Inside No. 9 fans 'in floods of tears' as hit BBC show airs final episode
Inside No. 9's fans have shared that they were "in floods of tears" watching the final ever episode, which they are calling a "masterpiece".
The dark comedy anthology created by and starring Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton came to an end on Wednesday night, 12 June, after nine hit seasons and it was an emotional goodbye for viewers.
Since its first episode in 2014, the BBC Two show has been packed with guest stars and the final episode, titled Plodding On, brought back a huge number of actors fans remembered from previous tales.
Katherine Parkinson opened the episode, set mainly in the toilets of a wrap party for Inside No. 9, with a tribute to her guest star role in the first ever episode, Sardines, which saw the cast crammed into a wardrobe - although this time, she was squashed into a toilet cubicle with Tim Key and Anne Reid.
Fans praised the episode as "brilliantly meta" as it referenced lines from former seasons, featured an Inside No. 9 montage at the party, and included an incredible cast of guest stars from its nine seasons with Amanda Abbington, Nick Mohammed, Alison Steadman, Maxine Peake, Adrian Dunbar, David Morrisey and Ralf Little just some of those popping up.
The tribute to its own past made viewers feel unexpectedly emotional as one person commented on X: "Wow what an episode had me in flood of tears tonight. Just brilliant and what a way to end an era. Thank you @ReeceShearsmith and @SP1nightonly what an incredible series Can’t wait to see the stage play in January #InsideNo9 #goodbyeInsideNo9."
Another viewer agreed: "Christ I didn't expect #InsideNo9 to have me in tears over happy memories. They'd more than earned the right to do something so self referential as the end but I'm impressed they made something so emotional and funny out of it. Maybe the coolest bunch of names in a credits ever."
"Thank you @ReeceShearsmith and @SP1nightonly for the perfect end to #InsideNo9 I laughed, I cried, I felt the love, joy, and warmth from all the actors who came back to celebrate. It's a series that has meant so much to so many people," added someone else.
One fan commented that they loved the references to old episodes: "The finale of #InsideNo9 was absolutely genius! A perfect ending replete with quotes & memories galore from so many of the episodes. I can't praise it enough. Robin's ar**e; the bus scenes; the brilliantly meta concept; emotional reunion of prior cast members & so much more."
Someone else wrote: "Everyone wondered how the finale of #InsideNo9 would go and in the end it was completely unexpected but also expected in that it was smart, funny and a little dark. And utterly brilliant. Well done lads. From start to finish."
Many thought it was the perfect ending as one person wrote: "And with that one of the best series Britain has ever produced has come to an end. @SP1nightonly and @ReeceShearsmith created 55 incredible tales over 9 fantastic series. Also what a fitting end to all 55 stories!"
One fan wrote: "A masterpiece to end a masterpiece," and someone else agreed: "Laughing and sobbing. Goodbye, my old friend. You have been incredible."
