25/40
The 2020 remake of El Agente Topo (2020)
Charles, a retiree, finds new life when he answers an ad for a private investigator and becomes a mole in an undercover investigation at a nursing home. Michael Schur was inspired to create “The Inside Man” after watching a Chilean documentary, “Agent Mole.” He says, “Agent Mole is incredibly powerful because it makes people of all ages, ethnicities, and genders feel something incredibly relatable, and I would describe that feeling in a very reductive way as, ‘I have to call my mom.’” What we tried to do with our show was to do something similar with the tone: Basically, does our show make us want to call my mom? Writing a review of this show requires knowing the context and content.
Having three parents struggling with the challenges of assisted living made it more enjoyable and impactful
Ted Danson plays an 18-year-old widower (Charles) trying to figure out his new life after his wife dies from health issues related to dementia. series of classic sitcoms, Charles takes on a job as an undercover detective at a nursing home (formerly called a “nursing home”) to solve a jewelry theft. His boss, Lilah Richcreek Estrada as Julia, is black and white, anything can solve the case, sarcastic to Charles, warm and honest to Danson.
The two quickly find themselves at odds with the facility
The director (well played by Stephanie Beatriz as Didi), Charles’ daughter Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), and the various residents and their many silly problems. There’s some ill-considered silliness centered on the casting of older women who don’t fit into the rest of the story, and Charles’ daughter’s outrageously dismissive (and interchangeable) three teenage sons are both distracting and useful. Best of all, Charles slowly immerses himself in his new community and develops some social connections with the other residents, especially Caleb, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson.
The awkward banter between Charles and Boss Julie is hilarious
There are also some light-hearted jokes and commentary on assisted living and the things that happen there. And while Emily’s daughter’s home life isn’t all that interesting, it does set up some great scenes between her and Charles in later episodes. The ending isn’t terribly difficult to understand (who stole what and what will happen to Charles), but the sentimental moments of Charles waking up and coming to terms with his wife’s death are very valuable.
Overall, I recommend it, especially to viewers over 40
There are a few small parts played by older stars (Sally Struthers, Veronica Cartwright) that might bring a smile to the face of older viewers, but they’re mostly wasted on silly jokes about old people and sex.
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