Seven seemingly unconnected people share their stories on camera, unaware that they are to be drawn together.

As much as it pains me to say it, this is the first episode of the show in some time that just didn’t land for me. Which is a shame, because writer/director Steve Pemberton has an interesting idea here (I’m not going to spoil the twist) but the execution just isn’t credible, even in the often heightened reality of this show.

Playing out as a series of what initially appear to be unrelated video interviews/testimonies we eventually realise that there’s a common thread tying them all together, but it is so contrived as to make you wince. The ever-reliable Phil Davies is Bill, trying out video dating, while Maxine Peak’s Nadia is apparently talking to a therapist. But things get very strange when we meet American serial killer Galen (Steve Pemberton) and vlogging social media influencer Angel.

It all plays out to its twisted conclusion, but rather than feeling like you’ve witnessed an ingenious sleight of hand, you feel cold, and your emotion is likely to be ‘Oh, that’s it then.’

Verdict: This has been a cracking run of Inside No. 9, but there’s always going to be an outlier, which sadly this misfiring and misjudged half hour proves to be. And it really hurts to say that. 4/10

Nick Joy