Opening on a snowy Christmas Eve night, the story begins with the arrival of Dr Jasper Parkway (Steve Pemberton) at a church, surprisingly decked out for Christmas, tree and all. He’s there as part of the C of E’s church-camping fundraising initiative – a real programme that lets customers pay al-la Air BnB in a historical setting. Dr Jasper wants a quiet night, which thanks to very chatty couple Pierce and Posy, isn’t going to happen. After giving both the curator and the couple different reasons for being there, Dr Jasper shows his true intentions: he’s there to steal a valuable relic rumoured to be hidden in its walls and sell it.
Inside No.9 S08 E01 – The Bones of St Nicholas
The story of the hidden relic is revealed through Dr Jasper’s actions, although it appears someone else is in the church, sneaking around the Christmas tree and blowing out candles. And as Dr Jasper locates what he is looking for, like many a greedy thief, he is ultimately punished. But the significance of the how and why is the real mystery. Had St Nicholas come back to spook the place and all who try and find the relic?
Pemberton is always excellent as an antagonist, and here his intelligence blurs into arrogance with little reservation shown to anyone else. I will save the reveal for your own viewing, but it is one of the best reveals of the show, not just in its execution, but how it ties up with every conversation that takes place. The setting, the characters, the gags, the reveal, this half-hour has it all. Are you not entertained?