I just finished watching this series and I'm struck by how underrated it seems to be. I mean, considering how entertaining it is and the strong positive social commentaries that it makes coupled with its decent visual appeal, one cannot help but wonder how so many people seem to not yet have watched it.
To highlight a few things that stood out for me about the series, I begin by noting that the murder mystery aspect of its plot is something that, alone, is enough for me to recommend it to most people. Next, I was taken in by the cast's performances, especially those by Karla-Simone Spence (Frannie Langton) and Sophie Cookson (Madame Marguerite Benham). Speaking of these two, the bittersweet lesbian romantic relationship between them in the series is one of the most compelling and memorable LGBTQ relationships that I've recently seen in a TV series.
There's a lot to be said too by how skillfully Sara Collins weaves the intersectional connections between race, gender, socioeconomic class, and sexuality into the series' plot in a manner that succeeds in being entertaining and in making some positive and powerful social commentaries. Indeed, I was many times throughout the series moved by how impressionably these connections define the characters' behaviors and help move the plot in often tension-inducing but enlightening and educative directions. And the climax of Sara Colin's writing in this regard, I feel I must mention, is the scene in the final episode in which Frannie gives a final bold and fearless speech to a room full of white men that hold the fate of her life in their hands. To say that I was moved by this scene is an understatement and I would recommend the series highly to most people if not for anything else, but for the pleasure of experiencing this scene for themselves.
When all is said and done, this is a great series in entertainment, educational, and artistic terms. I highly recommend it to all those looking for compelling, albeit tragic, lesbian dramas that give more to the viewer than mere titillation. I also highly recommend it to lovers of whodunit murder mysteries that are looking for a story that does not rely on common tropes and cliché's in the genre. Finally, I highly recommend the series to anyone interested in the exploration of the complexities behind how gender, social, racial, and socioeconomic issues intersect in individuals' lives, particularly women, in often inescapable and significant ways.
