Inside No. 9 (TV Series) Diddle Diddle Dumpling (2017) User Reviews

A slow burner, but powerful and well crafted.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 17 October 2018]

Diddle diddle dumpling takes a bit of time to get doing, but when it hits its stride it becomes deep, intense, and very much turns into classic Inside no.9.

Very cleverly written as always, the cating capabilities of Shearsmith and Pemberton are often overlooked, but the fact that they can attract the likes of Keeley Hawes shows just how good this show is. She is terrific in this, and combines very well with Shearsmith.

I didn't see the ending coming, it was heart breaking to watch, dealing with taboo subjects such as mental illness and bereavement. It's a very brave, bold and well written episode. 8/10

Another well crafted story.

[lancer165 · 8/10 · 17 March 2017]

How do they get the actors to take part? Keeley Hawes a pleasure to see always.

This story is quite a deep, again, complicated tale and tries to give insight into a disturbed mind. While it is meant to be comedic the underlying plight of the affected come to the fore.

A comfortably off family of 2 plus one has the female at work with hubby being the stay at home. The plot opening is mentioned on the main page but it is the almost obsessional and eventually love of the shoe that gives us the comedic aspect to the story. Even when the shoe gets married up with its other half of the pair the reluctance to let go is obvious. We find that the death of a twin child has fractured fathers mind and for six years he has been unwell. This must be a very common cause for a mental health issue. Prolonged grief happens.

Our husband does get back into work and after some time he shows again an obsession regarding the shoe from a different angle. Sorting through ,stuff, he finds a photo of the man who claimed to be the owner of the shoe, and wife is in the picture. Wife has bought a pair of shoes in order to create the deception of a found owner using this male friend. I thought that we were in for an adultery case but no it was the act of a loving wife to ease the stress of hubbys mind by matching up the shoes.

Hubby seems to have done harm to someone maybe the man but hubby did say that the living twin needed to be with the dead one so this was disturbing.

The final shot of hubby laying the shoe down before going on his run only to be mystified on his return asks questions.

Not played out just for laughs this was another helping of Shearsmith and Pembertons story telling.

Diddle Diddle Dumpling

[bobcobb301 · 8/10 · 31 March 2017]

This was my favorite episode since the Christmas special. This was a well-crafted bout of insanity. While I saw the ending coming from a mile away, it didn't feel any less climactic in spite of it.

The dialogue at times was weak, but this was a really enjoyable episode. Had that Twilight Zone kind of feel to it.

The best

[Freethinker_Atheist · 10/10 · 7 October 2020]

From all the episodes I have watched, this one is the best. Very clever, interesting and creepy story, and extremely well-acted.

Hidden Gem

[tonyandsilvia1994 · 9/10 · 6 January 2022]

As with any anthology series, there are hits and misses. A Quiet Night In, 12 Days of Christine and the Beast of Christmas are classics, but this is up there with them. I'm rewatching the series and had forgotten had good this episode is. One of the best.

Great Pacing!

[eppingdrwho · 1 February 2020]

This episode slowly unwinds and draws you in. The story is simple but leads to a fulfilling conclusion. It is that type of steady slow burn tale to keep your interest peaked.

One of the dark gems.

[GiraffeDoor · 9/10 · 27 March 2020]

One of the more haunting episodes. A funny little anecdote about an over-zealous Samaritan takes us on a journey that a journey that left just the right kind of bad taste in my mouth.

Sheersmith really outdoes himself in terms of acting as a placid father figure gradually loses his grip on himself.

And there is an adorable little girl just to put a cherry on top.

Diddle Diddle Dumpling

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 18 April 2018]

David returns home after a jog and discovers a brand new shoe outside his home. His wife, Louise is getting ready for work and she tells him things that need to be done for their daughter. We gather that he is a stay at home husband.

What comes as a surprise is David's obsession with the shoe. He initially left it outside hoping it will be reclaimed by its owner, then he brings it home determined that this shoe need not be alone but together with the other one. Louise is concerned by his irrational behaviour especially as she sees a chance for him to return work as an employment opportunity arises.

Inside No 9 episodes tend to have a macabre twist, this was is tinged with melancholy as we learn about the sadness in David's life just as he seemed to have got himself together until he discovered some vital mis-information.

Walk a mile in my shoes

[southdavid · 7/10 · 2 August 2021]

A dark domestic drama for this episode of "Inside Number 9", with its absurdist moments giving way to the absolute darkest ideas.

Whist coming home from a run, David (Reece Shearsmith) finds a single man's shoe sat outside his house. Out of work at the moment, David's interest in the shoe quickly becomes and obsession, as he tries to find out who the shoe belongs too and how it ended up outside his house. As weeks turn into months, it's not until someone comes to claim the shoe that David is able to get on with his life, but when a secret is revealed, it all comes crashing down.

Though not without its moments of humour this is perhaps the most serious we've seen "Inside Number Nine" get, a genuine treatise on grief and mental illness and how that can affect people. Shearsmith is excellent in this role, any character quick to anger suits him. Keeley Hawes is an excellent guest star as his suffering wife Louise, whose understandable frustration betrays her concern for her husband's wellbeing. Matthew Baynton has a small but pivotal cameo and does well with his role too.

The strength of the episode is really in the writing, as the plot layers in moments that only become more apparent when you realise what has really driven David to be like this. It's certainly not as fun as other episode, but again proves how malleable this format can be, in the hands of good writers.

Well heeled

[safenoe · 6/10 · 18 December 2020]

I thought that the big reveal at the end would be an illicit affair between Louise and Ted, but not to be. The episode had a Tom and Gerri feel to it, and I found the twist more tragic rather than a twist in the Inside No. 9 sense I guess.

I wonder where this was filmed. The houses were large by English standards, so it must have been a well-heeled (pardon the pun) neighborhood.

A gradual build

[eppingdrwho · 1 February 2020]

This episode is one which has a good pace and slowly steadily builds until the final reveal. It is cleverly written and the conclusion is fulfilling.