404. Web-series Reviews – 219

 More web-series reviews…

 

The Marlow Murder Club – Came out in 2024. Judith, Suzie and Becks start an investigation. To assist with official police investigation, headed by Tanika, They must suspect witnesses, and face down real danger as they work against the clock to stop the killer in their tracks.

A review from IMDB...

A new British TV series premiered in March 2024. It follows a group of older women who form a club to investigate a series of murders in the picturesque town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire. While the premise is intriguing and the cast is talented, the show ultimately falls short of its potential.

The series stars Judith Potts, a retired archaeologist who becomes convinced that a murder has taken place in her neighbour's garden. When the police dismiss her claims, Judith enlists the help of local dog walker Suzie (Jo Martin), vicar's wife Becks (Cara Horgan), and DS Tanika Malik (Natalie Dew) to investigate the crime.

One of the show's strengths is its charming setting. Marlow, a real town along the River Thames, provides a picturesque backdrop for the mystery. The series was filmed on location, showcasing the town's historic streets, boutique shops, and lovely stretches of the river.

The cast delivers mixed performances, with bad the dog walker Suzie and somewhat DS Tanika Malik.

The show's writing and pacing leave something to be desired. The plot, while engaging at first, becomes convoluted and relies heavily on coincidence, especially in boring episode two. The reveal of the killer feels rushed and somewhat unsatisfying. Additionally, the characters, while likeable, lack depth and development throughout the series.

The show also struggles to find its tone, oscillating between cosy mystery and dark crime drama without fully committing to either. The attempts at humour sometimes fall flat, and the darker elements feel out of place in the otherwise lighthearted series.

Despite these shortcomings, The Marlow Murder Club has potential; with some refinement in the writing and a clearer sense of tone, the series could develop into a more compelling and cohesive mystery.

In conclusion, The Marlow Murder Club is a mildly entertaining, cosy mystery series that benefits from its picturesque setting. However, the show's writing and pacing issues prevent it from fully capitalising on its potential. While it may appeal to fans of lighthearted mysteries, it fails to stand out in a crowded genre. With some improvements, the series could become a more engaging and satisfying watch, but for now, it earns a respectable but unremarkable.

My Take – Not that good. Saw about 3 episodes and stopped after that.

 

Adolescence – Came out in 2025. When a 13-year-old is accused of the murder of a classmate, his family, therapist and the detective in charge are all left asking what really happened.

A review from IMDB...

No pun intended - also might be a red herring ... as much as the whodunnit aspect of it all ... because while that is quite a big part of the first episode ... the show is about way more than us finding out who did what ... I think even we have some questions and may not be entirely sure after episode 1 ... we kind of know what went down.

I was surprised last week when I saw Stephen Graham being in the top 3 people here on imdb. Don't get me wrong, I think he is a great actor ... I was just surprised that he was deemed "hot" right now. I had no idea he was in this ... even less so that he was a creative mind behind it all. Considering his masterclass and powerful performance ... I am not too surprised in hindsight.

That said, everyone involved in this is really good. Even more incredible if you think about the way the episodes are shot ... no (apparent) cuts made. I did not check if they had some hidden cuts in there ... or if this was really just shot as one take ... I would imagine it is the latter ... whatever the case: this is more than well done technically speaking too.

Every episode has its own theme of sorts ... the third one is rated the highest ... and I totally get it. While the other episodes have a lot of walking, driving and location changes, this one is more or less just in one room ... and yet the tension is ... well you could cut the air with a knife or whatever the saying is.

Challenges for parents - teachers, but also the young ones growing up ... there is so much packed in here. Society is changing ... and we have to adept ... we have to understand how to reach and teach values ... not easy when there is so much pressure .. from society, from your friends, from media ... from everywhere.

And that culminates in episode 3 ... the female in this ... she has just this one episode to shine ... but boy is she amazing! So many things she has to convey ... without saying the words ... you can feel it .. you can see it! And the boy in that episode? You should hate him ... you should despise him ... but isn't he also a victim? It's a fine line with so many layers ... worthy of many re-watches too.

I understand why the buzz is there and I am happy I was able to watch this quite close to its release! Very recommendable.

My Take – A definite watch!

 

Just One Look – Came out in 2025. Grace's life unravels when an old photo shows her husband and others, one with a crossed-out face. Grace searches for him, realizing he's been kidnapped while her kids are threatened. The truth leads back to Grace's past trauma.

A review from IMDB...

Harlan Coben stories sure get around. This time, it's a Polish-made production, although it could just as easily have been set in America or Britain as so many have in the past.

That said, over eight episodes, here you get another tightly plotted, character-heavy series. The story goes through many convolutions not to say convulsions, as Mr Coben performs his usual trick of spinning many plates at once, allowing the assembled crockery to fall one piece at a time before there's just one remaining suspended in the air for the final reveal.

Also as usual, past events cast a long shadow over the present as we see a young Polish wife and mother's happy world turned upside down when her husband is passed an old photo, which upsets him causing him to promptly disappear without trace. Said photo is a snapshot of a mixed-sex rock band taken ten years ago just before a fire takes place at the concert venue, killing a young female band member. The father of the young woman who died is a recently retired prosecutor with whom the abandoned wife somewhat reluctantly joins forces to not only try to track down her missing husband but also learn the real explanation as to why the fire started and who was responsible for it. Part of this is wrapped up in the disputed authorship of the later hit song which gives the series its title.

All four surviving people in the old picture will see their lives affected dramatically as the past comes back to haunt them in different ways. If only the young wife could regain her own memory of that night as she was there too but in the trauma of surviving the blaze, undiscovered for days before being rescued, she's blocked it out of her memory, but you can bet she'll gradually regain it as events move quickly. All the while the body count starts to mount so much so that even the police in pursuit finally get a wriggle on with their investigation.

Even if some of the connections between the myriad characters on show seem at best tenuous and at worst absolutely fantastical, it's worth hanging on until the end when you can sit back, rest your mind and try retrospectively to join the dots. Good luck with that!

I thought the direction was superior for this type of production with a number of scenes imaginatively and dramatically rendered and would also commend the quality of the acting too, especially the actress taking the lead role who has a very expressive face.

Perhaps unnecessarily violent at times, this was definitely one of the better Coben adaptations I've seen. I'm just as sure that it won't be long before another mini-series inspired by one of his works pops up on the schedules again. Perhaps the biggest mystery then is how he is so prolific at knocking out such deviously crafted mysteries time after time.

My Take – Worth a watch!

Adios till next time😊!!