Summary

• The series, while based on a successful YA novel, lacks the depth of the book's characters and subplots.
• Pip's determined sleuthing in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is riveting, but her questionable choices may leave viewers puzzled.
• While some elements may fall short, the series manages to tell a complete narrative arc without unnecessary dramatic additions.

Netflix's latest teen thriller, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, is based on the book series by Holly Jackson, and it's easy to see the series' literary roots. The main character, Pippa (Emma Myers, doing her best British accent), is the titular good girl, and her dedication to school and academia is not-so-subtly communicated through a shot of her reading Jane Eyre in the middle of a shopping aisle. In a few short moments, she's already knee-deep in her investigation of a long-cold murder case that has little, if anything, to do with her.

Myers also played Enid on Netflix's Wednesday and, in some ways, character is the new Wednesday Adams, as Pip is quite the sleuth. However, she doesn't investigate alone, and she is ed by Ravi (Zain Iqbal), the brother of one of the people wrapped up in the murder case. Pip is easily the most developed character, but plenty of people populate her world. Unfortunately, we don't get much of a chance to know anyone besides Pippa because the series includes little to no ing plots.

A Good Girl's Guide To Murder Supplies Plenty Of Twists (Few Of Them Satisfying)

Each episode sees Pippa take one step forward and two steps back, and the formula grows tiring

Perhaps the central problem with A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is the pacing and shocking lack of exposition. It's a rule of thumb that TV shows must be judicious with exposition. However, the season opener doesn't delightfully hook us with the mystery but leaves us hopelessly lost amid poorly timed flashbacks and red herrings that don't matter later on. While the great TV show plot twists are often ones we never see coming, there must be some foreshadowing. Instead, the series' plot developments are added at the drop of a hat.

There are easy comparisons to be drawn between the series and other masterworks of the genre. It's not entirely fair to compare A Good Girl's Guide to Murder with iconic murder mysteries like Mare of Easttown or Broadchurch, as the series fulfills vastly different niches. But it's impossible not to watch A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and not crave a better-crafted series. It's natural and expected for the show to employ the classic tricks of the trade and misdirect us whenever possible, but this should be thrilling, not boring and predictable.

Perhaps if her love story with Ravi had seemed plausible, I wouldn't have been drawn to the stronger connection between her and Cara.

I was finally sucked in at the end of episode three, or as sucked in as I would be throughout the quick six-episode season. There are plenty of anxiety-inducing moments, but they're undercut by Pip's willingness to put herself in harm's way. For a protagonist who is supposed to be the smartest girl in school, I was shocked by how readily she made truly inane choices. However, Pippa's character is saved by Myers' performance. While she's not immune to over-acting, her weakest moments are more likely due to poor direction.

Unfortunately, the all-important chemistry between Pip and Ravi leaves a lot to be desired. I was far more compelled by the relationship between Pip and Cara (Asha Banks) and was somewhat surprised their interactions never hinted at the possibility of something romantic. Not every lead character must be romantically involved with their best friend, but Pippa seems like an LGBTQ+-coded character in many ways. Perhaps if her love story with Ravi had seemed plausible, I wouldn't have been drawn to the stronger connection between her and Cara.

A Good Girl's Guide To Murder Lacks The Book's Cohesion

Elements that might have made sense in the book are lost in translation

There are certain things books can get away with that TV shows and movies simply can't. Any series based on a book must overcome the obstacle of not having the first-person perspective of the protagonist. It's likely that in the areas where A Good Girl's Guide to Murder falls short, there's more information to be gleaned from the text. However, the show should be commended for not insisting upon a sequel through unnecessary dramatic additions in the eleventh hour. Season 1 tells a complete narrative arc, and very few modern series can say the same.

The heyday of teen thriller shows is on its last legs, and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder might be one of the final vestiges of the genre. Where past series like Riverdale and Veronica Mars could embrace their campy elements and not take themselves too seriously, recent successors of the genre don't have this luxury. Perhaps A Good Girl's Guide to Murder will let itself have more fun and acknowledge its own silliness in the future, but until then, it makes for a perfectly fine Saturday binge-watch.

A Good Girl's Guide To Murder will be available to stream on Netflix August 1.