him.

BBC

We now know that the man was his own father, with the significance of the owl mask being that Wilf had voiced the so-called ‘Wise Owl’ in a ’70s children’s television show of the same name (i.e. the animated excerpts in this episode).

Ronnie’s traumatised mind evidently recalls certain childhood memories in the form of animation, which explains why the cartoon owl knew so much about taxidermy, which is actually Wilf’s hobby.

While the subject matter of this episode is very dark, even by Inside No. 9 standards, it does end on a somewhat optimistic note.

After very nearly murdering Wilf, Ronnie instead finds the courage to tell the authorities of his crimes, stepping outside and not looking back as his feeble father begs him to return.

We see that the influence that this abuser once held has completely disappeared and that he will soon face punishment for his unspeakable actions.

If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access support and information from the NSPCC at www.nspcc.org.uk or call its 24-hour helpline on 0808 800 5000. You can also contact Childline at its website www.childline.org.uk and access its 24-hour helpline on 0800 1111.

Inside No. 9 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight. 

The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.

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