Will audience be fooled?

Sheetal

‘Whodunnit’ shows have been done to death and there’s a need to reinvent this genre. So, does this latest Netflix series accomplish this task? Well, ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

The screenplay is full of loopholes but despite that, powerful performances by the ensemble cast keep you hooked. Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan), an Army combat officer with a violent past, who has nightmares since she carries the guilt of killing innocents, keeps her composure throughout the series even though she has lost her husband and sister in a span of four months. Maya’s husband, Joe Burkett, was murdered in front of her eyes and her sister was killed during a robbery attempt. After she sees her husband in a nanny cam following his death, Maya sets out to find the truth and comes across some astonishing facts.

The writer and director have given Maya a free pass to be offensive by giving her a strong army background. Maya’s inability to check her anger and a compulsion for hand-in-hand combat make her quite fierce but as a mother to a toddler, she pulls out another personality altogether. In other words, she is a strong and assertive force in the series and keeps it going for the viewers.

What makes the story interesting is that almost all characters are playing psychological games. There are too many plot twists, making the audience doubt everybody’s intentions. Adeel Akhtar as officer Sami Kierce, investigating Joe Burkett’s murder case, has given a captivating performance. Sami’s chemistry with his fiancée is endearing and as an alcoholic who has been three years’ sober, he has acted the part perfectly. The audience will definitely want to see more of this gifted actor.

Other artistes in the limited series include veteran actress Joanna Lumley as Judith Burkett; she pulls off the role of a matriarch as well as a grieving mother with gravitas.

Based on Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name, the adaptation is average with some scenes hard to digest. For instance, Maya’s attempt to disguise herself by just wearing a baseball cap, or trailing a vehicle while in the middle of a helicopter flying lesson. For Coben fans though, this is a good one-time watch.