When watching the trailer for this series, the clips that interested me the most were the animated segments from this episode. I love the eerie, pennies-budget animation of the 70s animations they were referencing, and knowing how Reece & Steve's minds work you just knew it was going to be twisted...
...But this episode was above and beyond at every corner, every twist and turn as the pitch black story slowly revealed itself. One of the only common themes in every episode of Inside No 9 is that you are dropped into the story somewhere in the middle, and by the end of the episode you've practically been given two stories - The events that follow from the beginning and the unravelling of the background and events that led to that point. They don't always pull it off in a satisfying way, but in Wise Owl they have created something that is beat-for-beat perfect.
Every time a new piece of the puzzle is placed there is a punch to the gut, sheer emotion that they haven't achieved since 'The 12 Days of Christine'. But this is more than that - Not only have they packed a heart-wrenching story and some of the most terrifying horror I have ever seen into a neat 30 minutes, but the way they intertwine the two is something you just cannot do without the talent and experience that Reece & Steve possess.
I just cannot stop thinking about it, this is an absolute masterpiece.