Inside Job is an animated television series created by Shion Takeuchi available on Netflix. The animator is known for working on other successful animated television shows such as Gravity Falls and Disenchantment, and Takeuchi also was a story artist on the Academy Award-winning movie Inside Out, still one of the best Pixar movies. She currently has a multi-project deal with Netflix. 10 episodes of Inside Job are currently available to stream.
In total, 20 episodes were ordered by the streaming service, so there is more to come from the deep state (a conspiracy theory that consists of a company that governs the world through secret and unauthorized networks) or - as the public knows them - the company called Cognito Inc. It was announced that the second part of the series will be released between October and November of this year.
Working for the deep state, Reagen (Lizzy Caplan) is about to be promoted to a leadership role. Her dad founded the company but was laid off when he tried to blow up the sun because he wanted to cure skin cancer. Even though Reagen is a scientific genius, she has poor people skills, and because of that, her boss J.R. (Andrew Daly) decides to hire Brett (Clark Duke) to help her manage her team. Brett has no qualifications and, most of the time, doesn't even know what they are really doing, but he is a naturally empathetic leader.
Both characters and the team members, who consist of the head of biochemistry that likes to experiment with every drug known to man (and creatures), the first man/experiment with human and dolphin DNA, a mushroom creature from the hollow earth, and the chief of media and mass manipulation. They will learn a lot about themselves when working on new emergency cases every episode as part of working for the deep state. Some are, quite obviously, more qualified than others.
Inside Job and Conspiracy Theories
Inside Job is a television series that reflects modern times in a way that was not explored before. With the evolution of the internet, people everywhere were able to express their ideas (and, of course, theories) to the whole world. That created almost a subculture of conspiracy theories that go from how important historical events happened to more mundane things like what happens when you play a vinyl record backward.
If there is one thing that people love to talk about (especially on the internet), it's conspiracy theories. This is almost an infinite source of material, because there will always be people on the internet creating theories about important events in history or even daily things. During the past five years, many of these conspiracy theories have taken a firm hold over parts of society, including leading politicians, who stoke the theories with baseless claims. Inside Job tackled a lot of the main conspiracy theories out there, from reptoids, clones, flat earth, and serum to erase memories, to an ancient organization that controls the world.
Conspiracy theories are an entertaining topic. Even people who don't like or aren't aware of how many are out there can still have fun with the comedic scenarios present in Inside Job. The conspiracy theories are smartly used as the background for characters' problems and fuel the comedic timing. The screenplay is written to incorporate the best elements of every theory on the show, making it enjoyable to watch and leaving the audience wanting more without being too specific about their targeted audience. The show intelligently doesn't target any groups or political parties, but instead uses the contemporary obsession with thrilling, imaginative conspiracies to create great character-driven comedy.
Character Development in Inside Job
Even though the show focuses on popular conspiracy theories, one of the most rewarding parts of the series is the character development present in every episode. Reagan and Brett are the ones who have huge development regarding who they are and how they deal with the other characters. Reagan has to deal with other people, and Brett's necessary to be liked by everyone. As weird as it may sound, beneath all the high-concept ridiculousness, Inside Job is ultimately a great workplace comedy that utilizes what every day in the office for these characters looks like, taking advantage of the endless possibilities that come from what the deep state would have to deal with on a regular basis.
The show keeps a weirdly funny tone while also dealing with tender moments, like when the characters are talking about their insecurities and personal problems. These make the series relatable to watch and brought the audience closer to a unique narrative due to tone and subject that otherwise could feel too distant and sarcastic to be enjoyed. That is what grounds the series when dealing with such weird circumstances.
The viewer gets almost immediately attached to the characters, especially Reagan and Brett, and can enjoy the little changes they have in every episode. Being vulnerable about past traumas or being able to work in a group are just some examples of what the characters start to do as they learn and grow together. They also are very open about their mental health issues, something which is fortunately becoming more common on television after decades of repression.
It is safe to say that there is nothing quite like Inside Job available to watch anywhere. Its uniqueness draws the audience to want to see more adventures of the most unlikely team of protagonists on television. There are heartfelt moments, as well as extremely awkward ones (like when someone has to dump a British spy that sounds a lot like James Bond). Either way, the show grips the viewer from the get-go and immerses them in a weird and (sometimes very probable) world of conspiracy theories with relatable characters. Hopefully, more people will watch the second set of episodes this fall, because Inside Job definitely deserves more seasons.