Inside Job (2021 TV series) explained

Genre:	Workplace comedy^[1] Paranoid fiction^[2] Science fiction Adult animation Animated sitcom^[3]
Creator:	Shion Takeuchi
Voices:	Lizzy Caplan Christian Slater Clark Duke Tisha Campbell Andy Daly Chris Diamantopoulos John DiMaggio Bobby Lee Brett Gelman
Theme Music Composer:	Robert Bolton Matthew Bronson Mischa Chillak
Opentheme:	"Pa$$ the Time (Part 2)", performed by Bronze (feat. BBRC)
Composer:	Ryan Elder Steve Reidell
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Num Seasons:	1 (2 parts)
Num Episodes:	18
Executive Producer:	Shion Takeuchi Alex Hirsch Mike Hollingsworth
Producer:	Chantal Hennessey
Editor:	Molly Yahr
Runtime:	26–31 minutes
Network:	Netflix

Inside Job is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Shion Takeuchi for Netflix. The series premiered on October 22, 2021.^{[4] [5]} Takeuchi, a former Gravity Falls writer, acts as showrunner and is an executive producer alongside Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch and BoJack Horseman director Mike Hollingsworth.^[6]

The series received positive reviews for its writing, humor, animation, voice acting and social commentary. The series' ten-episode first part was released on October 22, 2021, with an eight-episode second part released the following year on November 18, 2022. In June 2022, the series renewed for a second season consisting of 20 episodes; however, in January 2023, Takeuchi announced that Netflix had cancelled the series following the release of Part 2, ending it with a cliffhanger.

Premise

Inside Job is a workplace comedy set in a world where many conspiracy theories are real. It is centered on an American shadow government organization Cognito, Inc. at Washington, D.C., which is one of 6 organizations that control Earth (the others being the Illuminati, the Atlantians, the Reptoids, the Catholic Church and the Juggalos).^[7] The series follows a team led by a tech genius and her new partner as they work in the organization alongside reptilian shapeshifters, a human-dolphin hybrid, and a sapient mushroom from Hollow Earth.^[8]

Some episodes' central plots revolved around these conspiracy theories: JFK's assassination (Episode 2), reptilian shapeshifters (Episode 3), flat Earth (Episode 6), the Moon landing (Episode 8), the stoned ape theory (Episode 13), and the Mandela effect (Episode 17). Several other conspiracies were included in the series but were not the main subject of episodes.

Cast

Main

• Lizzy Caplan^[9] as Reagan Ridley; a brilliant yet socially awkward and short-tempered Japanese-American robotics engineer who works at Cognito Inc. and believes that society itself can be improved, managing her irresponsible coworkers while seeking out a coveted promotion along the way. Takeuchi described Reagan as a leader who "wants to make the world a better place." It is frequently suggested by her friends, family, and co-workers that she has Asperger's, which she, in turn, denies. At the end of Part 2, she is made CEO of Cognito Inc. after her father was sent to Shadow Prison X.
• Christian Slater as Randall "Rand" Ridley; Reagan's father, and Tamiko's ex-husband. The paranoid White-American former CEO and co-founder of Cognito Inc who was fired after nearly exposing the Deep State and trying to blow up the Sun as his "solution" to cure skin cancer. He lives with his daughter Reagan, drinking copious amounts of alcohol and plotting revenge against his former employers. He is reinstated as Cognito CEO by the Shadow Board at the end of Part 1 as he holds the most shares in the company. However, in Part 2, he is arrested and imprisoned at Shadow Prison X after nearly destroying the universe with a reality-altering machine called Project Reboot.
• Clark Duke as Brett Hand; a White-American yes-man from Washington, D.C., who has a front as a frat boy but is actually a sensitive and caring person who wants his peers to follow in his footsteps and strives to bring out the best in his friends and colleagues. It is implied that he was hired partly because his generic appearance made him undetectable to facial recognition software. His dream is to be a puppet designer.
• Tisha Campbell as Gigi Thompson; an Africian-American public relations officer from Atlanta, Georgia. She is the fast-talking Head of Media Manipulation and Subliminal Messages at Cognito from who is also the queen of office gossip. She is also a big flirt who goes after Brett and is constantly remarking on her looks.
• John DiMaggio as Glenn Dolphman; Cognito's jingoistic military advisor and armory chief who volunteered for a failed supersoldier experiment and was transformed from a handsome White-American military veteran into an ugly human-dolphin hybrid.
• Bobby Lee as Dr. Andre Lee; a free-spirited yet anxious Korean-American biochemist who experiments with a range of unusual narcotics, and is also addicted to some of the very same drugs he creates.
• Brett Gelman as Myc Celium; a psychic mushroom-like organism from a hive mind deep inside Hollow Earth with a dry, sarcastic demeanor and the ability to read peoples' minds. The show's opening sequence implies that his species inadvertently brought about the evolution of humanity when their spores were consumed by ancient apes, which was confirmed to be true in the episode "Reagan & Mychelle's Hive School Reunion". Myc also provides pure bio sorbitrate, a chemical the company uses for their memory eraser guns, which they have to literally milk him for.
• Andy Daly as J.R. Scheimpough; the former CEO and co-founder of Cognito, a crafty conversationalist who can talk his way out of potentially compromising predicaments. He is sent to Shadow Prison X via tube at the end of Part 1 after attempting to embezzle the company pension fund to purchase a volcano island lair. He later escaped and rejoined Cognito, albeit as an intern. Then got rearrested into Shadow Prison X for almost destroy the universe by Project Reboot near the end of Part 2.
• Chris Diamantopoulos as Alpha-Beta, a sentient robot originally designed to serve as the "ROBOTUS" (robotic replacement of the President of the United States). Reagan keeps him locked up in Cognito's basement after he attempts to take over the world, bribing him with Friends episodes so that he will help her with various schemes. He evolves into the empathic Artificial Intelligence upon briefly dating Reagan's mother in Part 2.

Guest role

Production and release

In April 2019, Netflix ordered 20 episodes of the series. Billed as the first adult animated series produced in-house by Netflix Animation,^[10] it was announced in June 2021 that the regular characters in the series would be voiced by Andrew Daly, Bobby Lee, John DiMaggio, Tisha Campbell and Brett Gelman. It is the first series produced as part of a deal Takeuchi made in 2018 with Netflix to "develop new series and other projects exclusively for Netflix."^{[11] [12]} A sneak peek of the series was shown at the Studio Focus Panel for Netflix at the Annecy International Animation Festival in June 2021.^{[13] [14]} The series is the first series created by Shion Takeuchi, part of her deal with Netflix, with Hirsch saying he was inspired by 1990s shows like The X-Files.^[15] Hirsch and Takeuchi were also inspired by pages of Weekly World News.^[16]

In an interview with Petrana Radulovic of Polygon, Takeuchi said the idea for the show came from her days in college, said there isn't "anything too weird for the show" as long as it develops the characters, saying that there are subject matters which are a "little too adult for all-ages" that people her age deal with, saying it "feels good to be able to talk about" them in the show. She said that doing an adult animation is intimidating.^[17]

The series premiered on Netflix on October 22, 2021.^{[18] [19]} Between October 24 to 31 the series was watched for 21,240,000 hours on Netflix globally.^[20] The second part of the first season was released on November 18, 2022.^[21]

On June 8, 2022, Netflix renewed the series for a second season.^[22] On January 8, 2023, Takeuchi stated that Netflix had reversed the second season renewal and cancelled the series.^[23] This was confirmed by a representative from Netflix.^{[24] [25]}

Reception

The series received generally positive reviews from critics. Charles Bramesco of The Guardian described the series as hewing close to "the surrealism-of-the-week format"^[26] while Nick Schager of The Daily Beast described it as a workplace comedy which "jovially mocks our brain-fried reality" with numerous "sharp jabs at corporate power/gender dynamics" while highlighting absurdity of conspiracy theories and argued that the show shared some similarities with Futurama.^[27] Daniel Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter was more critical, saying that conspiracy theories are played for laughs for "fitful results" and claimed that the show reduced Reagan's problems to issues with her father, but praised Brett for having a "believable" character arc and having a "lot of energy."^[28] Similar to Feinberg, Kevin Johnson of The A.V. Club criticized the show for limiting on how far things are taken, influenced by shows like American Dad!, The Venture Bros., Archer, and Akira, but praised the premises and jokes in the series funny, and the "talented creative team." Chris Vognar of Datebook was more positive, saying that the series is "smart and fast on its feet," and noted it remains in the real world with "office politics, sexism, classism, jingoism, nostalgia" and more, while getting viewers to care about Reagan.^[29] Burkely Hermann of The Geekiary took a different view, pointing out that "weirdness and mature subject matters" are central to the show, comparing the show to series like Mr. Robot, Futurama, Disenchantment, and described Reagan, as a character with social anxiety, as not unique, pointing to characters in Cleopatra in Space, The Owl House, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and Steven Universe, along with noting it doesn't "fall into the usual animated sitcom model" and pointing to "queer vibes" in the series.^[30] Aaron Pruner of Inverse noted similar themes, saying that the series is, at its core, a story about dysfunctional families at work and at home.^[31] Tracy Brown of LA Times said the series allows "audiences to laugh at conspiracy theories again" even as they provide a "backdrop to explore the characters and how they navigate the world."^[32]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 79% approval rating with an average rating of 7.2/10, based on 14 critic reviews.^[33]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Bastos. Margarida. 'Inside Job' First Images Reveal New Netflix Animated Series From 'Gravity Falls' Writer. Collider. October 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210818114233/https://collider.com/inside-job-netflix-images-animated-series/. August 18, 2021. live. September 20, 2021.
2. Collis. Clark. Inside Job makes conspiracy theories a reality: See a first look at the animated comedy. EW. August 16, 2021. September 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210818044917/https://ew.com/tv/netflix-inside-job-first-look-photos/. August 18, 2021. live.
3. Web site: Inside Job Season 1 Review – A decent start for a promising adult sitcom. The Review Geek. November 15, 2022. October 22, 2021.
4. Web site: Amidi. Amid. Netflix Reveals 'Inside Job,' First In-House Adult Animation Series. Cartoon Brew. June 14, 2021. https://archive.today/20210615231355/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/series/netflix-reveals-inside-job-first-in-house-adult-animation-series-206046.html. June 15, 2021. live. June 15, 2021.
5. Web site: Pederson. Erik. September 20, 2021. Fall Premiere Dates For New & Returning TV Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming. Deadline. September 20, 2021. https://archive.today/20210921011454/https://deadline.com/feature/fall-tv-premiere-dates-2021-1234758721/. September 21, 2021. live.
6. Web site: Netflix Orders 'Inside Job' Adult Animated Series From 'Gravity Falls' Alum . . April 23, 2019 . January 6, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201209125954/https://deadline.com/2019/04/netflix-orders-inside-job-adult-animated-series-gravity-falls-shion-takeuchi-1202600647/. December 9, 2020. live.
7. How Reagan Got Her Grove Back . Inside Job . Inside Job (2021 TV series) . . November 18, 2022 . 1 . 11 . 10.29.
8. Web site: Milligan. Mercedes. Annecy: Netflix Adult Animation Updates for 'The House,' 'Inside Job,' 'Human Resources'. Animation Magazine. June 14, 2021. June 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210617012240/https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/annecy-netflix-announces-the-house-anthology-cast/. June 17, 2021. live.
9. Web site: Giardiana. Carolyn. Lizzy Caplan, Christian Slater, Clark Duke Lead Voice Cast of Netflix's 'Inside Job'. The Hollywood Reporter. June 14, 2021. June 14, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210614230149/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lizzy-caplan-christian-slater-clark-duke-lead-voice-cast-netflix-animated-series-inside-job-1234967028/. June 14, 2021. live.
10. Moon . Mike . June 14, 2021 . Pushing the Boundaries of What's Possible in Adult Animation . United States . . June 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210614234321/https://about.netflix.com/en/news/pushing-the-boundaries-of-whats-possible-in-adult-animation . June 14, 2021 . live.
11. Web site: Sarto. Dan. Netflix Reveals Shion Takeuchi and Alex Hirsch's 'Inside Job'. AWN. June 14, 2021. June 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210617010120/https://www.awn.com/news/netflix-reveals-shion-takeuchi-and-alex-hirschs-inside-job. June 17, 2021. live.
12. Web site: Wolfe. Jennifer. 'Gravity Falls,' 'Disenchantment' Writer Shion Takeuchi Signs Overall Deal with Netflix. AWN. September 20, 2018. June 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210113000324/https://www.awn.com/news/gravity-falls-disenchantment-writer-shion-takeuchi-signs-overall-deal-netflix. January 13, 2021. live.
13. Web site: Ankers. Adele. Inside Job: Netflix Reveals Cast for New Series from Gravity Falls' Shion Takeuchi, Alex Hirsch. June 14, 2021. IGN. June 14, 2021. https://archive.today/20210614233654/https://in.ign.com/tv/160762/news/inside-job-netflix-reveals-cast-for-new-series-from-gravity-falls-shion-takeuchi-alex-hirsch. June 14, 2021. live.
14. Web site: Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2021. Animation World Network. February 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210216001218/https://www.awn.com/event/annecy-international-animation-film-festival-2021. February 16, 2021. live.
15. Web site: Lang. Jamie. Lizzy Caplan, Christian Slater, Clark Duke Lead Cast for Netflix's 'Inside Job' from 'Gravity Falls' Shion Takeuchi, Alex Hirsch. Variety. June 14, 2021. June 14, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210614233125/https://variety.com/2021/streaming/news/inside-job-lizzy-caplan-christian-slater-1234996160/. June 14, 2021. live.
16. Web site: Kryza. Andy. Netflix wants to make conspiracy theories fun again. TimeOut. June 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210617005559/https://www.timeout.com/news/netflix-wants-to-make-conspiracy-theories-fun-again-061521. June 17, 2021. live.
17. Takeuchi . Shion . Petrana Radulovic . Gravity Falls writer Shion Takeuchi wants to stretch the adult animation definition with Inside Job . . September 27, 2021 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211001161932/https://www.polygon.com/animation-cartoons/22696218/inside-job-netflix-creator-shion-takeuchi-gravity-falls-interview . October 1, 2021 . October 5, 2021.
18. Web site: New Fall TV 2021 Calendar: Your Guide to All Fresh Shows & Movies. TV Insider. September 4, 2021. September 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210908140233/https://www.tvinsider.com/1010057/new-fall-tv-calendar-schedule-shows-movies-streaming/. September 8, 2021. live.
19. Web site: Fowler. Matt. Fall TV 2021 Streaming Preview: Biggest New and Returning Shows – State of Streaming 3.0. IGN. August 31, 2021. September 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210917024346/https://in.ign.com/american-crime-story/165812/feature/fall-tv-2021-streaming-preview-biggest-new-and-returning-shows-state-of-streaming-30. September 17, 2021. live.
20. Web site: Netflix Top 10s Hours Viewed Title Search – Inside Job. What's on Netflix. December 7, 2021.
21. Web site: Inside Job: Part 2 Release Date Announced by Netflix. ComicBook.com. Jenna. Anderson. October 25, 2022. October 25, 2022.
22. Web site: Petski . Denise . June 8, 2022 . 'Inside Job' Renewed For Season 2 By Netflix . June 8, 2022 . . en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20230109170138/https://deadline.com/2022/06/inside-job-renewed-season-2-netflix-1235040797/. January 9, 2023. live.
23. Web site: Valdez. Nick. Netflix Cancels Fan-Favorite Adult Cartoon After Just One Season. ComicBook.com. January 8, 2023. January 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230109140312/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/netflix-cancellations-2023-inside-job-season-2-cancelled/. January 9, 2023. live.
24. Web site: Spangler. Todd. 'Inside Job' Canceled by Netflix After One Season, Creator Says 'I'm Heartbroken'. Variety. January 9, 2023. January 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230109142458/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/inside-job-canceled-netflix-one-season-1235482184/. January 9, 2023. live.
25. Web site: Petski. Denise. 'Inside Job' Canceled By Netflix, Reversing Season 2 Renewal. Deadline. January 9, 2023. January 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230109162343/https://deadline.com/2023/01/inside-job-canceled-netflix-reversing-season-2-renewal-1235214600/. January 9, 2023. live.
26. Web site: Bramesco. Charles. Life drawing: why is adult animation bigger than ever?. October 21, 2021. The Guardian. October 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211021082627/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/oct/21/why-is-adult-animation-bigger-than-ever. October 21, 2021. live.
27. Web site: Schager. Nick. Inside the Netflix Series Skewering QAnon Nuts—and Joe Rogan. The Daily Beast. October 21, 2021. October 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211022041328/https://www.thedailybeast.com/netflixs-inside-job-gleefully-skewers-qanon-nutjobs-and-joe-rogan. October 22, 2021. live.
28. Web site: Feinberg. Daniel. Netflix's 'Inside Job': TV Review. The Hollywood Reporter. October 21, 2021. October 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211022054346/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/inside-job-2-1235034269/. October 22, 2021. live.
29. Web site: Vognar. Chris. Review: Netflix's 'Inside Job' intertwines workplace antics with tinfoil-hat conspiracy world. Datebook. October 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211022230953/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/review-netflixs-inside-job-intertwines-workplace-antics-with-tinfoil-hat-conspiracy-world. October 22, 2021. live.
30. Web site: Hermann. Burkely. Quirky Mature Comedy "Inside Job" Lampoons Conspiracy Theories. October 23, 2021. https://archive.today/20211024021856/https://thegeekiary.com/quirky-mature-comedy-inside-job-lampoons-conspiracy-theories/101933. October 24, 2021. October 24, 2021. live.
31. Web site: Pruner. Aaron. Inside Job Season 2 release date, trailer, plot, cast for the Netflix sci-fi show. Inverse. October 23, 2021. October 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211024025534/https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/inside-job-season-2-release-date-trailer-plot-cast-netflix. October 24, 2021. live.
32. Web site: In "Inside Job" conspiracy theories are just the backdrop. Brown. Tracy. Los Angeles Times. October 23, 2021. October 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211024030043/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-10-23/inside-job-netflix-shion-takeuchi-conspiracy-theories. October 24, 2021. live.
33. inside_job_2021. Inside Job. tv. 1. October 1, 2022.