Agatha Christie: ¿Por qué no le preguntan a Evans?

I was wary of watching this version of Agatha Christie's story after recent dreadful Sarah Phelps' penned dramatisations. Fortunately this screenplay was written by Hugh Laurie and he did a tremendous job. There is not a wasted line, every word, while not essential to the plot, adds humour and colour, and brings the characters to life. The drama is beautifully shot, and the character acting is top drawer.

O.k. I gotta fess up. I'm giving this mini-series 7 stars for having the smarts to hire and feature Lucy Boynton as its female lead. She is everything you want and infrequently get from a lead. The viewer falls for her. And once fallen the viewer cares and cares a great deal about her welfare. And the more peril her character - Lady Franky - is in, the more involved the viewer is. I might not have fully understood everything that's going on, but I fervently hoped that the series would keep Lady Franky safe.

A man is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Another is found hanged in his home. What is the connection, if any, between these two apparent murders? There is, in fact, an answer. And along the way to that answer there are (a) other deaths (b) look-a-like-ladies (c) photos purloined and (d) hospitals for the mentally unfit.

All well and good. But the problem (for me) was this.

Huh? So much happens and happens so fast that I simply could not keep up. Worse still the climactic scene(s) happens in the dark, an ill-advised decision when the complex story would be hard enough to follow in broad daylight.

And, yes, I could have re-watched the 3-part series before writing this, I could have made notes and put the pieces together. I could have. But isn't that asking too much? Yes, I think so.

So then, I'm saying, See this series if only for the sake of actress Lucy Boynton. And stick around for the story. Maybe you'll be luckier, and more astute, than I.

Maybe you'll 'get it'.

I have always loved Why Didn't They Ask Evans and I loved that this adaptation stuck more closely to the book. Yes, there were some changes but the heart was there.

Bobby and Frankie have held a place in my literary heart for years and they lived up to my expectations and hopes.

Is the mystery a bit confusing? Yes, it also was confusing in the book but it's a great ride, good fun and the characters, costumes and scenery make it a thoroughly enjoyable watch.

On a slightly related note, loved seeing the golf course and castle at Three Cliffs!!

Hugh Laurie has done a fabulous job deftly infusing humour into this script. The cinematography is delightful, with gorgeous costumes, lovely architecture and rugged scenery brought to life. A strong cadre of actors with the wonderful character of Frankie (Lucy Boynton) pulling all the strings, Boynton is in her element with this persona.

It is drawn out at some points, it would have benefited from shorter episodes, also some plot elements are overly contrived.

Compared to the initial reviews, it appears I'm in the minority. I thoroughly enjoyed the three episodes and binged them in one night. I found the whole thing fun, charming and a hoot. I loved all the performances as well as the lush locales and cinematography and the performances. Hugh Laurie's direction is smooth. Not everything adds up, but this isn't Agatha Christie's best story, and that's okay overall. There are always too many suspects and shoehorning for things to make sense in the plot. As long as you understand who did it and the basic why in the end, you're good. Just go along for the ride. Pay attention to the clues as they come and you can probably solve it before they do. Sure, there are tons of red herrings and subplots to nowhere that distract, but again, it's lesser Agatha Christie. What do people expect? It's only confusing if you let it overwhelm you. And it needn't. Enjoy!