The Serpent

Superb acting from the leads. Phenomenal costume and set design, and a great score.

You're skin crawls from the sheer creepiness of Charles Sohbraj the pure Sociopath.

This is a tense and gripping drama and the time hopping device is used to great effect as it underlines a cat and mouse came that spans across 5 or 6 countries over 20 years plus. Other reviewers said this instilled confusion and detracted from the plot... but it doesn't.... It enhances it as it keeps things flowing and on edge.

If you enjoy simple mindless and linear storytelling... watch Cobra Kai (which is still great).

This was a quality series that grips from beginning to end.

Good start to the show but I just do not understand why they would have a person playing a Dutchman (Billy Howle - Herman Knippenberg) that obviously does not understand or speak Dutch. It would have been better to not have him say anyhthing in "Dutch" as I have no clue what he is actually saying. I don't understand why the actual Dutch actors didn't comment on this? The first episode looks good though and I am looking forward to the rest of the season.

I liked the suspense of the show, and the real story is pretty fascinating, but as others have pointed out, the time line jumps around too much and Rahim's acting is flat for playing someone who was supposed to have been charismatic. It also cracks me up that so many people on here complain about Brits playing Dutch and French Canadians but no one seems to care that the real-life Sobhraj is Asian (Vietnamese and Sindhi), and Rahim clearly is not. I found it irritating that the show's characters constantly make reference to him being or appearing Asian but Rahim doesn't look Asian at all (because he isn't). I guess he gets a pass because he's a native French speaker? Come on! You can't tell me there aren't French-speaking Asian actors out there.

Excellent, gripping drama. Well acted throughout. The story would be unbelievable if it were not true! Some reviews have pointed out the frequent timeline jumping. I personally found that watching it as a "box set" seemed to lessen that feeling. A refreshing change to see a work of such high quality from BBC these days!

This is well done and well acted. A grade A production. Its only flaw is the bouncing timeline. It is hard enough to pay attention with subtitles, let alone with the timeline going back and forth. Entertaining but NOT a relaxing watch. I'd advise you to learn French or take up speed reading because during fast exchanges of dialogue, those subtitles fly by fast.

Half a point off for the bad wigs.