Inside No. 9 ending explained: Creators on ‘gorier than ever’ Mother’s Ruin

At a fan screening held at the BFI, the creators discussed the second episode of season 8, which follows last year's Christmas special The Bones of St Nicholas.

Read on for an overview of the Mother's Ruin ending and all the behind-the-scenes details shared – including a very real injury that could have stopped production. Spoiler alert!

Inside No. 9: Mother's Ruin ending explained

Mother's Ruin finds brothers Ed and Harry attempting to contact their late mother to find out where she hid the substantial fortune stolen by their gangster father.

However, their attempt at necromancy comes to an abrupt halt when the new owners of their mother's house – fellow criminals Reggie (Phil Daniels) and Frances (Anita Dobson) – return home from their holiday earlier than expected.

Suddenly, the hapless brothers are in grave danger, with Reggie making it clear he has a stomach for murder as he cuts Ed's foot off in all too graphic detail.

"That one, particularly, was a sort of exercise in being more gory than we've ever been," said Shearsmith to a BFI audience. "And it got to the point of writing the ‘foot off’... and then it was ‘and shall we see it? Or a lot of it?’

Producer Adam Tandy explained: "There was subsequent discussion about how long you stay on the shots. How disturbing can you make it before it crosses the line?"

Shearsmith continued: "It's sort of funny because it's so horrible. That was the aim; To try and time the edit to the point where you think ‘it won't be on [the foot] now, I can look back’ – and it’s back on it… it was a fun exercise to do."

The irony of the plot point is that Shearsmith's foot was actually broken during filming of the episode – from an accident which occurred away from the set – which meant a stunt double was required for the opening scene.

"It’s not me climbing through the window," he explained. "But we put in that he falls and twists his ankle, so then he’s hobbling to match me who was really hobbling."

The foot chopping took place in order to offer a blood sacrifice that would summon Ed and Harry's late mother to the room, where she would be compelled to answer honestly any question that was posed to her.

For a short while, it appears the macabre exercise has been successful, with Ed chillingly embodying the woman (props to Shearsmith for his performance here) and spilling that she was having an affair with Reggie.

This revelation is enough to drive a wedge between himself and his wife, Frances, who ultimately murders him instead, inspired by many hours spent watching a docuseries called 'Women Who Kill'.

The boys are in the clear, it seems, although they better hope Frances doesn't find out that Ed faked the necromancy, leaving them to the conclusion that the practice doesn't work. Or does it?

Later, their mother's parrot – which had become loose at an earlier point in their break-in – returns, showing signs that it could contain the spirit of their mother.

However, we'll never know for sure whether the scheme worked, as Shearsmith and Pemberton opt for an ambiguous cut to black, likely paying homage to critically adored gangster drama The Sopranos.

On what inspired the episode, Shearsmith added: "We wanted to be brothers and the gangster thing felt like an interesting area that we hadn't quite done.

"And it's a bit Pulp Fiction in the way that they're in control of their own world and their situation suddenly slips, and they’re at the mercy of this outside force that comes in and turns the whole thing on its head.

"And it's a very dark first half with it being all of the ritual necromancy, and then the lights snap on and these two extraordinary people appear – initially, like a little old couple who have come back from holiday, and then they’re the most malevolent."

Inside No. 9 season 8 premieres on BBC Two and iPlayer at 10pm on Thursday 27th April 2023. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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