The Riddle of the Sphinx (Inside No. 9)
"The Riddle of the Sphinx" | |
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Inside No. 9 episode | |
Episode no. | Series 3 Episode 3 |
Directed by | Guillem Morales |
Written by | Steve Pemberton Reece Shearsmith |
Produced by | Adam Tandy (producer) Jon Plowman (executive producer) |
Editing by | Joe Randall-Cutler |
Original air date | 28 February 2017 |
Running time | 32 minutes |
Guest appearance | |
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"The Riddle of the Sphinx" is the third episode of the third series of the British
The plot of "The Riddle of the Sphinx" revolves around the clues and answers to a particular crossword puzzle. The idea to focus an episode on crosswords came from Pemberton; he had long been a fan of cryptic crosswords, but particular inspiration came from Two Girls, One on Each Knee: The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword, a non-fiction book by Alan Connor. The crossword featured in "The Riddle of the Sphinx" was set by Pemberton, and was published in The Guardian on the day the episode aired, credited to "Sphinx". This crossword contains multiple ninas—hidden messages or words. Along with many of the crossword's answers, one nina is integral to the episode's plot. A second was introduced accidentally, and then incorporated into the episode. A third nina is an Inside No. 9 in-joke.
Influences for "The Riddle of the Sphinx", which emphasises gothicism over comedy, include Anthony Shaffer's 1970 play Sleuth, the work of Anton Chekhov, and the 1989 film The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. Critics responded extremely positively to the episode, lauding its writing and the precise attention to detail in the production. Commentators noted that the episode was very dark, and probably the cleverest episode of Inside No. 9 to date. Roach's performance was praised, as was the direction of Morales.
Production
The third series of Inside No. 9 was announced in October 2015, and heavily publicised in January 2016, at which time Alexandra Roach was named as a guest star in the series.[1][2][3] The series began with the Christmas special "The Devil of Christmas" (December 2016) and continued with "The Bill" (February 2017), the latter of which was the first of a run of five episodes, of which "The Riddle of the Sphinx" was the second.[4][5][6][7] The episode was first aired on 28 February 2017. It was shown on BBC Two at 10:00pm, clashing with first episode of the third series of Catastrophe, the acclaimed Channel 4 comedy.[8]
"The Riddle of the Sphinx" was written in the summer of 2015, one of the last of the series, and was filmed in December that year. Most of the episode was filmed in
"The Riddle of the Sphinx" was characterised by Pemberton as a
An initial idea for the plot saw only two characters, but a third, for the writers, introduced a compelling dynamic; keeping the cast small also served to keep production costs relatively low.
Shearsmith identified "The Riddle of the Sphinx" as one of his two favourite episodes of the series, along with "The Devil of Christmas".[15][16] For the writers, the episode was not comedic, and they expressed awareness of the differences between episodes of Inside No. 9 like "The Riddle of the Sphinx" and the expectations of viewers for television comedies.[17] The pair acknowledged the particular complexity of the plot,[18][15] with Pemberton saying "If you missed two sentences in a row, you'd be like 'what?' Even I was thinking how are people following this? It's insane."[18]
Crossword setting
Pemberton had long been a fan of cryptic crosswords, and he was inspired to develop the episode by reading Two Girls, One on Each Knee: The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword, a non-fiction book by Alan Connor.[16][17][19] Pemberton had first met Connor through an appearance on the BBC game show Only Connect, on which the latter was working as a question setter. Subsequently, he received a copy of Connor's book.[9] Reading Two Girls, One on Each Knee led Pemberton to ask whether one could "dramatize doing a crossword, which is so un-dramatic?"[9][16][17] Pemberton explained that he and Shearsmith relish the challenge set by writing limitations, such as basing an episode around a crossword. Such constraints, he felt, encourage them to produce their best work.[10]
With assistance from Connor, Pemberton compiled the crossword around which the episode revolves.
Pemberton hoped that "The Riddle of the Sphinx" would work as a mini-tutorial for cryptic crosswords. Shearsmith, meanwhile, had never attempted a cryptic crossword before working on the episode, but has subsequently started completing them.[9] Nonetheless, Pemberton acknowledged that not everyone enjoys crosswords, hence "I always hated cryptic crosswords. Why can't people just say what they mean instead of trying to trick you all the time?" from Shearsmith's Tyler.[19] In an interview with Connor, published after "The Riddle of the Sphinx" had aired, Pemberton explored the ways in which writing for Inside No. 9 was like writing for a cryptic crossword; in both cases, misdirection is key and utterly arbitrary choices or happenings can serve as important inspirations.[19]
In the DVD commentary for the episode, Shearsmith and Pemberton expressed a hope that Pemberton's crossword could be published before the episode's airing, so that viewers would be able to watch the episode having unknowingly already completed the crossword around which it revolves.[9] Pemberton's crossword was published in The Guardian on the same day that the episode aired, credited to "Sphinx";[19] for one critic, this explained and justified the answer MYSTERYGUEST.[20] The collaboration between Inside No. 9 and The Guardian drew inspiration from the collaboration between The Simpsons and The New York Times for "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words" in 2008. Pemberton dedicated the crossword, which was his first in print, to the late Kenny Ireland. The two of them had completed the Guardian crossword daily while filming together for the television comedy Benidorm.[19] Allowing a one-off contribution from a non-regular setter was deeply unusual for The Guardian, whose crosswords are normally produced by one of about 25 regular setters.[21] Pemberton, again writing as Sphinx, went on to publish a further cryptic crossword in The Guardian in 2018, during the airing of the fourth series of Inside No. 9. The puzzle worked independently of any references to Inside No. 9, but included "an extra layer for [Inside No. 9] viewers".[22]
Plot
On a stormy night, Nina lets herself in to a
Squires drops his cup, as Nina continues to fill in the crossword, including
Nina is left alone until Tyler enters. He tells Charlotte—"Nina"—to hang on, before turning to the crossword. With Squires, he works out MYSTERYGUEST. Tyler reveals that he has no antidote for Charlotte, and will not call the emergency services. Instead, he wants Squires to eat Charlotte, as the Sphinx would. Tyler tells Squires that he cannot call the police, as the crossword displays
Tyler cuts from Charlotte's buttocks, frying a strip of her flesh on a stove. Squires tells of how he began an affair with Monica, Tyler's wife and mother of his twin children, destroying Tyler's career. Tyler hands Squires the flesh; he eats, fearing Charlotte will die. Tyler reveals that he hates cryptic crosswords, and how his son entered the Cambridge Crossword Competition, attempting to beat his mother's new husband: Squires. Squires realises that Charlotte is Tyler's daughter. Charlotte and Tyler sought revenge on Squires, but Tyler changed plans so Squires would include clues in the crossword. However, Simon's autopsy—Tyler explains—revealed that Simon and Charlotte were actually Squires's children, meaning Monica and Squires's relationship began earlier than he previously thought. Charlotte is past saving, and Tyler places a bullet on Squires's desk, reminding Squires of the principle of Chekhov's gun. Squires confirms that his middle name is Hector as he weeps over Charlotte, and Tyler circles something on the crossword. Charlotte is dead, and Squires loads the gun, placing it in his mouth. Blood splatters over the crossword and a second nina: RIPNHS.
Analysis
"The Riddle of the Sphinx" is less comedic than many episodes of Inside No. 9,
The character of Nina is reminiscent of Eliza Doolittle, with Squires acting as Henry Higgins. The episode explicitly references Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, from which these characters originate, while Squires's language echoes that of Higgins in My Fair Lady, the musical adaptation of the play.[18]
Ninas
Every episode of Inside No. 9 features an ornamental hare somewhere on-screen.
Reception
External videos | |
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"No pressure" Professor Nigel Squires explains why he goes by the Sphinx. |
Critics responded very positively to "The Riddle of the Sphinx", which was variously called a "brilliant episode" of Inside No. 9,
The episode was widely noted as both very dark,[18][23][25][31] and very clever.[31][32][25] Dessau characterised it as the cleverest episode of Inside No. 9,[24] and the freelance journalist Dan Owen described it as "undoubtedly the most complex and surprising instalment of [Inside No. 9], favouring attention to detail and narrative precision";[35] similarly, Mellor called it "the most complicated tale Inside No. 9 has ever spun".[18] The plot offered "much to admire" for crossword fans,[23] but viewers' enjoyment, it was suggested, may depend on how much they enjoy crosswords.[24] The latter half of the episode introduced a very wide array of twists;[35][18] Owen speculated that the episode could lose viewers at the end due to its "minimal hand-holding", suggesting that there may have been too many twists. "If you missed just one line of dialogue", he explained, "it would've left you scrambling to understand exactly what's going on between the three characters".[35]
Nonetheless, the episode was, for Owen, "a writing masterclass", created with considerable skill, and with a plot that held together even when scrutinised.[35] Mellor, similarly, praised the intelligence of the plot, provided one takes "on faith the unlikely notion that a mother and her new husband would have no contact with her children from a previous marriage, not even recognising them as adults".[18] "From the lightning flashes that punctuate hints and story shifts to the wordplay and in-jokes peppered through the script", Mellor said, the episode is highly precise.[18] Butler called the episode's ending one of Inside No. 9's darkest and most bizarre. Some, he suggested, "may have found it a bit too unpalatable", though he added that the plot and ironic humour suggested that viewers "can perhaps avoid taking it too seriously".[25] Morales received particular praise for his attention to detail and foreshadowing of future events in the episode,[18][35] with Mellor explaining that he and the writers
continually draw our attention to the key props of the gun and the teacups. The camera follows Squires' gun to his desk drawer and we're kept aware of its presence thanks to Nina and Squires' "If I’d shot you, here in the dark/With an empty gun? Good luck" exchange. Nina is shown drinking from the poisoned cup one of two times she admiringly calls Squires "devious" (a hint at her true feelings about him) and once again when she emphasises the word "plan". While Squires is telling the story of the Sphinx and she seems to be gazing at the statue of it, she's actually looking at the photograph of her brother on display directly below.[18]
The actors' performances were also commended,
References
- RadioTimes.com. Archivedfrom the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- RadioTimes.com. Archivedfrom the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- ^ Travis, Ben (20 January 2016). "Inside No 9: Keeley Hawes, Philip Glenister, and Morgana Robinson confirmed as Series 3 starts shooting". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- RadioTimes.com. Archivedfrom the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- ^ Newall, Sally (27 December 2016). "TV review: The Real Marigold On Tour and Inside No.9: The Devil of Christmas". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- theguardian.com. Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "7 worth staying in for". Western Mail. 18 February 2017. p. 31.
- Wales on Sunday. p. 3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Pemberton, Steve; Shearsmith, Reece (2016). "The Riddle of the Sphinx" (episode commentary). Inside No. 9: Series Three (DVD). London: BBC Worldwide.
- ^ a b c Mellor, Louisa (21 February 2017). "Inside No. 9 series 3: Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith interview". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ "Inside No.9 [Season 3, The Riddle of the Sphinx]". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
- ^ a b Semlyen, Nick De (29 December 2016). "Inside information". Empire. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via PressReader.com.
- ^ "Inside No.9 – The Riddle Of The Sphinx". BBC. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ inews.co.uk. Archivedfrom the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ Chortle.co.uk. 14 February 2017. Archivedfrom the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ a b c "Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith Series 3 interview". British Comedy Guide. 19 February 2017. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d Mellor, Louisa (14 February 2017). "Inside No. 9 series 3: 'We're not sadists!'". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Mellor, Louisa (28 February 2017). "Inside No. 9 series 3 episode 3 review: The Riddle Of The Sphinx". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ theguardian.com. Archivedfrom the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ theguardian.com. Archivedfrom the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- theguardian.com. 30 April 2017. Archivedfrom the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- theguardian.com. Archivedfrom the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ RadioTimes.com. Archivedfrom the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Dessau, Bruce. "TV Review: Inside No 9 – The Riddle of the Sphinx". BeyondTheJoke.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ inews.co.uk. Archivedfrom the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ a b Mellor, Louisa (14 February 2017). "Inside No. 9: did you spot this hidden detail in every episode?". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Find the Inside No. 9 hare". British Comedy Guide. 25 March 2017. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ a b Jeffery, Morgan (15 February 2017). "Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton reveal 9 secrets from Inside No. 9". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- Telegraph.co.uk. Archivedfrom the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ "Inside... - Inside No. 9: Series 6 - Classic No. 9: The Riddle of the Sphinx - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ The National. Archivedfrom the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ a b Shennan, Paddy (4 March 2017). "The top TV topics". Liverpool Echo. p. 24.
- Telegraph.co.uk. Archivedfrom the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- inews.co.uk. Archivedfrom the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Owen, Dan (1 March 2017). "INSIDE №9 — 'The Riddle of the Sphinx'". Dan's Media Digest. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
Further reading
- ISBN 9781846148415.
External links
- "The Riddle of the Sphinx" at IMDb
- "The Riddle of the Sphinx" at BBC Programmes
- "The Riddle of the Sphinx" at the British Comedy Guide
- "Cryptic crossword No 27,132", by Sphinx, The Guardian