TV REVIEW | ‘Safe,’ a binge-watchable crime drama





Michael Hall and Amy-James Kellly. Photo by Red Productions.
Where in the world is Jenny? She hasn’t been herself since this morning, she attends a wild party, then poof! Gone girl. The missing teenage girl is the driving force behind French-British Netflix original drama series “Safe,” written by New York Times bestselling crime author Harlan Coben.

Widowed surgeon Tom Delaney (Michael C. Hall of “Dexter”) is still suffering from PTSD due to his wife’s death when life hits hard again: his eldest daughter, 15-year-old Jenny (Amy James-Kelly), goes missing.

Sure, it’s another missing case drama, but the mystery will keep you streaming the entire 6 available episodes on Netflix. (The two last episodes will arrive May 31).

What makes “Safe” binge-watchable is how fun it is to solve the puzzle, as it leaves trails of clues that will tease the inner detective in you. If you fancy yourself a crime investigator, the show makes you believe you’re right, only to surprise you that you’re not, but makes you feel giddy for being close enough to solving the crime.

It’s a convoluted mystery, as Jenny’s disappearance is warped by interconnected characters with their own dark secrets. The setting is an upper-class gated community in suburban England, and as Tom follows lead after lead by interviewing his wealthy neighbors, it keeps you hinged and equally unsettled, sharing Tom’s frustration and determination.

Hall is compelling as a tortured father adamant in finding his daughter through a labyrinth in his own mysterious neighborhood, with his friends and neighbors harboring their own secrets. He is a compelling presence, brooding, cynical, and guilty. And you find yourself sharing his questions and suspicions, giving you a kind of satisfaction for your analytical mind.

Tom’s new girlfriend Sophie (Amanda Abbington) happens to be a crime detective herself, who pursues to case of the missing Jenny. It doesn’t feel convenient, but actually makes the plot thicker. Her partner, a way younger detective named Emma (Hannah Arterton), fresh from the city, gives us a substantial perspective of an outsider.

A bunch of colorful characters with their own drama thrown into the mix make the mystery more intriguing, with the show not losing sight of its main plot: why the heck did Jenny decide not to come home? Is she in some trouble? Or does she have an important agenda? As an added bonus, it’s a visual delight to get a glimpse of various affluent homes and their taste in interior decor.

Never mind the show’s “comic relief,” the Marshall Family—the series’ single humorous element. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work, This awkward shtick is eye-rolling. But, overall, the absorbing and entertaining “Safe” is a nice option if you need to take a break from “13 Reasons Why.”

4 out of 5 stars
Now streaming on Netflix (Premiered May 10, 2018)

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