A Man on the Inside featured a new case for Ted Danson‘s character Charles to solve — but who was the culprit?
Based on Maite Alberdi‘s 2020 documentary, The Mole Agent, A Man on the Inside is a comedy series that follows recently widowed retiree Charles, who originally infiltrated a senior living facility to help solve a case for private investigator Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada). His mission in season 1 was to find out who had been stealing from the retirement community, but Charles started to feel at home at Pacific View very quickly.
Season 2, which premiered on Thursday, November 20, shifted gears to a college with new cast members including Mary Steenburgen, Max Greenfield, David Strathairn, Michaela Conlin, Jason Mantzoukas, Constance Marie and Jill Talley.
This time around, Charles went undercover as a professor at Wheeler College to investigate a blackmailer threatening the college’s president. He crossed paths with billionaire Brad Vinick (Gary Cole), who was a donor with nefarious plans for the school’s future. But it was seemingly Dr. Cole (David Strathairn) who was at fault when he took the blame.
It wasn’t until the finale that Charles realized Holly Bodgemark (Talley) was the actual culprit. Elsewhere in the episode, Charles broke up with Mona (Steenburgen) after realizing they weren’t on the same page about their future. Julie, however, found love with Didi (Stephanie Beatriz) after making progress in her relationship with her mother.
“Charles discovers that he’s still a little fear-based, and he meets somebody who’s just total love, no fear. Just, ‘Let’s live, stay in the moment, and have joy be the word for the day,’ ” Danson, 77, told Tudum. “My character loves it and is excited by it, and he thinks that he can run with her. But then he bumps into his limits.”
Steenburgen, 72, weighed in on the ending as well, adding, “As the person who played her, I’m guessing she might’ve just really had her heart broken for the very first time in her whole life at age 74.”
Before season 2 premiered on Netflix, Danson praised the show.
“I do want to be purposeful about what [projects] I pick, which is what’s so amazing about working with Michael Schur because what he writes about is important and it’s purposeful,” Danson exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2024. “There’s intention behind what he writes. So yes, it can be funny, but it is fully human and I love [it]. I think that’s what actors love most is exploring the human condition. It doesn’t mean you can’t be silly and funny.”
At the time, Danson shared what he learned from making A Man on the Inside, adding, “I talked a good game of, ‘I’m enough at my age to keep playing.’ I think after I got through the entire thing it was, ‘Yeah, it’s OK for you to look your age, Ted.’”
He continued: “It’s OK for you to have aches and pains. You don’t have to get rid of them to keep working. Just keep working, enjoy where you are, no matter whether it hurts or not, just keep going.”
A Man on the Inside is now streaming on Netflix.
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