‘Inside Job’: a conspiracy comedy | Arts & Culture | dailyemerald.com

In this show, the far-right conspirators are correct: There is a Deep State controlling the United States, and lizard people do live among us. But, no, of course the Earth is not flat — it’s hollow and filled with monsters.

The new adult animation “Inside Job” — created by Shion Takeuchi with Alex Hirsch, creator of the show “Gravity Falls,” as executive producer — was released on Netflix on Oct. 22. The show follows the story of Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan), a witty, socially awkward tech prodigy who manages a team of dysfunctional coworkers at Cognito, Inc. and is responsible for hiding the activities of all the very real conspiracies in the U.S.

Upon the promotion to leader of the team, Ridley’s celebration is stopped in its tracks when she learns her lack of people skills earned her a co-leader: Bret Hand (Clark Duke), a charming, sensitive and caring yes-man who embodies White privilege.

After Ridley grudgingly realizes being forced to work with Hand is a blessing in disguise, the unlikely friends bond with the team as they go through adventures to keep conspiracies under wraps — many of which force Ridley to face her personal issues. However, as Ridley grows through her childhood trauma, she realizes the enemy at the heart of it all is not who she thought it was.

The comedy of “Inside Job” falls in line with shows such as “Rick and Morty,” “Futurama” and, of course, it has a reference or two to “Gravity Falls.” Fans of these shows will enjoy the entertaining, R-rated humor throughout the first season’s 10 episodes.

Perhaps the most entertaining episode is the sixth one, where the team goes to a 1980s-themed town. It feels as though “Gravity Falls” met “Stranger Things,” with comments on racial tropes and a message on the shortcomings of nostalgia. This episode includes insight into Hand’s character, with a glimpse at his background explaining why he values friendships and family. While it is cliche, it accomplishes the goal of character insight.

The rest of Ridley and Hand’s team consists of gossipy Gigi Thompson (Tisha Campbell), human-dolphin hybrid Glenn Dophman (John DiMaggio), free-spirited biochemist Dr. Andre (Bobby Lee) and a psychic organism resembling a giant mushroom called Magic Myc (Brett Gelman).

Although the show does a good job developing Ridley’s character, it falls short on the development of the supporting characters. Dolphman and Myc are best used as flat comedic characters, but there is certainly room to develop Thompson, Dr. Andre and Hand more than the show does. It’s almost as if the writers dipped their toe in the water for the character and left it at that.

Another drawback of the show is the plot twist at the end. It is not super obvious, yet feels a little underwhelming and unsurprising. The show builds to the last couple of episodes, with a twist at the end of the ninth episode and the big twist in the season finale.

The last episodes complete Ridley’s arc in terms of finding a family and tossing out toxic people in her life, but it also feels like it is missing something without further development of the supporting characters. Outside of these critiques, the ending episodes are entertaining and overall enjoyable.

“Inside Job” is not a perfect show, but it has earned the hearts of its audience. If you enjoy adult comedy sitcoms and conspiracy theories, this show will be sure to keep you entertained. Fans should stay tuned for another season next year, where we will follow Ridley as she faces the enemy she didn’t expect to have.