Created by Poppy Cogan – Based on the novel by Holly Jackson – Starring Emma Myers, Zain Iqbal, Asha Banks, Raiko Gohara, and Henry Ashton
After solving the mystery surrounding Andie Bell, Pip Fitz-Amobi is trying to deal with the consequences of everything she uncovered when a new mystery pulls her back into another investigation.
I enjoyed the first season of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. There was something fun about watching an unassuming teenager decide she was going to solve a murder, but what really kept me interested was the mystery itself.
Pip’s (Emma Myers) investigation kept sending her down different roads. One lead would dry up. A new one would appear. Secrets would pile up. Suspects were everywhere and everyone seemed to be hiding something.
That also made returning for season two a little difficult. There were so many characters and connections that I spent part of the premiere trying to remember exactly who everyone was and how they fit together.
There’s something very British about the whole thing. Little Kilton is the kind of small town where everyone seems to know everyone, but no one is particularly eager to tell you what they’re thinking. Underneath that familiarity is an impressive collection of crimes and generally terrible behavior. Throw a group of teenagers into the middle of all of it and you have much of what makes the series fun.
Season two also has plenty of unfinished business from the first mystery. Max Hastings (Henry Ashton) is facing trial for the sexual assaults uncovered last season, while Pip is dealing with the fallout from everything her investigation exposed. Her friend Cara (Asha Banks) is living with the fact that her father is now in prison, and Pip carries some guilt over the damage solving the case caused to people around her.
The premiere seems poised to use that fallout to explore some bigger questions about sexual assault, survivors, forgiveness and what justice looks like after the truth comes out.
Pip solved the mystery, but the premiere makes it clear that getting the answers didn’t make the damage go away. That gives Emma Myers more emotional weight to carry this time around.
Meanwhile, the episode takes its time revealing exactly what the new mystery is going to be. It throws out a few possibilities along the way, adding a bit of tension and suspense.
Season two looks like it’s going for heavier themes, an escalation in stakes, and another complicated mystery for Pip to solve.
TV Verdict: Worth Watching
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