Inside No 9 – ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’

We may have hit the highlight of Inside No 9’s third series, and it’s with a particularly clever story based on crosswords of all things. ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’ is a near-perfect piece of TV, boasting a strong minimal cast and one of the show’s most intricate plots.

One stormy night, Professor Squires (Steve Pemberton) receives an unusual visitor – a young woman called Nina (Alexandra Roach), who has a request. Squires compiles cryptic crosswords for the University of Cambridge under the name of the Sphinx, and Nina hopes that he can help her defeat her boyfriend Simon. As Squires teaches Nina how to solve the puzzle, it soon becomes clear that the two are partaking in a devious battle of wits, and only one of them can win.

‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’ may be the most intricate and tightly-controlled story that Inside No 9 has ever put out, and it’s proof that Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith are master writers. Not a single moment is wasted here, and every line means something. I’ve rewatched this one several times to write this review, and I found new things every time – the amount of foreshadowing is perfect, setting up a hugely clever tale that is witty and horrific in equal measure. I’m not going to reveal much of what happens, but this is a very twist-filled story that lesser writers could easily stretch into a series. How Inside No 9 fits so much content into half an hour continues to amaze.

‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’ is incredibly clever and at times really unsettling

This episode shines because in large part because it makes masterful use of its small cast. Pemberton gets to do a lot as the Professor who goes through a whole range of emotions, and he plays well with Roach. She’s funny and really likeable, and she gets a lot to do as the aspiring crossword solver – she delivers a lot of wordplay jokes perfectly, punctuating a fairly technical episode with tons of humour. The only other main player in ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’ is Shearsmith, who crops up in a capacity I won’t spoil here.

These three actors excel in a very dark plot, that includes some incredibly dark moments. My family all sit down to watch Inside No 9, but there was a particular sequence that had two of them leaving the room, so be aware of that going in. ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’ may be one of the duo’s most dark and intricate stories the series has ever put out, and it may prove divisive for viewers, even if they’re accustomed to the usual level of darkness. My only real criticism is an apparent political point that comes out of nowhere in what is literally the last moment of the episode.

Few writers would be able to come up with a plot based around cryptic crosswords and turn it into one of the most compelling pieces of TV we’re likely to see all year. ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’ is incredibly clever and at times really unsettling, but it has a valid stake as one of the best episodes of Inside No 9 period. Do yourself a favour, and go and watch this episode – and then, when you’re done, watch it again.