Published by Mason Oldridge, 23 October 2024
CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Sky’s new thriller series is darkly delightful.
Overlooked wallflower Rhiannon Lewis doesn’t feel seen. She doesn’t dare speak up for herself, which her dad encourages her to do. Her sister lives abroad and leaves her on read, her love interest Craig tends to communicate with emojis and her boss is condescending and belittling. When her father dies, her childhood bully returns to town, her dog is killed in a road accident and she is denied a promotion at work, something in Rhiannon snaps. She is involved in an altercation with a drunken stranger and she stabs him to death in a psychotic rage, repeatedly shouting “do you see me now?!” in what is the first epic moment in the gripping series. From here on, she gets a taste for murder and sets about ridding the world of her enemies as some sort of twisted vigilante, gaining newfound confidence in the process.
Ella Purnell is simply perfect in the lead role. She conveys both such a sweet vulnerability and a secret villainy that sees our sympathy turn to dislike. The plotline was destined for success itself but wouldn’t have maintained the same captivating essence without Purnell’s sinister duality.
There is also a nice deviation from predictability as, following two murders committed in a similar vein, she breaks the format as she sets her sights on her next target Julia. Kidnapping her until she apologises for ruining her life, she learns Julia is a victim of domestic abuse from her husband Marcus. A further spanner is thrown in the works when Jeff witnesses her attempt to murder Marcus and, realising she is the serial killer, is hit by a bus following a chase. Rhiannon and Julia then devise an elaborate plan to frame Marcus, but Rhiannon pushes him to his death when he turns violent. As it appears Rhiannon has gotten away with it all and she is happy with her new life, viewers are left waiting until the very end to discover what and who will bring about her downfall. AJ realises the murder weapon is the same knife she had on his first day in the office and, as he tries to flee, Rhiannon stabs him to death. The series ends with Rhiannon embracing him in a pool of his own blood as her sister enters the house… a truly haunting ending!
Sweetpea is chilling, compelling and highly addictive.
9/10