This miniseries (which may now get a second series) is an interesting beast, but it is a little inconsistent in what it is doing. At first I enjoyed the pilot for its broadly bitchy clichés, all of which confirm my inherent bias towards the sort of people who can afford to live this lifestyle – the focus on petty drama, social politics, appearance and the such, all of it extended onto their children and staff. The presence of a murder of someone by someone adds to that rather soapy drama feel that it has at first, and the showroom homes and lives is on top of that too, giving it a sort of glossy sheen that suggests everything is best enjoyed on the superficial level.
Into the next few episodes and this impression wears away, because it is not just about social battles and one-upmanship, but rather there is plenty below the surface that each character is dealing with. Secrets, shames, regrets, and longings ; none of this is earth-shattering stuff, but this was the point I think – was that it wasn't "rich people having rich people fights" but rather the 'people' in the characters comes out. As it does this, the reminders that there is a murder to come doesn't really add much. It serves to keep a focal point on the horizon, and to tell us of the gossipy community and why those in it would want to keep secrets. The downside of this is that the final episode is a bit too hyped up, and also a bit too tidy in its resolution – however the good thing is that by this point the show has grown to be more interesting than this mystery.
The characters, their interactions, their individual struggles, and their root causes, all made for more interesting viewing. Yes it is stylized, polished, and set in a world of such resources that I cannot connect to that aspect of it, but it is the characters that make it work. The writing and its delivery in particular give one plenty to engage with. The starry cast look good on paper, but more importantly they do deliver; even some of the cast who I sometimes can take or leave won me over (Kidman, for example, was excellent). The supporting cast aren't always as good or as fleshed out, but the four female leads are great in their different ways, and get more engaging as their characters reveal complexity beyond what we see in the first episode.
While aspects of the show don't wholly work (one of them being the 'central' mystery), there is a lot to like as the show goes beyond its superficial starting point, and before it reaches its too-tidy resolution. Those looking for that sort of network drama gloss will enjoy it for that, but there is a darker core to this that offers more, satisfies in the drama, and makes for a more truthful story that the setting and lifestyles suggest.
Into the next few episodes and this impression wears away, because it is not just about social battles and one-upmanship, but rather there is plenty below the surface that each character is dealing with. Secrets, shames, regrets, and longings ; none of this is earth-shattering stuff, but this was the point I think – was that it wasn't "rich people having rich people fights" but rather the 'people' in the characters comes out. As it does this, the reminders that there is a murder to come doesn't really add much. It serves to keep a focal point on the horizon, and to tell us of the gossipy community and why those in it would want to keep secrets. The downside of this is that the final episode is a bit too hyped up, and also a bit too tidy in its resolution – however the good thing is that by this point the show has grown to be more interesting than this mystery.
The characters, their interactions, their individual struggles, and their root causes, all made for more interesting viewing. Yes it is stylized, polished, and set in a world of such resources that I cannot connect to that aspect of it, but it is the characters that make it work. The writing and its delivery in particular give one plenty to engage with. The starry cast look good on paper, but more importantly they do deliver; even some of the cast who I sometimes can take or leave won me over (Kidman, for example, was excellent). The supporting cast aren't always as good or as fleshed out, but the four female leads are great in their different ways, and get more engaging as their characters reveal complexity beyond what we see in the first episode.
While aspects of the show don't wholly work (one of them being the 'central' mystery), there is a lot to like as the show goes beyond its superficial starting point, and before it reaches its too-tidy resolution. Those looking for that sort of network drama gloss will enjoy it for that, but there is a darker core to this that offers more, satisfies in the drama, and makes for a more truthful story that the setting and lifestyles suggest.