Are you looking for a moderately paced web series that tingles your soul and motivates you to stay upright? Then A Man on the Inside, the American serial comedy from Netflix is the one for you. It is created by Michael Schur and stars Ted Danson in the lead role as Charles Nieuwendyk. And, this is based on a true incident where a senior citizen turns into a private investigator which was covered in the 2020 documentary The Mole Agent. This is a second production based on the incident and highly based on the documentary which was well received.
The other lead characters include Mary Elizabeth Ellis (as Emily Nieuwendyk, Charles’s only daughter), Lilah Richcreek Estrada (as Julie Kovalenko, the private investigator who hires Charles), and Stephanie Beatriz (as Deborah).
A Man on the Inside is based on the retired and lonely life of Charles one year after the death of his wife who introduced social life to him. In her absence, he finds it difficult to communicate or engage socially. Because of his strained relationship with his married daughter, he decides to take up the career of a private investigator for Jgebulie. Though a college professor, he is only moderately good in his investigation skills, out of ample options Julie selects him. This adds to the fun in the series, and he infiltrates a retirement home to learn a theft and the perpetrator. The series explores life and responsibilities from the view of teenagers, adults and old people.
Coming back in old age
Charles on the loss of his only purpose in life, his wife and career, is blank on his next move when Emily places her entreaty to him. Thus, he takes up a different career in his life which he has no idea of. Charles is to a greater extent incapable of doing the task due to his age and lack of focus. Yet his interest in the job and the excitement it offers keeps him going. He is very enthusiastic about the role of a private investigative officer, though he fairly fails in all the pretests done by Julie. But whatever the case, for Charles, this is the wake-up call to relive the life that he had led so far.
Adding to this, his experience in the retirement home is a new knowledge in itself. Meeting his peers with different perspectives on life and seeing them handle it peacefully or indulgingly amazes him. While learning all these different perspectives, he picks up what is necessary for his personal change and helps others in possible ways. Thus, his well-spent time in the retirement home is re-establishing his philosophies in life.
Parenting for Gen Z in A Man on the Inside
A Man on the Inside draws clear attention to the type of parenting style changes required by the needs of the times. The type of communication that Gen X had with their parents and community is not the ones shared by millennials or Gen Z. Therefore, affective changes according to the use of technology by the youngsters amplified with the adequate knowledge of child needs must be acquired by the parents or the youngsters will go haywire as in the series.
The three boys of Emily are forced to respond passively due to their overuse of mobile phones. They are immersed in the internet world for most of the time, hardly communicating with their parents or helping around the house. They show a steady rate of disinterestedness towards almost everything and thus, Emily’s ordeal only becomes larger. She also tries to talk with them and engage them in family duties, but none of them respond positively. They are made as nothing less than robots with only the basic needs to be satisfied.
At the same time, the estranged relationship between Emily and Charles especially after the death of Emily’s mother is also a parenting error on his part. As a less socialising individual, Charles finds it difficult to make meaningful connections with his daughter. But Emily being the mother of three attempting to correct her parenting styles is clear ahead of this. Therefore, she beautifully takes on the position of a parent in their father-daughter positions to correct the mistakes and voice the silences. It is these actions on her part and the changed attitude of Charles that inspire his grandsons and offer hope for their future as well.
When most series just flee away with one or two themes, this series has successfully integrated many parts showing different generations at once. Especially the soft handling of the themes connected to dementia and other diseases is also arousing empathy. Thus, the range of perspectives is much higher and each of the episodes has also brilliantly captured different personas, and how they deal with life. More than these, there is no compulsion to change anything, but if necessary, situations change on their own. Thus, the smooth flow of events is ensured well except for the minor lags in the in-between episodes.
The series also witness the brilliant acting and comeback of many veteran actors like Stephen Mckinley. The cinematography of David J. Miller and the music of David Schwartz is also commendable for the theme. In the overall view, the series is a good watch if you are looking for a funny and contemplative view.
