Mikes Film Talk

Here there be spoilers!

So, Death and Other Details used “The old double episode finale trick.” The show dropped Rufus’ tagline, “Remember, details matter.” In the case of this series, this is true. They do matter.

First off, kudos to the writers of the tale. The final detail of just who Viktor Sams really is was not a done and dusted deal. SPOILER: While the show leads us tantalizingly to the conclusion that Kira was, in fact, Viktor all along, is…not as clear cut as the show wants us to believe.

At the end of the finale, AKA episode 10, Kira is apparently taking orders from someone else; Andreas. Or is Andreas taking orders from her? In all likelihood, he is actually Sams and we just missed an essential clue in the proceedings.

Or not.

What is Truth

Truth is the primer for both Rufus and Danny’s code. Imogene remembers the conversation with Cotesworth, another splendid flashback sequence, and later she has to walk into another important memory.

The fight now is against time. Andreas/Sams (?) sets the clock ticking on another sort of primer, this one attached to the preset explosives in the ship’s hull. The passengers are told they must bid for seats on the helicopter if they want to live.

There follows a comedic tussle to escape certain death. The “point zero one percent” are getting dirty while they bid for just nine seats on the chopper. Team Imogene are not really getting anywhere with the the recovered code. At last the penny drops. The team figure out that Danny saw someone, like the old Sesame Street jingle says, “That doesn’t belong.”

Agent Erikson of Interpol/Viktor Sams/Kira (Imogene’s Mum.) shows up, in Imogene’s walk through her flashback, dressed as a crew member. Danny, who had a photographic memory, spies her and realises she is not part of the crew.

This short exchange costs him his life.

Winnie Goh is ordered to execute the man and later she confesses to the murder of an innocent.

After all this, Imogene goes to confront Sams, AKA Kira her mother. We learn that she is killing Lawrence one breakfast smoothie at a time. We also find out that she first tortured then killed Llewellyn.

Imogene realises that the woman in front of her is Kira, her mother. This explosive reveal is timed to coincide with another explosive event.

End Episode 9: Impossible.

Bones to be picked

Before moving on to Episode 10 Chilling which is, in essence, a recounting of those details there are important moments. We find Cotesworth starting a second set of memoirs. He is still stone cold sober. But we digress. Lets talk about those bones or maybe just a bone.

The most serious bone to pick has to do with Father Toby. A Priest. Certainly not like any I have encountered. A man of the cloth, a member of the Catholic Church. An individual with a son? And a reverend who wears clothes that are not the least bit appropriate. A dress style that screams frippery.

The creators of the show, Heidi Cole McAdams and Mike Weiss have stated that they used the Mistress of Murder Dame Agatha Christie’s writing as an approach to this tale. Sadly, it seems that she mistook the good old village Vicar as a Catholic Priest.

A History Lesson

Vicars are part of the Church of England. This church was “created” by Henry the VIII when the Catholic Church would not allow him to leave his “barren” wife; Catherine of Aragon. Henry established “his church”to approve the annulment from his wife in 1536. She later died, at the age of 51, of “heart cancer.”

The point here is that the English Vicar is allowed to do many things that the Catholic Church does not condone for their clergy. Vicars can be married and raise a family, all while Serving God. As to their clothing, none of the outfits of “Father Toby” would be allowed at either the Church of England or the Catholic Church.

Annoyingly, each and every time that Toby shows up in a scene all suspension of disbelief is destroyed. The same can be said of the man’s offspring; That Derek.

Perhaps the show’s creators should have done a tad more research. C of E allow many deviations for their reverends. The Vicar of Dibley, anyone?

Of course said creators also allowed the good “Father” to be deceitful, narcissistic and, for lack of a better word, evil. Catering to Hollywood and it irrational hatred of Christians the creators served the man up on a tarnished platter.

Shame on you.

now back to the show

The final, finale of Death and Other Details is another sleigh ride through Imogene and Kira’s past. Once again, Imogene walks in another person’s shoes. *Side note: These active interactions are, to be blunt, the best part of this entire series.

Kira tells Imogene that her “death” was so hard that it changed her. Changed her into Viktor Sams, although she never actually admits this. She attempts to recruit her daughter into the “family business.”

Death and Other Details allows that Sams/Kira/Andreas are punishing the rich, that “zero point one” of the elite mentioned earlier.

After visiting the “brain” of Sams’ empire, the two women relax and enjoy each other’s company. At a skiing trip, however, we learn that blackmail is still the order of the day. Anna drugs up and tunes out while memories of her dead mother float through her head. Lawrence is,apparently, still drinking the poison blue drink that gave him dementia.

Teddy misses and worries about Winnie.

Imogene confronts Kira about the blackmail at the ski resort.

Rufus, dear reader, is back

He and Imogene reveal that the Kira’s servers were recovered before the CGI ship sank. As Kira places her hand on the gun hidden under the table, Rufus says, “The truth can finally come to light.”

Almost all the other diners are law enforcement and Kira is lead away in handcuffs.

Later, as he dictates the ending of his next memoir, Rufus pays a homage to his late friend Danny. The man who wanted to solve this case because of a promise Rufus made to a little girl, “long ago.”

Imogene gets a phone from Teddy in case she gets a call. She does and it is from Sunil who tentatively reaches out. It is an awkward exchange. As Leila and Imogene talk, Anna meets with Andreas and we learn that she murdered her mother. Kira helped to cover this up.

It looks like the real Viktor Sams is Andreas and Kira?

The End

We are left with Imogene stepping into Rufus’ shoes in the here and now. She and her “Scooby” gang are investigating a new “impossible” mystery. Imogene leaves us with the knowledge that now, she does not need her childhood hero to help.

Overall this was a splendid short look at a Christie-ish sort of murder mystery. There were things that annoyed but the show is watchable hokum. *Side note: Christian Svensson should play Charles Bronson in any biopic. He resembles the late actor and has a similar cadence when he speaks.*

We give this one a 4 out of 4 for overall entertainment value and a full 5 points for the twists. We will not mention the CGI ship sinking. Death and other Details is still streaming on Hulu. Check it out and see what you think.