Stream It Or Skip It?

Oz was the protype of the modern prison drama, mainly because it felt so gritty and real. But there have been plenty in that vein since, from the more adventurous Prison Break to the semi-comedic Orange Is The New Black. The ones we’ve liked lately, are more spare in plotting, trying to show just how intense things are inside prison walls without making things too soapy.

INSIDE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Two police detectives enter a prison ward and show their IDs. They’re greeted by corrections officers already bringing someone out in a body bag.

The Gist: Four weeks earlier, Barry Hardy (Gwion Tegid), in a North Wales prison because of a drug charge, wakes up early and goes for a run with a group from his ward. He’s being encouraged by Elin James (Annes Elwy), a corrections officer he knew in primary school, to train for a 5k, just to keep his mind from wandering to other distractions that may be happening in the cell block.

He first has to do his work as the block’s cleaner, and he’s bullied by Mitchell (Annes Elwy), the block’s resident drug dealer. Outside, during some pushing and shoving amongst inmates, Mitchell drops a small packet of what he sells, which Barry promptly picks up and pockets.

One of the guards, Ned (Rolant Prys), gets word that a new inmate is arriving, and he takes it upon himself to tell an inmate named Taylor (Chippy Brown) that he’s being moved to a more violent cell block; Taylor begs him to reconsider. Of course, Ned should have cleared any choice with Elin first, since she’s technically his boss. That decision comes back to haunt Ned when Taylor ends up slashing his wrists.

Elin has her own entanglements, because she’s having an affair with handsome young — and very wealthy — inmate George Lyle (Bill Skinner). The arriving inmate, Kit Brennan (Adam Woodward), also knows George, and pays him a visit. Let’s just say that Brennan is quite adept at using a Bic Biro as a weapon. Elin also seems to know Brennan from somewhere.

Barry, despite promising his pious cellmate Peter (Glyn Pritchard) that he’ll get rid of the found packet of smack, he instead trades it for some toilet paper. When Mitchell gets wind of it, he has his men threaten Barry. This gives Brennan an opportunity; he thinks he and Barry can enter into a mutual beneficial arrangement.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Inside, written by Ciron Gruffydd based on real testimony from guards and inmates, reminds us of the British drama series Time, which also reminded us of Oz.

Our Take: Inside has two distinctions from other prison dramas: It’s based on testimony from real inmates and corrections officers, and it’s presented in both Welsh and English. The Welsh characters tend to speak their native language with each other, peppered with English. But when English inmates like Brennan arrive, the conversation smoothly transforms into pure English.

That language difference adds to the intensity of the series, because it feels like these conversations aren’t frivolous if they’re being done in the inmates’ native language. Despite the fact that the prison itself isn’t depicted as gritty — all the inmates have personal effects in their dorm-like cells, comfortable bedding, and the ability to wear their own athleisure wardrobes instead of uniforms — this prison isn’t exactly a country club.

While there are non-violent criminals like Barry there, they’re still mingling with people like Brennan, who seems to have a long and violent criminal past. We’re not quite sure what exactly he did to get his current sentence, but George selling him out to get his own sentence reduced — thanks to his extensive connections — is a part of it. That entire storyline, with Brennan, George and Elin will be one we watch closely through the season’s 12 episodes.

Brennan will also be drawing in Barry, who until this point was a “go along to get along” kind of inmate, into his criminal orbit, and that transformation will be interesting to watch.

Sex and Skin: While Linda (Mali Tudno Jones), the prison chaplain, recites a sermon about temptation, we see Elin and George having sex in the laundry room. However, Elin does not go fully naked.

Parting Shot: Brennan tells Barry that the two of them should chat, given Barry’s issues with Mitchell.

Sleeper Star: Glyn Pritchard’s character Peter isn’t only an extremely pious inmate, but he also has extreme mother issues and “sees red” when only slightly provoked.

Most Pilot-y Line: Brennan speaks only English, but his brogue is so thick that you’ll need to turn on subtitles to understand more than half of what he’s saying.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Inside has the same edge that the best prison dramas always have, where there is a sense of menace and the potential for things to turn bloody any instant. It’s also well-paced, with each episode only being a half-hour, in case you need a break from the intensity.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.