Why Didn't They Ask Evans?: Episode Three

 "Well, this is a pickle."

"Just a bit."

In the week where Ncuti Gatwa was announced as the new Doctor Who (he'll be great; Sex Education shows he has charisma as well as serious acting chops in both comedy and tragedy, of which Aristotle would have approved. Say no more.), I have to say that the winderful and very sexy Lucy Boyton as the delightfully clever and delectable Lady Frankie is basically the Doctor, thirty years earlier. Also, every man loves a girl who is posh and witty.

Anyway, much as modern editing is less clear in terms of storytelling than earlier decades, this episode of a well-helmed serial from Hugh Laurie himself manages to be clever and well-helmed, putting its two leads in peril and following through a devilishly clever conundrum. The happy wedding at the end is earned.

This is, it must be said, gentre television. But it is, on the whole, well done, and Lucy Boynton is a revelation. This isn't great telly, but it's bloody good.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans?- Episode Two

 "We have to have blood. Blood is of the essence."

I havew no idea wha's going on, butb I'm loving this. This is Agatha Christie done right- Bob fumbling after the truth, Frankie being rather more successful but in sexy outfits to boot- with a compelling mystery that seem to become less and less clear even as Hugh Laurie reveals himself as the dreaded and much heralded shrink whom everyone fears. This is all very between-the-wars and Freudian with its body horror fears of electric shock treatment. This is not what one expects of Christie.

This is superbly shot, acted, written, The confusions is palpable. It's a bug, not a feature. There seems to be authorial criticism of shock treatment, which is a very good thing. The plot is fast-paced, intriguing, and mostly driven by the charismatic performance of Lucy Boynton as Frankie. The characters are fascinating, the mystery multi-faceted, the cliffhanger exciting.

I tentatively think the vicar might have done it…?