Die geheime Benedict-Gesellschaft

As a child, I read the first three Mysterious Benedict Society books religiously. Each book sucked me in and led me on this wonderful journey that I couldn't seem to put down. When I saw that there was going to be a live-action adaptation I was skeptical but the first two episodes have been so perfectly accurate it's scary.

The cast is perfect, the world feels like it's been pulled from the recesses of my imagination, and did I mention it was perfect? A must-watch Disney+ series already. Six more episodes (and hopefully two more seasons) to go.

Wow - the first two episodes were excellent. As someone who loved the books and read and re-read them over and over again as a child, this was everything I could have hoped for-a masterclass in capturing the wit and spirit of a book while making subtle improvements. This is probably the best adaptation of a book series I have seen since Season 1 of the Handmaid's Tale!

The four main kids are perfectly cast, with Marta Kessler being an excellent Constance Contraire. Although I was apprehensive about Tony Hale as Mr Benedict, the first two episodes settled most of my concerns and the writing does a lot to help him feel at place in the role. And of course, Kristen Schaal is pitch-perfect casting for Number Two, as is MaameYaa Boafo as Rhonda. And Ryan Hurst makes for a sad but hilarious Milligan.

The scenes feel lifted right from the book, with much needed adjustments like Mr. Curtain no longer using a wheelchair so as to avoid the Evil Cripple trope. The production design is vibrant and captivating, and the sets are as colourful and exciting as the books. Meanwhile, Theodore Shapiro writes an EXCELLENT and catchy theme tune.

I am VERY satisfied!

I see a lot of reviews here saying it's very slow paced. IMO it's actually rather refreshing to see a show of this genre with child actors moving at the slower pace and taking it's time to build the plot up versus rushing through it because it's geared for kids (really it's for kids and adults but most kids under 14 won't get the plot, so parents will need to explain, if THEY get it 😉 ).

It's actually a rather cerebral show and reminds me a lot of shows like Star Trek and Quantum Leap.

If you're looking for a fast paced or action show this isn't it. But if you're willing to be patient and can understand and adjectives the intellectual aspect, then this is for you.

I absolutely love the book series! It's so well done. Overall, this is a great adaptation. I don't understand some of the choices (i.e. SQ is Curtain's son, Sticky's parents are dead and his aunt/uncle were the ones who had him on the trivia circuit), but overall not a big deal.

My two biggest issues: they made Kate annoying (I did not find her annoying in the books at all) and they made Mr. Benedict more anxious. It's been awhile since I read the first book, but I recently read the rest of the series. Kate was always confident and competent, but also a big team player. She's too arrogant and "maverick" in the show.

And Mr. Benedict is not portrayed as an anxious, nervous person in the books! He's certainly concerned for the children's safety, but he's confident in his plans and decisions. I pictured him more calm and confident than he's portrayed in the show.

Again, overall I really like it and think it's a good interpretation of the book. Those two things are really my only issues! Maybe they'll consider being more true to those characters in future season?

I don't understand why there has been so little promotion for this show. It just appeared one day on Disney Plus. Based on the poster It didn't look like it would be for me, but as often happens I had run out of new and interesting things to watch on streaming. So before giving up and watching another Danish crime drama I figured I give it a shot, besides Disney plus looks good on my O. L. E. D. I am so glad I did. This show absolutely reminds me of netflix's "A serious of unfortunate events", another show I enjoyed. As with the best juvenile fiction this new Disney plus show is smart and doesn't condescend. The whole cast is fantastic, but I have to single out the character of Constance Contraire. She is my hands down fave. Often delivering the best one liners and sarcastic quips in her awesome accent that reminds me of the German Ambassador character from the old "The Colbert report". At first I didn't know what to make of her, or the show for that matter, but as I watched it captured my imagination and attention. Everyone is doing a great job with their parts but Marta (Timofeeva) Kessler is knocking it out of the park. Can't wait to watch the next one and see what happens! My only real criticism is the pacing. This show like so many others on the streaming services (looking at you Netflix) seem to stretch out the content in order to come up with a particular number of episodes. I can't say how many times I heard my friends, family and others say "Yes I watched it put it was about one or two episodes to long". This is probably a phenomenon that is sadly here to stay. In the case of this show It just feels like the pacing is slower then it should be. Having said all that it's absolutely worth the wait.