Peps' TV Series Wrap-up: And Then There Were None

https://subscene.com/subtitles/and-then-there-were-none-2015There are moments when you don't feel like watching a movie, but don't want to commit to a full-length TV series... especially on days when the only response you can come up with when you want to do something is "Who's got time for that?".

It was such a moment when I chanced upon And Then There Were None on iFlix. The little one was sleeping and even if I couldn't finish the series in one sitting, there's few enough episodes that I don't have to strain to remember what previously happened to the characters the last time I watched.

Murder mysteries aren't really my forte, though I've been trying to include them in my reading list when I can and when I'm not constantly enticed by my usual fantasy and sci-fi preferences, or even the now becoming more frequent horror picks. This means, I haven't gotten around to reading any of Agatha Christie's works... which turned out to be a good thing, because And Then There Were None is a good show to watch, especially when you're not burdened with the foreknowledge of the twists in its story.

The BBC mini-series adaptation of And Then There Were None tells the story of a group of people invited to stay at the lone mansion on Soldier Island by the mysterious U.N. Owen and his wife. Upon arrival, they find that the only people on the island are the couple's newly hired servants, Thomas (Noah Taylor) and Ethel Rogers (Anna Maxwell Martin). They soon learn that they were invited for different reasons, such as Vera Claythorne (Maeve Dermody) and her recent employment as secretary to Mrs. Owens, Phillip Lombard (Aidan Turner) and Detective Sergeant William Blore (Burn Gorman) hired to deal with apparent security issues, Dr. Edward Armstrong (Toby Stephens) is asked to provide medical expertise, Anthony Marston (Douglas Booth) is promised a party, Emily Brent (Miranda Richardson) is asked to consult regarding a foundation for raising proper girls, and General John MacArthur (Sam Neill) and Justice Lawrence Wargrave (Charles Dance) arrived expecting to meet with old friends. In each room of the mansion is a framed copy of the poem Ten Little Soldiers. And during their first dinner together, their conversation is interrupted by a recording that accuses all ten individuals of murder, listing their individual crimes. Soon after, they die one by one, eerily reflecting how each of the ten little soldiers died in the poem.

The unease they feel at being accused of murders escalate when the characters start dying. The unease becomes panic, especially for the always high strung Dr. Armstrong, as time passes and the body count rises. And the veneer of civility becomes suspicion at every turn. In as much as I was curious to find out who was doing all the killings, And Then There Were None truly shines as a character study. With the disparate personalities and backgrounds, it was interesting to see who kept it together and who would unravel. There are those who continue in their work like Thomas, those who succumb to casting suspicion on everyone like Dr. Armstrong, or those who accept their fates like General MacArthur. There are those who ultimately admitted to guilt, despite their original denial, and others who kept their ruminations to themselves even when death came for them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06v2v52And Then There Were None does an excellent job at mood setting, the isolation of the mansion and the island it is built on makes for a great location. There is nowhere to go and nothing to do but to turn on each other. It focuses on the characters, their reactions to the deaths and the mystery of why they were brought to the island, instead of banking on gore that could have been a result of the murders. And the cast assembled is stellar, ensuring that the differing personalities are highlighted regardless of the combination of characters on the screen. Given the large cast and the constant dwindling of their number, some gets more screen time, but every one of the ten were memorable.

There really isn't much more to say, since a murder mystery is best experienced when you know as little as possible, so you can watch with fresh eyes and a clean perspective as you try to figure out whoddunit. Even those who aren't particularly fond of the genre would find And Then There Were None to be a more than decent viewing material. At the very least, you will find yourself wondering why you didn't know about Maeve Dermody and Aidan Turner until you've watched it (they were awesome).

Happy viewing!!

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