Sharp Objects: Final Thoughts

I've resisted reviewing Sharp Objects for the two next-to-last episodes until the finale, because, well I wanted to see how it turned out.  (Spoilers ahead.)

Amma and her friends are revealed as the murderers of the girls - the murder that brought Camille to town - and I'm not particularly happy with that revelation, or the way it was shoe-horned in as a coda.  It's not that I don't think Amma and her friends couldn't have done that - they certainly could - but one of the planks of the investigation has been that it required a man's strength to extract those teeth.  The twist that it not a woman, but more than one woman, strikes me as clever but weak.  Wouldn't a smart detective like Richard have thought of that?

And speaking of Richard, I didn't like how Camille jumped so quickly in bed with Natalie's brother.  I get that this at least was in part designed to show us how hurt and vulnerable she is to anyone who shows her affection.  But, I don't know, it happened too fast, with almost no build-up or prelude.

Back to the murder - I suggested Adora's husband early in my reviews, and I still think he makes the most sense.  He has a man's strength and the motive of protecting Adora. All that was needed to make this work was something that the two victims had over Adora.   Not hard to find or imagine, given that she was all about Munchausening her daughters by proxy.

But hey, I didn't write this, and I assume the TV series adhered to the story in the novel.  Fine acting all around, especially Amy Adams as Camille.  But I can well understand why she said no to reprising the role in a second season.

See also: Sharp Objects 1 and 2: Serial Tennessee Williams ... Sharp Objects #3: Lateral ... Sharp Objects #4: "You Can't Change History" ... Sharp Objects #5: Men in Badges

Sharp Objects 1 and 2: Serial Tennessee Williams

Catching up with the first two episodes of Sharp Objects, the limited summer series on HBO.  It's distantly reminiscent of True Detective and Broadchurch, with a little Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and even "Eleanor Rigby" thrown in (one of the victims had a spider which she kept "in a jar by the door").

The victims are either two or three, depending on how you look at it.  One girl murdered, one girl missing for starters - she turns up a dead - and another who died a while ago.  She's the younger sister of the lead character, Camille Preaker, compellingly played by Amy Adams.  Camille's a reporter in St. Louis, assigned by her editor (always good to see Miguel Sandoval) to investigate the case of two girls in her home town, the fictitious Wind Gap, near Tennessee.

Camille comes loaded with problems, which likely came mostly from the loss of her sister.  She's an alcoholic and she cuts herself.  And it's unclear if she knows how and why her sister died - we certainly don't.  It could've been suicide, murder, accident, or death by natural causes.  The only thing we can likely rule out is death from old age.

So Sharp Objects is first and foremost a whodunit, and there are plenty of suspects.  The fathers of the two murdered girls are always possibilities, and the father of the first, well played by Will Chase, is clearly some kind of sub rosa psycho (now we see why Will left Nashville, which will conclude its run next week).   In addition to Camille, Detective Willis (played by Chris Messina - good to see him back after The Newsroom) has been called in to help by local police chief Vickery (Matt Craven). 

So who's my best guess for the killer at this early point?  I'd say Alan (Henry Czerny, notable in The Tudors), who's Camille's stepfather.  Why?  I don't know.  It's not a woman, because it's been established that the killer was too strong.  The character played by Will Chase (Bob Nash) is too obvious, I like Detective Willis, Chief Vickery seems harmless enough, and something about Alan - maybe those big earphones he always has on - bothers me.

Anyway, good dark - and sharp - mystery here.  And I'll be back with more.