Published by Mason Oldridge, 6 August 2024
CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Emma Myers leads on the BBC’s adaptation of Holly Jackson’s murder-mystery young adult novel.
Five years ago, popular schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh, who then committed suicide. The six-part series follows good-natured teenager Pip and her investigation into the case for her EPQ.
The first four episodes soft launch a very basic murder mystery. Pip conducts interviews with persons of interest, which as an amateur sleuth means she determinedly asks them questions and is persistent enough to receive dregs of information. She also teams up with Sal’s brother Ravi, sharing a mutual interest in proving Sal’s innocence. Although this is quite boring and slow-paced, it can be argued this allows the audience to learn the different characters and the personalities they inhibit. Furthermore, the glaringly obvious blossoming romance between Pip and Ravi is a slow burner and their chemistry feels very much scripted rather than genuine, but serves to add a romantic layer to the premise and offer Pip some happiness in the end.
However, the final two episodes turn the series around with a vast increase in drama. We learn that Naomi and her friends were involved in a hit-and-run on New Years and were then blackmailed to lie about Sal’s presence with them on the night of Andie's murder, thus hiding his alibi. Pip discovers that her teacher and friend’s dad Mr Ward began a teacher-student affair with Andie and, when Andie’s controlling father cut her money off, she attempted to blackmail Mr Ward for money to run away with Sal. He refused and, in a scuffle, she banged her head and left. Worried he had killed her, Mr Ward murdered and framed Sal. He has also been keeping a young woman he initially mistook for Andie hostage after confessing to her. One final twist arrives when Pip realises Mr Ward didn’t kill Andie as he couldn’t have been the one who murdered her dog Barney and therefore the one threatening her. It is revealed Andie’s sister Becca is the murderer; Becca was drugged and raped by Max and Andie wouldn’t let her go to the police about it as she was the one who sold the drugs to him.
Despite the series having a satisfactory ending, it doesn’t quite justify the earlier steadiness when compared to other fast-paced thrillers of today.
6/10
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