Zoe Klipstein

This starts out with some interesting themes. Clive Owen-no Bogart he- is acceptable and one has to question why Sam Spade is being moved to France. It's a reach, but Ok, Lots of characters, lots of red herrings and there is a female British agent who almost steals the show. Nuns get murdered, shocking, Sam has a flashback marriage with a lovely French aristocrat. There is an orphan girl who may or may not be Sam's daughter with Bridget O Shaunnesy-where have you gone Mary Astor? And there is a brilliant Muslim child who knows codes and is the nexus of the whole plot. Then comes Episode Six. Sam is the detective, the summer upper. But in the last and terrible Agatha Christie scene, Sam is left in numb silence, out of frame while Alfre Woodard-normally a great actress-playing some super agent who knows everything, explains the whole ridiculous plot. What? It is deflating when a show builds and builds in suspense and character and implodes in on itself.. That is what happens here.