Netflix - Fool Me Once

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

Has anyone read any of his books? If so are they better than this adaptations

Yes.
No.

I only watched this because I’d read the book years ago and remembered that it was quite stupid and far-fetched but couldn’t recall the finer details.

And it turns out it was even stupider and more far-fetched than I remembered.

 

[Pontiac_Bandit]

Must just be me -- I think Adeel is a lousy actor. Hated him in everything & I couldn't stand his "I'm on to you" face in FMO, it's all very drama school.

Ohh I love Adeel - he always looks so weary and fed up with the world bless him, I was surprised he's only 43!! I first saw him in Four Lions when he played a dim terrorist who covered his beard with his hands to pretend to be a woman, and am always happy to spot him in stuff since then!

 

[Bagpuss20]

We love Emmett Scanlon in our house but he needs to keep his facial hair in future.
We've got a few episodes left to watch- ive got some ideas but its very odd and I'm very dissapointed by the lack of screentime the beautiful Richard Armitage has.
He's written a crime novel himself 'Geneva' which is quite good and I could see netflix picking up

 

[Iamonlyhereforthetea]

We binged it today and really enjoyed it. Few twists along the way that we didn’t expect. Would recommend

 

[princesspiexoxoxox]

On episode 3. I love Harlan Coben series

 

[Sea]

I really enjoyed it and was gripped, but a lot of it didn't make sense, as mentioned Shane, nanny cam,
First acting role I've seen of Michelle, and I didn't think she was great - same bored face and dead eyes like Suranne Jones. I would have liked to see her look gritty looking (not because gorgeous women can't act but it might have given her acting more depth).
Not enough of Richard Armitage!
And Lily had a baby young 21?

 

[Restless Native]

She looks quite good in this btw more natural looking than I thought

 

[Furrytriangle]

Me too. I think she’s had them pinned back

Funny shape and they’ve not done a good job. Also, what’s with the random earrings and not matching - not a fan.

Ps you’re bloody everywhere and I love it

 

[Rosie glow]

I really enjoyed it too i sometimes struggle keeping up with a series as I loose interest half way through but this definitely kept me gripped
Michelle is not a terrible actress but I dont think she fitted this role I know she's 36 irl but she looked too young and fresh faced (the botox) to play a character that had been through what she had
Yes there were plot holes and I have questions but overall it was good
Also didn't get the half brother sub plot seemed a bit shoe horned in? Was there more to that character as he just seemed to cover across as a bit creepy, and the 18 years later scene didn't bring anything to the story either why did the detective go and see lily in the hospital? How would he have known her? Like they were old friends?
It came across as they only put that scene in so lily could call the baby maya
I wonder how true to the book the story was

 

[Jas19/2]

To be fair, most murder mystery stories have several red herrings and plotlines that don't end up being linked directly to the murder. It's to make the list of suspects larger to keep you guessing. That's why the half-brother storyline felt a bit pointless; you're meant to think "ahh that was exactly what it seemed after all".

I don't think it was amazing but I enjoyed it for what it was. It kept me fairly gripped and guessing. I agree the sidekick detective fell flat. The aim was probably for a 'jokey' character to be in contrast to the main detective, but he just ended up being annoying. It made me think of Midsomer Murders which is meant to be part comedy whereas Fool Me Once is supposed to be serious.

Yeah it’s like modsomer murders on steroids Uber hyped up

 

[MrsBouvier]

I'm keen to watch more of them for the entertainment value - is there one you'd recommend as less shit than the rest?!

Stay Close is the best of the ones I’ve seen.

The Stranger is OK, I guessed the twists early on but liked Richard Armitage in it.

I just finished Safe yesterday - not a fan, I didn’t really care about any of the characters so didn’t care what happened to any of them.

I might try some of the foreign language ones - I think the one in French is supposed to be good.

 

[Lioness1]

Just finished episode 4 and as mentioned above, already feel like it’s dragging out. Still enjoying it so will catch up with the rest tonight.

 

[under the ivy]

These reviews are making me laugh

 

[Jjjg]

I liked it, kept me interested to see who did it. Which I was surprised. However there were unneeded plot points and things I disliked.

I don't think the secret nephew and ex plot was needed, she didn't even meet the new nephew before the end. Would have made sense to have him mentioned to coming to visit the baby in the flash forward.

 

[Pissmist]

The ill, piss poor detective and that shitty acting goon sidekick of his were abysmal, added nothing to the investigation

The half brother and the ex - why? Zero relevance to the storyline

Emmett Scanlan - total waste of character, didn't explain his shifty ways at night, tagging her car. I put it down as him being a bit obsessed with her

I found the pharmaceutical botched pills storyline stupid, and out of all the big pharmas in the world, the detective happened to be using the pills from the family.

And what happened if Keegan couldn't be arsed checking the nanny cam, there wouldn't be a series at all.

I think it's time to give these Coben series to bed, they're mediocre at best.

Good summary, You've captured most of what I was going to say.

The sidekick detective was OTT and added nothing.
The actions of the main detective in the last episode would have had serious consequences for him and he certainly wouldn't have been reinstated. (Maybe they did have consequences, we don't really know.)

Her decision that got her kicked out of the army was stupid, and from her vantage point and with the heat she was packing, she could have waited to see how events panned out rather than acting when she did. Her sacking was justified.

 

[Mark81]

She's better than in Ten Pound Poms, but her face is frozen and so many actresses would have been better in the part.

It's OK but it's dragged out and is one of the weaker adaptions. A lot in the middle was just background noise in the end for me
---
Final episode is good actually.

 

[hehehe]

Ohh I love Adeel - he always looks so weary and fed up with the world bless him, I was surprised he's only 43!! I first saw him in Four Lions when he played a dim terrorist who covered his beard with his hands to pretend to be a woman, and am always happy to spot him in stuff since then!

Oh I forgot Four Lions, loved that!

43? That's fucked up, he looks 60.

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

Great article which I think sums up these shows

The Harlan Coben universe has become the greasy takeaway of TV

Netflix has just greenlit another two shows from the crime writer behind Fool Me Once. But how much is too much?

www.gq-magazine.co.uk

“The greasy takeaway of tv” - exactly my view of these bloody awful yet weirdly irresistible programmes!:

Yep. These things are always like eating a shitload of junk food: seems like a good idea at the time, but afterwards you feel a bit ‘bluergh’ and irritated at yourself for being so weak and not seeking out a better use of your time.

 

[laughing]

She dumped her kid, who's father had just been murdered on anyone who was just around to run of and find the killer of her husband and her sister.

Spoiler

knowing of course who carried out the killings. Both of them

 

[Tinkerbell cat]

Seeing him without his Brendan moustache is weird for me

Yes definitely! Did a double take if it was him or not!