Inside: USA season 1 episode 4 recap: Suspicion surrounds Sketch's gameplay, while Mark sets off on a secret mission

Sidemen’s Inside: USA debuted on Netflix on September 21, 2025, with its first four episodes.

The segment followed contestants as they competed in a variety of challenges, while staying in a house detached from the outside world for seven days, to win a grand prize of $1 million.

Every episode saw the insiders (contestants) face new challenges while attempting to avoid spending money from the prize fund. 

In episode 4, titled Hello Darkness My Old Friend, Sketch sabotaged his gameplay by trying to curry favor with all cast members.

Elsewhere, Mark set out on a secret mission to spend $20,000. 

A shocking elimination challenge divided the girls, leaving two cast members vulnerable and one at risk of going home.

Inside: USA: Alliances are broken once secrets are revealed

Episode 4 picked from the previous segment’s cliffhanger, which saw Dwight, Sketch, and Zach purchase ‘Expose the Insider’ cards. 

Soon after, video clips were played to the cast members, which exposed their secret conversations and purchases from the shop.

The first clip showed Sketch buying wine and chips, while the second one showed Aisha criticizing Fannita for having a “loud mouth” and painting herself as a target.

As soon as Fannita saw that, she said:

“You’re a fake a** b**ch.”

Aisha immediately clarified the situation, explaining that it was not her intention to criticize her personality.

The third clip was about Fannita telling some of her co-stars that she had to spend $50,000 from the prize pot to get back in the game. 

Max was displeased with Fannita’s spending, but she refused to listen to his criticism.

While speaking to the Inside: USA cameras, Fannita stated that Max was the “least threatening person ever,” and that she was not afraid of him.

Elsewhere, Sketch felt anxious about his spot in the game, convinced he was the “top target” and that everyone was out to get him. 

Meanwhile, in a private conversation in the shop, Bre and Fannita told Sydney that they disliked her gameplay because she spent more time with the boys than with the girls. 

“I think it’s unfair for her to say I’m disloyal to our alliance of girls we made just because I’m chatting with the guys more than with the girls,” Sydney told the Inside: USA cameras.

She added that it was her strategy to be friends with everyone, and she would continue to do what was best for her game. 

Sketch’s game plan to safeguard his position backfires on him, making him the house target

In the meantime, the boys discussed targeting someone from the girls ' group, but they were careful not to expose any names, keeping the ladies in the dark. 

However, Sketch decided to take on a different route. So, he approached the girls and promised them that he was ready to work with them to “vote off any dude.”

“I will give you insider information on anything they say,” he added.

The Inside: USA star then claimed that Dwight threw out Aisha’s name and wanted him to target Fannita. 

Although the women appreciated the information, they knew he was not on their side.

Consequently, they suspected his allegiance and decided to use him “like a wet rag and then toss him in the rubbish.”

Fannita opined that Sketch was “messy” and a “liar.”

A while later, the cast members were shown the amount in the prize pot, which had decreased to $694,600 from $1 million.

With the competition intensifying, Fannita discovered that everything Sketch had told them was false information, and it was his way of safeguarding his spot in the contest.

Mark confirmed her suspicion, stating that they never discussed names. Sketch soon realized that he had jeopardized his connections with both sides of the house. 

After the truth was out in the open, the girls discussed their next targets. They agreed that Sketch needed to go, followed by Max.

Inside: USA star Mark makes a desperate attempt to spend $20,000

Shortly after, Mark was handed a secret task, which asked him to spend exactly $20,000 at the store within 30 minutes without being caught.

If he succeeded, he would not be charged for the items.

The first item Mark purchased was a $5K pink Range, which he hid in the shower. The Inside: USA star then bought two monster trucks worth $5K. With that, Mark had spent $10K and needed to spend another $10K to win. 

However, he was unable to make his final purchases due to the intervention of Sketch and Dwight. 

After failing the task, Mark decided to come clean to the cast members, admitting that he cost the team $20K.

Toward the end of the episode, the girls were all called to the challenge arena, where they played ‘Lights Out.’ The rules of the game said:

“Each contestant will have their eyes and ears covered. Each round, one insider will be selected to remove their blindfold and headset. The selected insider must now pick another contestant to eliminate by pressing the red button next to them.”

It continued:

“The select insider will return to their seat, and when they remove their covers, a red light will reveal the chosen insider. That insider must now try to figure out who has turned on their red light in order to remain in the game.”

The first person to play was Ekin-Su, who chose to eliminate Alissa. Alissa, in turn made an incorrect guess and landed in the elimination round.

The second person to play was Bre, who nominated Aisha. Aisha, however, correctly guessed Bre’s name and sent her to the elimination zone. 

The episode ended while the safe girls deliberated on who to eliminate between Bre and Alissa. 

Stay tuned for more updates.