Welcome to Nantucket, where the rich, fabulous and (mostly) obnoxious are getting set for a wedding. The night before Tag and Greer Winbury (our so-called perfect couple) are throwing a lavish rehearsal dinner for their son and his bride to be. Everything seems perfect, but the next day a dead body is found, and before anyone can say I do, the police need to know who did it. The wedding may not happen, but it could still be the event of the season as secrets are bound to be exposed.
This is the basic premise for The Perfect Couple, the latest limited series from Netflix. It’s a mildly entertaining ride that combines mystery, with some over-the-top soap opera-ish cliches and the occasional lack of plot logic. The Perfect Couple plays out like a lot of these types of shows. It has no interest in being a hard-hitting mystery and seeks mainly to entertain with the antics of the absurdly wealthy when their lives are turned upside down.
Naturally, the list of suspects is immediately whittled down to just the Winbury family and a couple close friends. I guess it’s the type of murder that could only be committed by the most privileged and self-indulgent. That’s convenient for the investigation. Of course, every suspect has a secret (or four) that has nothing to do with the murder but, to protect the secret, they lie and act in such a way that they make themselves obvious suspects. In many cases, the character’s actions feel forced in order to create suspects, and the more you learn, the less some actions make sense.
I suppose it is the script that really holds back The Perfect Couple. It works overtime to manufacture drama and suspense, rather than relying on a good story or mystery to do it. Some of the moments are so ridiculous that you’ll wonder how they got in the script in the first place. There are many instances where events that no bearing on the narrative have been added in a misguided attempt to add some tension. Again, a lot of it feels forced, and it gets frustrating after a few episodes.
A better mystery would have helped a lot as well. Or at least a better investigation into the murder. The police aren’t the bumbling Keystone Cops type, but they don’t seem particularly on the ball either. I think they were just hoping someone would confess. Anytime they had what they thought was hard evidence it was always easily explained away. That’s how you tell this story though. Each interrogation is just a way to show another portion the victim’s last night until the true killer is revealed. It’s not bad, but you begin to clearly see all the red herrings, and your investment in the mystery fades.
For the most part, the episodes are paced rather well, and I suppose that kept me on the positive side. Also, it’s only 6 episodes, and like a good guest, the series does not overstay its welcome. I did binge the series in one day, and while I would not have classified the show as great, I was obviously in no hurry to turn it off either. And I have to say I did love the shots of Nantucket. The cinematography really is beautiful. I suspect my salary doesn’t have enough zeroes to afford a place in Nantucket, but I hope to visit one day and immediately be asked to leave.
The Perfect Couple is fluff, and that’s okay. Fluff does have its place. It is an entertaining enough watch when you can’t find something else to watch, or you don’t want to be involved in anything too deep or dark. I would have preferred a better mystery and less family antics, but I enjoyed it enough (although just barely). If you’re looking for something light to watch, this could be for you. But you don’t need to rush to get to it.
Have you seen The Perfect Couple? Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.