Based on Agatha Christie’s 1929 novel “The Seven Dials Mystery” and adapted for television by Chris Chibnall (of “Broadchurch” fame), Netflix’s “Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials” is a solid murder-mystery offering a peek into 20th-century aristocracy, centered on a plucky antagonist. While the series isn’t as thrilling as viewers may hope, the engaging performances and several of the less trite twists and turns work well enough.
“Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials” opens in Spain in 1920. A middle-aged man walks into the middle of a bullfighting ring. As the man turns to leave, all of the gates shut, and a bull comes roaring toward the center, bludgeoning the man to death. Flashing forward to 1925, Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce) and her widowed mother, Lady Caterham (Helena Bonham Carter), have rented out their sweeping English country estate to a millionaire and his wife. In true 1920s flapper flair, Bundle is swept away in the fun and delight of a party being held at the estate. She chats with old friends, flirts, and dances with Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchreest), her late older brother’s best friend. Unfortunately, Bundle and Gerry’s burgeoning romance ends before it really begins. The next morning, when he fails to come down to breakfast, Bundle and the rest of the guests find him dead in bed. Adding to the peculiarity of the situation are the seven alarm clocks placed ever so carefully on his fireplace mantel.
Though the police initially rule Gerry’s death as accidental, Bundle isn’t so sure. Defying her mother and Scotland Yard’s Superintendent Battle (Martin Freeman), Bundle embarks on her own investigation, opening a Pandora’s box of revelations that are far more dangerous, murderous and puzzling than she anticipated.
“Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials” isn’t exceptional, but it’s still a fun ride. McKenna-Bruce is delightful as the pint-sized self-proclaimed detective determined to do whatever is possible to find out what happened to her friend. A few of the clues unveiled in “Seven Dials” are more obvious than others, but there are just enough surprises to make the series worthwhile. However, with a three-episode season, it seems odd that Chibnall chose to adapt the story for television rather than edit it down to a two-hour film. A tighter runtime would likely have solved the pacing issue that burdened the show’s opener, “Bundle of Love,” in particular.
The humor embedded in the story, despite some sobering plotlines, keeps things afloat, especially when the narrative becomes repetitive. From the numerous alarms set to awaken Gerry to the horrifying marriage proposal Bundle receives, “Seven Dials” is full of slick jokes and hearty laughs.
Yet the first episode drags on a bit, laying a ton of groundwork and backstory before the proper investigation begins. And the whodunit aspect of the show doesn’t quite work: Halfway through Episode 2, “Battle Commences,” most viewers will likely determine the main culprit behind Gerry Wade’s untimely demise. Still, the final main reveal was a cheeky surprise that even the most engaged viewer might not see coming.
Overall, “Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials” is just fine. Though Episode 3, “The Finger Points,” is by far the strongest, the show is highly bingeable, with a fun setting and location, and allows an unlikely protagonist to drive the narrative and the series’ perspective. While the story itself may have been stronger in a film format, the performances by Freeman, Bonham Carter and McKenna-Bruce are enticing enough to keep the viewer engaged. Should Netflix greenlight a second season — as the show’s ending indicates it might — more shocking revelations would undoubtedly boost the storyline. Hopefully, Bundle finds herself involved in something so grandiose and gripping that the evidence presented will warrant a truly riveting climax.
“Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials” is now streaming on Netflix.
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