Burnham – appropriately considering this week’s episode – referred to self-reflexivity as “the manner in which practitioners evaluate and observe the effects of their own practice”, and in “Curse of the Ninth” There is more than an air of Shearsmith and Pemberton acknowledging their own completion of their ‘Ninth’, but also the darkness of anticipation that comes with completing this latest (and final) piece. This very real dimension is, naturally, tackled through a traditional horror story musing on death, foreboding and the creator’s curse!
“Curse of the Ninth” feels like a story that, in days gone by, would be a ghost story read next to a fire by Christopher Lee for the BBC. It is an old fashioned supernatural chiller, that oozes throwback British atmosphere in droves, and is laced with some cheeky moments of comedy that relies on puns and name gags, which adds a delightful lightness to an overall rather dark story of foreboding, growing, inevitability.
Set in Edwardian England, as piano tuner and student of the musical arts Jonah (Shearsmith) is called to tune a vintage piano at a grand home, where he soon finds that its lady Lillian (Natalie Dormer), is the widower of a great musical composer on the edge of completing his ninth symphony, before his suicide…was a curse to blame?
Taking narrative inspiration from the real superstitious belief of a composer’s curse in finishing their ninth symphony (see: Beethoven, Schubert, Tishchenko and more), and using the aforementioned traditional ghost tale stylings, what results is an M. R. James like cautionary and anxiety-fuelled tale of fear and belief, that feels apt in numerous ways, at this stage of the final series’ completion. A fact furthered by next week’s final episode being kept so secretive, with no closing promo, and of yet only a title “plodding on”, being revealed. We are nearing the end but no not what awaits.
Some may call this episode one that lacks major innovation or twists, and it may admittedly be in some way overshadowed by next week’s anticipated mystery to come, even this story feels in some way indebted to this particular unknown. However “Curse of the Ninth” is a tremendously well made and delivered horror story, with the central character being morally tortured and pushed by his passions but afflicted by his regrets, and the story escalating nicely, after opening with a literal bang, and concluding with a genuinely scary crescendo.
The performances are once more brilliant, with a terrific little ensemble in Shearsmith, Dormer, Hayley Squires, Pemberton, and a very fun appearance by Eddie Marsan! And the music, rather fittingly, is incredibly effective here, both as an accompaniment to the vintage horror, and as a dressing to this story about the art of music composition itself.
Who knows what awaits our final entry inside no. 9 next week? But one thing is for sure, as this ninth and final symphony reaches its finale, the dangers are not lost on these creators. All eyes are indeed on next week!
Inside No. 9 Series Nine is showing now on BBC Two, the last episode “Plodding On” shows on Wednesday at 10pm. Episode One – Five are available on iPlayer Now.
