 Jim is Pat 's " weary nemesis " , and a " classic everyman " . Jim and Pat , for Gerard Gilbert of i , are like " two suburban grotesques straight out of a Mike Leigh drama " . Maggie is unaware of the chaos around her , instead distracted by the tablet — on which she plays a game somewhere between Clash of Clans and Minecraft — or retelling the birthday card joke . As a " Middle England suburban " comedy , " Nana 's Party " is " all about the depths and heartaches lurking beneath apparently happy families " . As the story progresses , the characters subvert expectations , with the irritating Pat revealed as a caring husband and the alcoholic Carol revealed as recovering from an unsuccessful affair . Pemberton and Shearsmith characterised the episode 's ending as " downbeat " and lacking a twist , noting that " Nana 's Party " is the only episode of Inside No. 9 in which no character dies . 
