PS nice to see the Brass Eye reference in Fur Q.
Inside No 9 - Series 8 Page 4
Quote: gappy @ 21st May 2023, 12:08 PMI'm going to be the voice of dissent here, and say I thought it was excellent.
Firstly, I'm surprised anyone who had watched any of the past 40-odd episodes would believe that this wasn't a No9 episode, because
a) doing a fake show is precisely the sort of thing they'd do
b) they've effectively pulled the same stunt before, in the live episode
c) even when things go wrong in broadcasting, they never replace leftfield comedy dramas with a random episode of a teatime quiz show
d) 3 by 3 = 9So, I watched it believing it to be the actual show all along, and I then started looking for clues to what might be odd about it, and what was great for me was that this absolutely pitch-perfect pastiche showed just how strained and strange those interactions on quiz shows are, so everything seemed heightened and surreal to me, where many of your were finding it boring.
The slow reveal of the situation, from the Shakespeare question onwards, was excellent, as were the two central female performers (also probably the best forehead casting I've ever seen!).
Finally, if I were Lee Mack, I'd be concerned at how immaculately they'd managed to imitate his style
Great post gappy - I do agree with much of that, and said some similar things in my earlier post, so didn't mean to give the impression that I didn't like it - just that it was a bit boring at times, but I appreciate they had to get the balance of seeming like a real quiz show in real time, and being Inside No9-ish. And yeah, Lee Mack did a good job at, well, being himself. The acting all round was quite naturalistic and believable.
And I also immediately picked up on the 3x3=9! (And to think I only got a 'D' grade GCSE maths!) 
Quote: a plate @ 21st May 2023, 11:02 PMAnd I also immediately picked up on the 3x3=9!
Yeah well, I think we all got that! 😁
And I'll ask again - Am I right in thinking it was the first time that Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton had not appeared in an episode?
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 21st May 2023, 11:35 PMYeah well, I think we all got that! 😁
And I'll ask again - Am I right in thinking it was the first time that Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton had not appeared in an episode?
You got it, but only after thinking it was a real gameshow for 10 minutes and turning off, so a pyrrhic victory 
I'm pretty sure it's the only ep neither has appeared in.
I saw the painted poster for the fake ep today, which is very good. The bus had an advert on it for 99 Tea. Well, a 99 is an iced cream, so that's a code for....Ice T! (I mean, it's not really).
Thank you, and yes I did notice that on a second viewing
What a return to form The Last Weekend was. That ending, bloody hell! Blue Jeans Baby was genuinely catchy, loved the dance. Haven't been overly keen on this series overall, but that made up for it and then some.
Very strong.
Very dark.
Agreed, I liked that a lot, and I certianly didn't see the ending coming.
The only bit I was unsure about was the fight about the schoolyard rhyme. I get that they needed anger for the grief cycle theme, and I also note that it delivered important info that woudl be useful later, but was Steve supposed to be honestly angry at that point? If so, it didn't come off as making much sense. Or was he pretending? In which case, I don't know what he gained by doing so.
Minor quibble though, all in all that was a strong conclusion to the series.
Quote: gappy @ 26th May 2023, 1:35 PMAgreed, I liked that a lot, and I certianly didn't see the ending coming.
The only bit I was unsure about was the fight about the schoolyard rhyme. I get that they needed anger for the grief cycle theme, and I also note that it delivered important info that woudl be useful later, but was Steve supposed to be honestly angry at that point? If so, it didn't come off as making much sense. Or was he pretending? In which case, I don't know what he gained by doing so.
Minor quibble though, all in all that was a strong conclusion to the series.
Agreed.
Stlll trying to work out what informed that choice.
These things are normally really well thought out - so I doubt it was random.
I think he was emotional because he knew it was close to the end, and he couldn't help letting his real feelings (hatred) for him escape through a small irritation.
He was also wrong. It's definitely chocolate's made.
Agreed with you all, a great episode and some strong acting.
Quote: zooo @ 26th May 2023, 5:35 PMI think he was emotional because he knew it was close to the end, and he couldn't help letting his real feelings (hatred) for him escape through a small irritation.
Yeah, thinking about it in retrospect that would make sense. Maybe I'll give the episode a rewatch sometime to see if there are hints of things to come, scenes to interpret differently, etc.
Quote: zooo @ 26th May 2023, 5:35 PMI think he was emotional because he knew it was close to the end, and he couldn't help letting his real feelings (hatred) for him escape through a small irritation.
He was also wrong. It's definitely chocolate's made.
It doesn't rhyme otherwise
Gruesome and sinister - just my cup of tea.............
shudder...... the last words spoken "I like mine cold". Well, he waited a long time for revenge
Tick VG Gold Star
Quote: zooo @ 26th May 2023, 5:35 PMHe was also wrong. It's definitely chocolate's made.
However...
In my ongoing quest to work out why they wrote this bit, I looked it up.
Found a Reddit thread from 2010 where a couple of people remember it as "chocolate cake"
So that version did exist.
I wonder whether, in real life, it was something Reece & Steve had argued about?
I also wondered - in a darker moment - whether it triggered Steve because it reminded him of a particular aspect of their relationship he had found abhorrent for the last nine years?
💩
🤢
By the way. It's good to know there is someone else on the forum. I was beginning to think there'd been nuclear war while I was a kip.