As the third episode of Inside Man begins, Jefferson Grieff (Stanley Tucci) meets with Casey (Dylan Baker) who tells him that they’ve set a date for his execution. He is told it is the 17th. Casey wants to brief him on the exact procedure for the execution. Jefferson already knows all about the death house. Meanwhile, Harry (David Tennant) and Mary (Lyndsey Marshal) think about what has happened with Janice. Mary admits she didn’t sleep before asking Harry what he was doing on his computer. Harry explains how he downloaded Edgar’s porn to his hard drive and how he’ll have to be convincing. He printed out a few images for good measure and put them in his safe like they were hidden. Although Harry believes he is saving Ben, Mary warns him that he is destroying both of them. Harry wants to release Janice in about an hour so they can have a last normal breakfast together.

Janice will go straight to the police. The police will come here and they’ll have an uncomfortable interview. They’ll find everything on Harry’s computer and nothing on Ben’s. Harry doesn’t believe the police will have any trouble believing a vicar has child porn after locking a woman in his cellar. It is everything people want to believe about vicars. When Mary suggests turning Edgar over to the police, Harry admits he tried but can’t because Edgar is a vulnerable person. They begin arguing about Harry’s religion as he says it is the only religion in the world in which God dies at the end. People say they’re Christians, but you never see them nailed to anything. Once Mary says God comes back, Harry admits that is the hope. Mary says that is the fairy tale and Jesus didn’t have kids. Harry goes inside where he gets a phone call revealing that Edgar is now dead after hanging himself. The police want to speak to Harry because Edgar left a note that mentions him.

Mary wonders if it is Harry’s fault that Edgar hung himself. Harry remembers what Edgar was saying last night about wanting to die. He goes into the cellar to speak to Janice (Dolly Wells) who learns about Edgar and how he took his life. Harry tells her about the note. He suspects it might put an end to this. Harry confesses that he only cares that Ben is not blamed for something that has nothing to do with him. Janice wants to know about their deal although Harry doesn’t think they had one. He returns to Mary and tells her about everything. Harry believes they might’ve been given a way out and everything will be okay since it could be a confession. Ben (Louis Oliver) comes in and asks his dad if Janice came back for her bag. He offers to take it to her, but Harry claims she got it already. Once Ben steps out of the room, Harry quickly hides the bag so he won’t find it. At the airport, Morag (Kate Dickie) replaces Beth’s driver and waits for her to arrive.

Beth (Lydia West) arrives and learns that Morag is a police officer. She asks Morag how she knew Jefferson since she couldn’t have worked on his case. Beth gets into Morag’s vehicle and retrieves an envelope with her name on it from the glove box. It contains files pertaining to Janie. Beth asks Morag if police officers usually carry cans of mace. Morag claims it isn’t for her before offering to give it to Beth who doesn’t want it. As they drive, Beth wonders why an English police officer would be taking orders from an American on death row. Morag says she isn’t English and she isn’t a police officer. They stop moments later. Dillon (Atkins Estimond) tells Jefferson what will happen on the day of his execution. He claims he learned all this when he was executed so he knows Jefferson is wondering why he is still alive. Dillon credits Buddhism for still being alive after he converted during his first year.

Jefferson reminds him that he wasn’t executed. Dillon says yeah before explaining that you were allowed a faith person back then. They didn’t have legislation for a Buddhist. Dillon was close to being executed without a qualified Buddhist. He reveals they’re only allowed to touch your foot because they’re priests and need limits. Morag tells Beth a frightening story about how she got the police badge. Beth asks why Jefferson would want her to pick her up at the airport. She is surprised to learn that Jefferson mutilated his wife after strangling her. Morag explains he hacked his wife’s head off, hid it, and won’t say where it is. Even though he talks to women about atonement, Jefferson is, was, and always will be a monster. Beth says she knows about the head. Morag flips the phone over so Jefferson can talk to Beth. He says Morag wanted to make sure Beth was clear on his moral status, but Beth has always been clear. She admits what he did disgusts her.

When asked about Janice, Beth explains that it can be days before she responds to her messages. Although she can go to the police, Jefferson thinks it’ll be a long time before they have a legitimate reason to help. Jefferson says Janice doesn’t make friends so the police may be hesitant to see a problem here. He says people usually run into problems with other people and it is usually people they know. Jefferson goes on to suggest that Janice is trapped. Janice understands other people and that is why she avoids them. You could be in for a lot of trouble if you had a woman like that. Harry approaches Janice to tell her that the police are coming and they want her to hear what they say. Janice pleads with him not to gag her since they won’t be able to hear her from down there anyway. Harry agrees since Mary will be down there to keep her in line shortly anyway. Once Harry leaves, Janice struggles to reach the golf club on the ground but can’t.

Janice deliberately hits her head. Then, she does it again even harder. When the police arrive outside, Harry and Mary set up the phones so Janice will be able to hear their conversation. Mary takes the phone into the cellar with Janice to let her listen. When Mary notices her face, Janice says Harry wouldn’t hurt her because he isn’t like that. Janice goes on to say she hurts herself sometimes when she is stressed. She tells Mary that she should gag her just in case she panics. Harry invites DI Grover (Franc Ashman) and DS Clyde (Boo Golding) into his house. Mary mentions that she gave Harry the password, but wouldn’t give it to her. She tells Janice that she is clever and thinks everyone else is stupid. Mary suggests she is playing them and wants her to worry about what her husband is doing. She says there might be a way out of this and that is what everyone wants. Janice is encouraged to just listen. Harry tells the detectives that Edgar was always troubled and it wasn’t his first attempt.

Once he asks about the note Edgar left, Grover mentions that he seemed surprised when she told him. Harry believes anyone would’ve been surprised. Harry would like to know what Edgar said about him in the note. Grover confirms that is why they’re there. They want to know about his conversation with Edgar. Harry calls it amicable. Grover tells him about the CCTV they got of them in the street before Edgar gets into his car. She asks why he picked him up from the pub. Harry says Edgar has certain compulsions that he was trying to control. Although Harry claims Edgar contacted him, they know about Harry visiting his house and talking to his mother. Harry claims he left a message and he assumed he was supposed to meet him at the house. Grover finds it odd that Edgar went to the pub with his friends while waiting for their meeting. Harry is finally shown the note from Edgar. When he claims he doesn’t know what it means, Grover says it seems clear to her.

She asks if he wouldn’t mind explaining how he isn’t protecting a pedophile. Harry says his friends called him pedo so it means Harry is protecting Edgar. He hopes that is obvious. Janice begins freaking out leading to Mary taping her mouth shut. Jefferson asks Dillon if he was afraid when they gave him his execution date. He says this is what he deserves and any thinking person is afraid of what they deserve. Jefferson passes a note to the warden. Beth asks Morag what they’re going to do next. Morag tells her how crime is a stupid lifestyle choice and strictly for the desperate. She can’t understand why Beth wants to write about crime and recommends taking a step up to pron. Once Beth says she is trying to help someone, Morag warns her that she better be telling the truth. Ben hangs out with his girlfriend Lucy after school. He promises to come over to her place later, but needs to go home and check something first.

After the detectives leave, Mary gets the password from Harry so she can email Janice’s sister and cancel the Skype call. Mary wonders what he is going to do now since they already think he is protecting someone. When Janice leaves the cellar, she will tell them who he is protecting. Harry says he wants to talk to Janice. Mary urges him to be careful because she is playing them and she is a cold-hearted b!tch. Harry is surprised to find the tape around Janice’s mouth so he begins removing it. Janice says Mary did it even though it wasn’t her fault. When she asks if Mary hit her, Janice says Mary told her to say she did it to herself. Janice pleads with him not to leave her with Mary because she is going to kill her. Harry promises that he is not going to let Mary kill her. Harry goes to Mary who wants to warm up Janice with the broken heater that released carbon monoxide.

Mary says it would be painless so she would just go to sleep. She isn’t sure there is an alternative because they know what will happen if Janice leaves the cellar. Ben walks toward the house and might hear them. Harry asks Mary if she hit Janice. Mary claims she did that because Janice is trying to turn them against each other. Ben tries to open the collar only to find that the door is locked. Mary reads the email to Harry to make sure it sounds right. Harry suggests sending love since it might be the last time her sister ever hears from her, but Mary says she never does that. Mary tries to convince him that no one will suffer while Ben gets the keys to enter the cellar. Harry admits there is no way out as he grabs the heater and begins carrying it towards the house. Mary is told to send the email. Harry bolts Mary out of the house and says he is not going to let her kill Janice.

Jefferson meets with the warden who is surprised he wants to tell them after all this time. Grieff says there is a condition only for the warden to say it can’t be done. Jefferson offers to tell them where his wife’s head is if they get his execution delayed. Once he reveals where he buried the head, it will become clear why he did it and why she had to die. First, he wants to live. Janice admits she feels like she is going to be okay with Harry who says he needs to think. Harry claims he got Mary out of here for her sake and he locked up Janice for Ben’s sake. Janice knows he would do anything for his family. Harry says he’d take their place in hell. When he leaves the cellar, we see that the heater is down there. Ben comes out of hiding as Janice says he isn’t saying much. Harry tapes around the cellar door. Ben questions what his parents are doing, but admits he couldn’t ask them because he froze.

When he says he wants to ask him, he finds that he can’t get the cellar door open. He bangs on the door and yells for his father. Harry can’t hear him though. Mary tries to call him to say Janice did it on purpose and screwed them.

 

Inside Man Review

The third episode of Inside Man pushed the episode much closer to the final conclusion with Harry coming to the realization that he’d have to do something rash after all. Janice has been setting up Harry and Mary all along although that likely won’t be a surprise to most viewers. Unfortunately for Harry, he has taken the bait and he might’ve killed his son in the process.

The series has a sarcastic aspect to it that can be a bit off-putting at times. Some viewers may like this aspect of the series though since it does bring some originality to the table. The performances are good so that shouldn’t be a problem. I appreciate the fact that this is only four episodes long even though it could’ve conceivably been dragged out to five or even six episodes.

The camera work and soundtrack for this episode were great as usual. It was great hearing Bonnie Prince Billy getting some representation even though the song felt a bit out of place. Despite not having any real connection to any of the characters, I am interested in seeing how things end. The third episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Inside Man are available on Reel Mockery here. Thanks for visiting! Don’t forget you can support our work by following this link.