This post contains spoilers for “Ordeal by Innocence.”
The contrast between optimistic vault dweller Lucy (Ella Purnell) and the vast, ruthless wasteland in “Fallout” is a major strength wielded by the Prime Video series. Purnell’s expressive eyes convey tender hope, which is repeatedly squashed during her journey through the post-nuclear landscape marked with a range of horrific threats. At one point, these same eyes narrow in rage, as Lucy isn’t afraid to answer unprompted cruelty with a similarly-tinted sentiment. This dichotomy makes Lucy a complex “Fallout” protagonist, as she can now find her footing while no longer being blinded by unfettered empathy or sheltered delusion. Years before “Fallout,” Purnell played another character who wears her emotions on her sleeve — the tragic Hester Argyle in BBC One’s rendition of Agatha Christie’s “Ordeal by Innocence.”
This 1958 Christie novel didn’t exactly fly off the shelves on release, as dedicated fans of the author were unsure about the uneven psychological facets of this intriguing detective fiction. The novel opens with Geophysicist Arthur Calgary arriving at a former crime scene, where a certain Rachel Argyle was bludgeoned to death two years ago. While Rachel’s son Jacko was accused of the crime (and died in prison shortly after), Calgary claims that Jacko was innocent, as he realized a little too late that he himself was the man’s alibi that night. The Argyle family remains unamused by this revelation, but the possibility of the murderer still being at large propels the events towards a fresh police investigation.
This initial premise alone is great for a limited series format, which BBC One’s “Ordeal by Innocence” greatly benefits from. While there is a lot to love here, a three-part story also means overstuffed arcs, which are further bogged down by characters who have little to offer except the fact that they’re all morally questionable. While such moral vacuums can undoubtedly be interesting, “Ordeal by Innocence” relies a bit too much on a stacked cast (Matthew Goode! Bill Nighy! Alice Eve! Anna Chancellor!) instead of channeling some energy into etching memorable characters.
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Ordeal by Innocence is overstylized at the cost of an effective detective story
Phillip and Mary Durrant cope with the Calgary reveal in Ordeal by Innocence – BBC One
While Christie’s book opens with Calgary’s point of view (with a lot of emphasis on his guilt and inaction), the show opens with Jack (Anthony Boyle) being accused of brutally killing his mother, Rachel (Chancellor). Jack dies in prison 18 months later, but these tragic events do not deter Rachel’s husband, Leo (Nighy), from getting engaged to his former secretary, Gwenda (Eve), soon after. The rest of the Argyll kids, including Purnell’s Hester, are utterly devastated by the tragedy, but they’re forced to endure the presence of a new maternal figure who gets easily upset during conversations. Just when they think that things cannot get worse, a stranger named Calgary (Luke Treadaway) arrives at their doorstep, claiming that Jack might’ve been innocent all along.
Director Sandra Goldbacher makes some enthusiastic changes to Christie’s source material, but most of them feel tacked on, as they rarely mesh well with the existing premise. You see, Christie’s characters in “Ordeal by Innocence” are deeply flawed, but are ultimately deserving of situational sympathy despite not being the best fathers or daughters. The BBC series paints almost every character as despicable, and genuine concerns of the story devolve into melodrama pretty quickly, making it difficult to root for anyone. We know that Rachel’s murderer lurks among these familiar faces, but almost everyone seems capable of such a heinous act at some point. In most cases, such moral ambiguity becomes urgent fuel for a well-woven whodunnit, but the BBC rendition fails to make good use of it.
It goes without saying that those partial to Christie’s original might find the altered identity of the killer distasteful or unconvincing, but BBC’s “Ordeal by Innocence” does have a few tricks up its sleeve. The production design is truly spectacular, with the Argyll manor looming over the events like a vivid, oversaturated feast to the senses. But this same opulence isn’t reflected in the story, especially in one that is marked with great performances across the board.
For those looking for a decent-ish mystery (bonus points if you haven’t read Christie’s novel), I do believe “Ordeal by Innocence” is worth a shot to fulfill your whodunnit needs. Alternatively, you could power through three perfect Christie adaptations that cement the timeless appeal of her works instead.
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