While the storytelling might need some finesse, some of the subject matter tied directly to the mystery is mature enough to warrant a content warning on the level of “13 Reasons Why.” Sex, abuse, suicidal thoughts, and death are all on the menu, which makes for an incredibly bleak outlook. It’s as if the show doesn’t trust its viewers to follow along and be engaged with the mystery. Instead, she snoops, and then independently information delivers itself straight to her. Hell, the villain even sounds like a finger-steepling bad dude when he talks on the phone.Īs for the mystery itself, Leila rarely uncovers information through ingenuity or deduction. Jonty is utterly ridiculous and serves no other purpose than to act foolish - whether it’s for laughs or to be used for nefarious schemes. Tess is a troubled manic pixie dream girl who is most certainly bipolar (how many times must we hear about the lithium?), but that doesn’t seem to be vital just one more thing to pile onto the story.

Alas, it would’ve been nice to actually feel the girls’ friendship and budding connection instead of having it be assumed after one night of dance club debauchery.Ĭharacterizations are similarly lazy. This is no fault of the actresses: Both Haddon and Brown make the most of the spare, unremarkable dialogue given to them.

They’re going through all the proper motions for romance, but sadly, there’s never any real interaction that sells their chemistry. As is so much in this series, there’s a shorthand for storytelling. Their connection is instant, or so we’re told by their lingering glances, Tess seeking out Leila, and the sacrifices that Leila makes for Tess. The Best True Crime Streaming Now, from 'Unsolved Mysteries' to 'McMillions' to 'The Staircase' 'Party Down' Season 3 Struggles to Recapture Its Cavalier Spirit New Movies: Release Calendar for February 17, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Films Her jaunts into the VR world, however, lead her to suspect that something bigger and more sinister is afoot, and somehow this is connected to Tess. What follows is a meandering, flailing sequence of events in which Leila muddles through life after mum by acquiring a menial job (to pay for more Azana time) and a boarder named Jonty (Matthew Aubrey), who’s a rather bad aspiring actor.

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