Susan Granger’s review of “Death and Other Details” (Hulu)
Murder mysteries abound – there’s reality-based (“Tracker”), British-derived (“Criminal Record”), occult (“Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale”), star-propelled (“True Detective: Night Country”), animated (“Grimsburg”), along with “Griselda,” “Fool Me Once” and “The Brothers Sun.”
Which is why Hulu’s 10-episode series “Death and Other Details,” created by Mike Weiss and Heidi Cole McAdams, strives to be a bit different, unearthing the generational secrets of internationally powerful families.
Set in the Mediterranean Sea on the luxurious S.S. Verona yacht, the plot focuses on Imogene Scott (Violett Beane), the prime suspect in a locked-room murder mystery. A prologue explains that – when Imogene was 10 years-old – her mother died suspiciously. Although world-famous British detective Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) was summoned, he’s been unable to crack the case.
Now 28, Imogene is on-board with the wealthy Collier family who took her in after her mother’s tragic demise. Patriarchal Lawrence Collier (David Marshall Grant) is retiring and Imogen’s best-friend, Anna Collier (Lauren Patten), is ready to become CEO of Collier Mills, a textile company.
Shortly after embarkation, boorish passenger Keith Trubitsky (Michael Gladis) is found dead in his cabin, a harpoon protruding from his belly, Since there’s video footage of Imogene sneaking into his room, she’s immediately under suspicion.
Fortunately, alcoholic/irascible Rufus is also aboard; eager to prove her innocence, Imogene becomes his ad-hoc assistant. “Pay attention,” he lectures her. “Details matter…If you want to solve a crime, you must first learn to see through the illusion.”
Other passengers include Mrs. Collier (Jayne Atkinson), the Colliers’ lawyer (Jere Burns), Anna’s neurotic wife Leila (Pardis Saremi), her coked-up brother Tripp (Jack Cutmore-Scott), and her ex, Eleanor Chun (Karoline), part of the uber-rich Chun family that’s brokering a billion-dollar deal with Collier Mills.
Plus the ship’s owner (Rahul Kohli), security chief (Hugo Diego Garcia), hospitality head (Angela Zhou), Governor of Washington (Tamberla Perry), Interpol agent (Linda Emond), Father Toby (Danny Johnson) with his 14-year-old son That Derek (Sincere Wilbert) – and an elusive criminal mastermind, Viktor Sams.
Figure in the use of the poisonous pigment Captionem Blue in manufacturing, blackmail, deception and more murders – all dramatically over-the-top, derivative and unevenly paced. So whodunnit? As this less-than-compelling, Agatha Christie-stylized detective series drags on, I’m not sure I care.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Death and Other Details” is a shallow, mildly suspenseful 6 – with its concluding episode scheduled for March 5th on Hulu.
