As the opening episode of The Inheritance begins, someone in a caravan watches a home video. After the intro, Daniel (Robert James-Collier) works at a restaurant where he cooks and serves customers. Sian (Gaynor Faye) goes on a date with a man who mentions their age. She admits she is a bit out of practice. The date does not go well. Daniel calls his father because he was thinking of coming to talk to him. His father, Dennis (Larry Lamb), does not answer. Chloe (Jemima Rooper) calls Sian to ask how the date went. Sian says she just wants some fun. Pete (Adil Ray) interrupts to tell Chloe that it is World Book Day tomorrow. He asks what they’re going to dress the kids up as.

Chloe tells Sian not to let what happened change her because she is a catch. She asks if Sian has heard from Daniel recently because it’s been a while since they spoke. The next day, Daniel arrives and notices police outside the house. When he goes inside, he learns that his father is dead. The home video shows Dennis recording Christmas Day with his kids. Later, the kids meet with the coroner, Jenny Roche (Pauline McLynn). She is brought in when a death is unexplained. The pathologist’s report concluded that their father died of alcohol asphyxiation caused by a mixture of alcohol and sleeping tablets.

They don’t understand that because their father barely drank. Jenny promises to forward them a copy of the report. When they return home, Daniel and Chloe argue about who their dad liked the most. Sian tries to stop them from arguing before Chloe asks Daniel why he came to see Dennis anyway. Daniel wants to call the solicitor so they can find out about their dad’s will. He says they should go through their dad’s things and get the house on the market. Chloe wants to talk about it because it is their family house. She claims she lives in the real world. Chloe looks at the paperwork before asking why big sums were going out of Dennis’s account to Gaudete Dynamics.

They also find more money going to another company called DRD1 Limited. Daniel says he’ll check with Companies House. As he leaves, he contemplates calling Glen. Chloe speaks to Pete who offers to come up. Sian looks around and finds what appears to be a bottle of alcohol. After the call with Pete, Chloe wonders whose handwriting is on the calendar hanging on the fridge. Sian doesn’t know. Sian shows her the alcohol bottle. She begins breaking down and saying she can’t believe he’s dead. Glen (Kevin Harvey) admits Daniel is the last person he was expecting a call from. Daniel gives him his details and says he needs 20 grand while he waits for the inheritance.

Glen seems to show interest in the restaurant, but Daniel says he just needs cash. In exchange for the money, Glen wants 25,000 in a month. Each week he goes past will cost him two grand. After a month, other repayment methods become optional. Daniel admits his sister doesn’t know he got in touch before saying he thinks he needs a drink. Glen takes his details and tells him to tell Sian he said hello. Chloe and Sian look through the items in their father’s home. Chloe also finds a bunch of DVDs with labels on them. When Daniel returns, he says he hasn’t had a chance to check out the companies yet. Sian notices he is wearing their dad’s ring. Daniel says he wanted him to have it. He thought they’d keep their mom’s jewelry.

Sian puts a piece of jewelry in her back pocket moments later. After that, Sian and Daniel visit the solicitor’s office. Once Chloe catches up with them, they go inside where the solicitor reveals their dad changed the will recently. She goes on to say he changed it completely so they’re no longer the beneficiaries. Instead, everything has been left to his new wife, Susan Watson. They try to get more information about Susan, but the solicitor doesn’t want to disclose any info to them. They’re told they’ll be able to meet Susan possibly before the cremation. They don’t understand that either because they thought their dad wanted to be buried next to their mom.

As they leave, Daniel gets a message from Glen confirming the money has been deposited in his account. He decides he is going to get in touch with Michael who was their dad’s oldest friend because he doesn’t want to lose everything to some random woman. Nathan (Rory Fleck Byrne) confronts Sian outside to say he is from Ford Estate Agents and is there to value the property. Sian admits it isn’t a good time before sending him away. She changes her mind and says they might as well see what they could’ve won. While Nathan looks around the house, Sian finds a bottle of bioethanol. She tells Nathan that her dad designed the house although her parents are dead now.

Nathan believes they’re looking at 600 without breaking a sweat. Sian admits she doesn’t know if it is hers to sell anymore. Nathan gets a notification from his online dating site. Sian asks what it is like. He admits it depends on what you’re after. He doesn’t think it is the right place to find a long-term relationship. Before Nathan leaves, he tells Sian that he wants the commission. Daniel manages to track down Michael (Kevin Whately). He tells Michael about his dad and says he was hoping they could chat. Michael says he has nothing to say about Dennis. He wants nothing to do with Dennis whether he is alive or dead. Daniel continues pushing until he learns that Susan was Michael’s wife.

After that, they speak to Jenny Roche again. She tells them that doctors sometimes prescribe sleeping tablets alongside dementia medication. They didn’t know he was suffering from signs of dementia. Chloe mentions the strange payments. Despite everything, Jenny says it doesn’t change the facts. She can only tell them how he died. Sian tells her about the bioethanol which is like a lighter fluid. As they continue talking, Jenny says there was no murder because Dennis did this to himself. Back at home, Daniel suggests the changed will won’t stand because their dad had dementia. Chloe argues that they might not have known the real Dennis.

Susan (Samantha Bond) comes through the door moments later and introduces herself to Daniel. She says she thought it’d be best to meet before the cremation. Susan claims she wanted Dennis to introduce them and he said he’d tell them about her. She insists she loved their father very much. Daniel accuses her of coercing him. Susan says Dennis had been ill for about a year and the dementia might’ve led to his drinking. She says she knows nothing about the companies. Daniel says she won’t get anything after the court hears what she did. Susan says they were together for 14 years and they loved each other. She doesn’t think this would’ve been such a shock if they had spent more time with Dennis.

Dennis wanted her to move in there two years ago, but she wouldn’t until he told them about their relationship. Susan says goodbye to Chloe before leaving. The others ask Chloe what that was about, but she claims Susan is mad. Before the funeral, Sian gets a message from Nathan asking about the house. Susan enters moments later. Lynn introduces herself and says she is the celebrant. Daniel gets up and speaks about his father. He talks about his dad’s business and how he built it up from scratch. Daniel gets upset before saying his dad should’ve been buried next to his mom. He can’t praise him because he doesn’t know what kind of man he was. Daniel gives the ring back and says it doesn’t mean anything to him now. Jenny comes in and says they’re going to have to take the body.

 

The Inheritance Review

The opening episode of The Inheritance was a good starting point with a slightly interesting story that could build into something much bigger. Although the series is slightly different, it has many of the same subjects and clichés as others. The main difference is that Dennis is dead and everyone is going to be fighting for his inheritance. However, it may not matter in the end if Dennis was killed.

I am not sure why the home video was used so often unless Dennis is alive and watching it in a caravan somewhere. If that was the case though, the whole series would be a little pointless. Daniel already got himself into bigger trouble by taking out a loan that he probably won’t be able to pay back. Truthfully, this is right on par with Channel 5’s other offerings although the opening episode might’ve been slightly better in certain ways.

The performances are good enough, the series does the basics well, and the story could get better. Otherwise, it is another series about well-to-do people dealing with personal issues. The opening episode was good enough to justify watching another even if the characters aren’t always sympathetic and the story may be really silly in the end. On a positive note, the home videos were well done.

The episode scores a 5.5 out of 10. Recaps of The Inheritance can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.