WHY DIDN’T THEY ASK EVANS? (2022) – Agatha Christie lite
Rating: ⭐⭐
Here is the latest TV adaptation of another Agatha Christie murder mystery. It’s rather teasing and mysterious title are actually the dying words of man who fell off a cliff by the coast, presumably murdered. The person he uttered these words to was Bobby Jones (played by Will Poulter) who was caddying in a golf course nearby overlooking the scenic coast. From there, Bobby together with his girlfriend Lady Frankie Derwent (played by Lucy Boynton) unravels the mystery of the words and answer the obligatory question ”whodunit?”.
This does not have the benefit of the theatrics of Agatha Christie’s famed detective Hercules Poirot or Miss Marple, the gentle motherly sleuth of so many of Christie’s novels. Instead, Bobby and Lady Frankie take over the detective work as a pair of amateur snoops. They are aided by a script that is wittier than usual and manage to exhibit some level of innocent charm and PG-13 chemistry between them. But somehow this light hearted approach to the whole course of the story may be doing the series an injustice. The consequence of this being we do not feel any sense of real danger to befall on our pair of unlikely heroes. As is in its eventual conclusion where they will no doubt be able to solve the mystery and twists. The level of detective work here is also kept to a rather simplistic level. I felt like I was watching an older version of Nancy Drew collaborating with one of the Hardy Boys.
Spread over 3 hour long episodes, the series pacing did not feel rushed except for when it was most crucial, at the end, where all the loose ends are explained. Which is a pity because it felt like a bit of let down and unsatisfying closure especially after having investing the time to reach its conclusion.
I really wanted to like “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” and emerge myself in another Christie whodunit escapade. Unfortunately, this new series didn’t quite hit the mark. It is an uneven adaptation that is occasionally fun at best but not consistently riveting enough.
