Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Starring: Dave Mitchell, Anna Maxwell Martin, Dipo Ola, Sophie Willan, Dorothy Atkinson, Ralph Ineson
Where to watch: BBC One
To watch or not to watch: Ooo… this is a fun watch. It is a comic-mystery and it is so much fun!!!
John Taylor (Dave Mitchell) is a master puzzle maker who lives in his childhood home, has a specific routine that needs to be followed (similar to Sheldon Cooper), has no close friends and has been estranged from his twin brother and his family for a few years now. His twin brother is named James Taylor, who is a successful DCI with Cambridge constabulary, is married to Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin) and has a teenage son. Lucy, John and James used to be friends since they were 5 years old, and it is hinted that John had a crush on Lucy. Anyway, background now complete, James has disappeared without a conspicuous trace, and Lucy enlists John’s help – in that she wants John to impersonate his brother at the constabulary and find out what happened to him. A highly reluctant John does as he is told (he is a stickler for rules) but soon finds out entwined in regular police work, aka a murder mystery, which he finds out to be quite similar to solving puzzles which he incidentally thoroughly enjoys. With this is the overarching mystery of disappearance of his brother.
It is difficult to choose from where to begin singing praises about this series. David Mitchell and this role is a match custom made in Olympus (if Gods were flawless entities). He brings the totally-social-inept-and-out-of-depth character to fore most adequately. That in addition to what the God gave him – a highly expressive face, a physique to complement this character and the over-all look, and this makes it one of the best actor-character matches. The writing is also top notch, the script used puzzle solving into play which is a newish twist to this genre. Anna Maxwell is good too, but somehow she fails to convey the worry of a wife with a missing husband. But her character Lucy is an inspiration – she is a force of nature who would do what is necessary to figure out the disappearance and not be a despondent figure looking for a knight. The British know how to write a strong female character right.
There are plenty of comic-mystery series out there. What sets Ludwig apart is the clever writing. The puzzle solving aspect of it brings out the sleuth in all of us. Comparing the tools of the trade – DMV or arrest records, which are not usually accessible to common public, versus a puzzle which are accessible to people (might also interest some of the people) and it is not geographically limiting. Makes the series interesting in the mystery and the solving modus operandi. Not to mention the comedy sprinkled through the series coming mostly from Mitchell’s character and his social ineptness. It is rarely done this accurately. All in all, a must watch and still holds for repeat viewing.
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