Creators Heidi Cole McAdams and Mike Weiss helm this Agatha Christie-style mystery set on a restored vintage ocean liner touring the Mediterranean Sea. When a murder occurs, famed detective Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) and his quasi-protégé, Imogene (Violett Beane), must sort through the ship full of suspects to find the killer. (Ten 40- to 52-min. episodes)
Glen: We’re experiencing a golden age of television, with production values rivaling theatrical filmmaking. This series is a case in point, with a terrific cast and incredible sets. A 10-part series like this can really take its time to fully develop characters and tell a labyrinthine story with lots of twists, turns, and layers. Our protagonist, Imogene, is a complicated character. As a child, she watched her mother explode in a car bombing and was taken in by the once-wealthy Collier family, who’s trying to salvage their business by making a deal with the Chun family. This luxury cruise through the Mediterranean is supposed to be the grease that seals the deal, but then one of the boorish guests—Keith Trubitsky (Michael Gladis)—is murdered in his room after having a run-in with Imogene, setting in motion this complicated whodunit. I love that every single one of the many characters is morally compromised in some way.
Anna: Childhood trauma certainly has become a theme in entertainment these days, and Death and Other Details rides that wave too. Imogen is inherently distrustful of basically everyone, and she’s dead set on finding the identity of her mother’s murderer all these years later. Unfortunately, this beautiful ship is full of distractions, from Cotesworth—who Imogen harbors ill feelings for after he failed to solve her mother’s murder—to hunky Jules (Hugo Diego Garcia), whose seemingly devious actions prove to be for a noble cause. All of this swirling around the Chun/Collier deal, with the uncaught murderer on board and a dozen other goings on, means chaos for all. I like a mystery series like this, and this one is stylistically appealing as well. The ship is beautiful, the people are beautiful, and there is an intriguing mystery going on to boot!
Glen: It’s a stylish mystery in an exotic setting, and Beane’s Imogene is a compelling protagonist who comes off as both resourceful and vulnerable. Vacillating between confidence and insecurity is no easy trick, especially in contrast to Cotesworth, who proudly flaunts the mantle of world’s greatest detective. As both characters’ backstories unfold, we discover everything isn’t as it seems, and in a startling reveal, Imogene’s world is shaken to its core. I definitely didn’t see it coming. I thought this was a miniseries, but the ending clearly set up more to come. If it gets greenlit for production, I’d keep watching.
Anna: They’re definitely wanting a season 2 of Death and Other Details, and I’m not complaining! They set up Imogen with more mystery to resolve, but the series also managed to give us some answers. I personally will miss Jere Burns as Llewellyn Mathers, the Colliers’ attorney with a penchant for pain. There are plenty of kooky characters, but his was especially fun, and his snide remarks were often scathingly brilliant. They’ve found a winner in Beane. She fits the bill of many mystery novel protagonists brought to the big screen. From her straight blond bob and her signature style to her knack for being just around the corner while an important (and private) conversation is going on, this character is built for intrigue. The final episode follows Imogen to a snowy locale, and that’s where the final scenes play out. I’ll be interested to see if season 2 picks up at the same moment or if we find Imogen in a new mysterious setting. I’m also looking forward to seeing how they continue to use Patinkin’s Cotesworth—the actor is clearly having fun in the role.
New Times Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Mar 14-24, 2024.