Latest / Cozy Comfort Club Podcast / Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence (2026): First Impressions | Is It TOO Different? | BritBox

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Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence (2026): First Impressions | Is It TOO Different? | BritBox · Cozy Comfort Club Podcast

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Cozy Comfort Club,
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: the podcast where we talk about comfort movies,
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: cozy stories and the little moments that make them memorable.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Leah,
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: a stay at home mom of three,
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: a lifelong lover of cozy stories and someone
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: who can spend way too much time thinking about fictional characters
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: and why they make the choices they do.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoy cozy mysteries and period dramas,
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: character-driven stories,
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: and comfort TV with a little emotional depth, you are definitely in the right place.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Here, I talk about how stories feel,
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: I share what worked,
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: what didn't,
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: and even the moments that made me side-eye a character,
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: all so you know what's worth adding to your watch list.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: And instead of doing my normal cozy catch-up today,
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: I have a little Cozy Comfort Club announcement at the end of today's episode.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: I've been working on something for fall,
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: happy fall by the way, and I'm really excited to finally share it with y'all.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: It has to do with keeping track of everything we're watching and reading.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: And so I want you to stick around until the end of the episode
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: because I'll tell you all about it.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: But first, let's get into Tommy and Tuppence.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, before I get into what I actually thought about these first two episodes,
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: let's go over a little background on the series because there's quite a bit
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: to know here.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: So Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence is a new BritBox original.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: That premiered in the U.S. and in Canada on September 15th of 2026.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's a six-episode series with the episodes running roughly 42 to 47 minutes each.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: BritBox officially describes it as a six-part contemporary adaptation of Aggies.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: And here's something really important if you're watching along with me.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: BritBox premiere subscribers get early access.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: If you're like me, I don't pay for premiere.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: I just have standard.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: And on standard,
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: BritBox released two episodes on September 15th,
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: episode one and two, followed by the regular weekly release that will be coming.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: So basically every Tuesday.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: So think of BritBox Premiere as like their version of what PBS does with Passport
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: where some viewers can get ahead of the regular release schedule.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm a little bitter about that because I really wanted
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: to watch episode three now so I could have even more to discuss
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: for our first impressions.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Now the series stars Antonio Thomas as Tuppence Cowley and Josh Dillon
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: as Tommy Beresford with Imelda Staunton as Aunt Ada.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: And y'all already know I have plenty to say about all three of them.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: The series was filmed in London, which makes sense once you see it.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Britbox announced when production began that filming was taking place there and
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: the adaptation itself is set in Hampstead.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I have to mention the books because Tommy and Tuppence have been around for a long time.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: So they first appeared in Agatha Christie's novel,
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: The Secret Adversary, which was originally published in 1922.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: It was only Christie's second novel,
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: and it introduced Tommy and Tuppence as two young people looking for excitement
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: who end up getting themselves involved in something much bigger than they expected.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: And this wasn't their only adventure.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Christie continued writing Tommy and Tuppence stories over the course of her career
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: with four novels and one short story collection that featured the pair.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what's really interesting about this new version is that it isn't trying to recreate 1922.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: This is a contemporary adaptation.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: So actually,
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: in fact,
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Brit Box and Agatha Christie Limited,
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: they describe it
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: as their first contemporary English language television series adaptation
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: of Christie's stories.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: So we're taking characters who were created more than 100 years ago and
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: then we're dropping them into modern day London.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: And that is where I really became curious because after reading most of
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: The Secret Adversary and then watching an earlier adaptation,
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: I did want to know how much of Tommy and Tuppence would still feel like Tommy
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: and Tuppence once you bring them into 2026.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: And that brings me to what I expected going into this series.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now, before starting this new adaptation,
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: I did do a little homework because I wanted to have some kind of context for
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: who Tommy and Tuppence are supposed to be.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: So like I said, I've read most of The Secret Adversary, which is the first part.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I also watched a 1983 TV adaptation.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the things that really stood out to me was that in the book,
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Tommy and Tuppence are very different.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: So Tuppence is very extroverted.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: She's quick wit.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: She knows how to use her personality and her people skills to kind of charm her way
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: through these situations.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: And there's this level of confidence and energy about her that makes it really fun to follow.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: He's more unassuming and very matter of fact.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's part of why they work so well together.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: Kind of like a it's kind of like a yin and yang situation where one
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: of them lacks something and then the other one tends to make up for it.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: And so going into this 2026 series,
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: that was probably one of the biggest things I was looking for.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to see that same special connection between them and
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: if they could capture those individual personality traits that make Tommy
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: and Tuppets feel unique.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: And then,
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: of course,
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: we have the decision to move Agatha Christie into this contemporary setting.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: So, I mean,
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: at this point,
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: I think I'm pretty used to seeing Christie adapted across different time periods.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: So the modern setting itself wasn't something that bothered me.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: But here's where things can get a little tricky.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: You're dealing with Agatha Christie fans and book lovers,
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: and we all know how book people can get
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: when you start changing their favorite characters.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: And if you happen to be an Agatha Christie fan who also firmly believes that
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: the book is always better than the movie or the series,
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: You are really walking into dangerous territory.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, the question wasn't really how dare they modernize Agatha Christie.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: It was more like,
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: can you modernize Tommy and Tuppence while still keeping the things
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: that made it special in the first place?
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: Because you can change the So one thing I noticed while reading
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: The Secret Adversary is that Tommy and Tuppence aren't really presented
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: as this traditional romantic pairing.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: They're a little odd, a little bit eccentric in my opinion.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: Even the way Christy describes them physically makes them feel a little different
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: from what you might expect from like
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: The traditional leading man and leading lady, especially for that post-war period.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this adaptation did find a really interesting way to translate some of
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: that into this contemporary setting.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: And so here we have this interracial couple.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: I really like that choice.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: They're very different from one another,
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: not only in their personalities, but physically, obviously.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: And yet when you put the two of them together,
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: there's something about that contrast that really works.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: And that's part of what makes Tommy and Tuppence special to me.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: They're opposites, but they each bring something different to the cases.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: As far as the casting goes, I really liked Antonia Thomas as Tuppence.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: I think she captures a lot of what I liked about Tuppence in the book.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: It looks different,
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: but it still embodies that she's fun,
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: she's spontaneous,
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: she's charismatic,
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: she's charming,
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: she's creative,
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: and she has that energy where you can definitely believe that she could talk her way
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: into or out of a situation.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: And then Antonia Thomas brings this natural likability to her that really worked for me.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: Josh Dillon as Tommy is where I think I'm a little bit more conflicted.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to be clear, I don't think it's Josh Dillon's acting.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's a great actor.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: Physically...
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: I also think the casting works here.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: There's something about him that does fit the character for me,
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: especially when he's wearing those glasses.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I think my issue is more with how Tommy has been written so far.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: So Book Tommy is calmer, right, and more grounded of the two.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: He's not They're trying to compete with her personality,
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: and I think that's why their dynamic works.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: But he still has a voice.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: And there were a few moments in these first episodes
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: where I felt like Tommy almost became a little too passive.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Tepes would, like, take over the situation.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: And that's not quite how I read him in The Secret Adversary.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, Tuppence is the bigger personality.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: She's bold and impulsive.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: But Tommy being quieter doesn't mean that he's weak.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: In the book, I felt there was a certain confidence and strength underneath.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: And that's the piece that I'm missing a little bit from this version so far.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: But, and this is important, we're only two episodes in.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: We still have four episodes left.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, us basic people in standard.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, BritBox standard.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not making any final judgments about this version of Tommy yet.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: I'm actually hoping that as the series progresses,
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: we get to see him develop a stronger voice and become more of
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: that grounding force right beside Tuppence rather than just following her lead.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I think Antonia Thomas and Josh Dillon visually work together and I can see
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: the potential for that classic Tommy Tuppence yin and yang dynamic.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: I just need the writing to give Tommy a little more room to be Tommy.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, let's get into the actual mystery because the setup hooked me pretty quickly.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: We start at this absolutely beautiful estate.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: We love a good, beautiful estate.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: During a wedding weekend.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: And side note, they have this recent BritBox edition called Great Estates from Above.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's what it's called.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: I watched the first episode.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: I thought it was really interesting.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: But if you love to look at beautiful estates, go watch that one.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, and the theme is Alice in Wonderland.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: So we've got this gorgeous estate, beautiful costumes, beautiful people.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: And underneath all of that, of course, there's something that's about to go terribly wrong.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: So Tuppets is there and she's working as a catered waitress.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: That's her little side hustle.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: And she's a struggling actress who's looking for work.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: And she is currently living in LA, but she's in London looking for work.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: And so Tommy is there as the photographer for the wedding and he's also a guest of the groom.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I really liked the decision to make Tommy a crime novelist and Tuppence
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: an actress because those professions do feel like natural extensions
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: of their personalities from the book.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: So Tuppence is creative.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, she's spontaneous.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I feel like that makes a good and good with people.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like that could make a good actress.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Tommy is more observant and analytical and And making him someone
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: who writes mysteries for a living, it makes sense.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the actual dynamics surrounding the wedding pulled me in pretty quickly, too.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: There's clearly something going on between the bride and the groom and their friends
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: and the bride's father.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: It gives us this, like,
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: little group of people where you're wondering who knows what and
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: who might be hiding something.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: And then, of course, somebody ends up dead.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: So Tatiana, who is dressed as the Queen of Hearts, is having an affair with the room, bingo.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: She's supposed to meet him during the wedding festivities,
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: but instead she's attacked by someone dressed as the White Rabbit.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: And Tuppets is the one who actually finds her.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now here's where things get interesting.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Bingo is also dressed as the White Rabbit.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: So he becomes the obvious suspect and he's arrested for Tatiana's murder.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: But Tommy and Tuppence aren't really convinced that things are that simple.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: And it basically launches them into investigating this murder themselves.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: And now we have a dead mistress.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: A groom that's accused of murder,
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: a bride who just discovered that her husband or her new husband was cheating on her,
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: and a whole group of people with secrets,
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: and then a creepy-ass rabbit running around this estate.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: So now we're in Agatha Christie territory.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: And then there were some really fun little connections to the secret adversary.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: One of the biggest surprises for me was Julius.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: So in the original book, Julius,
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: he's only in the first book,
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: by the way,
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: is this wealthy American who helps Tommy and Tuppence search for his missing cousin.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: And he actually proposes to Tuppence and she turns him down.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: So imagine my surprise when this adaptation was like,
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: okay, Tuppence is married to Julius and he's back in America.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I wasn't expecting that.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: But strangely enough, I didn't dislike it.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: If anything,
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: I was curious about what happened between them and how that's going to factor
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: into Tuppets and Tommy's relationship.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe the wealthy Julius won't be anything like the one from the book.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm also glad that they're pulling recognizable characters and ideas from
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: the book instead of just taking the names,
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: you know, Tommy and Tuppets and then calling it a day.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: And speaking of the secret adversary,
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: did anybody else catch the picture hanging in Tommy's flat?
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: It says Tommy Beresford, the secret adversary.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: I caught that.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: I love those little Easter eggs because you don't have to understand the reference
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: to enjoy the show.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: But if you read the book, it's this fun little wink, right?
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, does the mystery actually feel like Agatha Christie?
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: For me, yes.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, a lot of the Cozy mystery, she's had so much influence.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: This is her genre pretty much.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it definitely feels like it.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Even though While we're in a contemporary setting,
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: the mystery itself still felt like a modern whodunit.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: And one thing I really liked was getting to the reveal and then realizing
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: that there were details that we'd already been shown that I completely overlooked.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: And obviously that's one of the things that we want from And I don't want
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: the solution to feel like something that was randomly pulled out of nowhere.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: I want to get to the end and think, wait, they showed me that.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then suddenly all of these little things you saw throughout the mystery start making sense.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: And there was also some really fun investigation moments between Tommy and Tuppence.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: And one that made me laugh was when they visit Tatiana's workplace.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: And this is random.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: But I just thought about it.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: And the woman at the front desk starts talking about Tatiana's personal life.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: And Tuppets basically, like, she says, let's not slut shame the dead.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know why I thought that was funny.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: That was so modern.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: That was so 2026.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway...
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: That felt like this version of Tuppence.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: I also like how Aunt Ada is incorporated into the investigation.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: She's living in this very posh retirement community,
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: but she's also helping guide her nephew Tommy and Tuppence through the case.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I really like having her as this like experienced voice in the background
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: while these two are just trying to figure out how they're going to do this.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: And then we have the bunny costume.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Y'all, that bunny was sinister.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: And once we realize there are two bunny costumes involved,
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: it becomes an actual clue rather
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: than this creepy looking rabbit wandering all around in Alice in Wonderland.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: I also enjoyed the relationship drama happening underneath the mystery.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: We got this little love square happening among these couples,
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: which gives us more secrets and motives to kind of sort through.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: And let's move along to the pacing.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: For the most part, I thought the pacing was pretty good.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: There were a few moments where things felt almost too straightforward.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: I kept waiting for another big twist or something that would make the mystery feel
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: a little bit more complicated.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: But it never reached that point.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: But also, I wasn't bored.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: It kept my attention.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to know what happened.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: And then the end of episode two happened.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: What happened?
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: What?
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to tell you what happens because we're keeping the actual reveal out
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: of this episode, but I was shocked.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to tell you right now,
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: that ending affected my cozy rating a little bit too,
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: and so we'll get into that later.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: But when episode two ended,
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to press play for episode three,
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: except I couldn't because BritBox decided that if I want to satisfy my need
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: to binge watch, I'm going to have to pay for BritBox premiere.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm mad at BritBox again, but I'm still gonna be watching.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway,
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: for a first impressions episode though,
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a pretty big compliment to say I wanted to watch
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: the next episode immediately.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: Okay,
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: let's talk about Tommy and Tuppence together because obviously their relationship is
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: a huge part of the story.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: And after these first two episodes, I can absolutely say that I believe they're friends.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: Do I completely believe that they have this big romantic history together?
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: Not quite yet.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: From what we've learned about their university days,
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: I got the impression that these were two good friends
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: who probably spent time studying at the library.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: Meanwhile,
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: Tuppence was probably going to every frat party she could find and Tommy was sitting
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: in his dorm room writing and taking himself too seriously and life too seriously.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's the relationship that I believe.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think that's actually what happened,
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: but that's the relationship that I could see in my head based
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: on how they behaved together.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, Antonia Thomas and Josh Dillon had really good friendship chemistry.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: There's a comfort between them that makes me believe
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: that these two have known each other for years.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: I love their banter.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: I love the little casual jokes between them.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: Those are actually some of my favorite.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: I might as well just say TNT moments so far because they feel like two people
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: who really like being around each other.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: Romantically, though, I'm not really sold yet.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I've heard some people say that this adaptation feels more like a rom-com than a mystery.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: But after these first two episodes, I really don't agree with that.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: The potential romance is definitely part of the story,
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: but the mystery still felt like the main event to me.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, do these two have feelings for each other?
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: Duh.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, obviously.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: Every time I looked at Tommy looking at Tuppence, all I could see was the heart eyes emoji.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: Every time.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like, we get it.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: And there is one scene when they're, like, pretending to be a couple and they're holding hands.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: And the reason that they're touching makes complete sense at first.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: And then there's this little moment where they both realize,
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: like, we've been holding hands for just way too long.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, okay, those little moments work, okay?
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's not forcing the romance,
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: but you know that there's something underneath the friendship
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: and nobody's really ready to acknowledge it yet.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: And Tuppence has one pretty significant complication.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: She's still married.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that matters when we're talking about the romantic chemistry,
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: you know, not feeling strong yet because she lives in L.A., technically.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: She's married to Julius.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: And Tommy built his entirely separate life for himself in London.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: So we don't have complete clarity about what exactly is going on with Tuppence's marriage.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: Is that how you would say it?
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: Tuppence's?
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: Tuppence's?
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, whatever.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: You guys get what I mean.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: So there's baggage here.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: And until we understand that baggage, I don't really need TNT to be jumping into some romance.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm rooting for them.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: I want to see where it goes over the next four episodes.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: But right now, I'm much more convinced by TNT, the friends, than TNT, the romantic couple.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, and it could be just a first season thing.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: This might be intentional.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not in the writing room.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just going by all the feels.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not a TV critic.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: I just tell y'all what it feels like.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I know that sometimes it does take actors a couple of episodes
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: to really find their rhythm of their characters and their chemistry together.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I could watch episodes three and four and then go, oh, OK, now I see it.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: But we'll see.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: Speaking of baggage,
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: like Albert said,
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: apparently Tuppence decided to bring hers directly into Tommy's flat
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: because can we talk about how fast these two became flatmates and business partners?
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Good lord,
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: we went from oh hey old university friend to let's solve murders together,
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: start a business and then live together.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: Tommy, you might want to slow this train down a bit and same for you Tuppence,
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: you ain't even divorced yet.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: Calm down.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway,
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: That setup does make me curious about what's coming next because now
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: that these two aren't just like solving a mystery together and they're choosing
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: to build something together, that might be where we finally start seeing TNT.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Is that corny?
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: Tommy and Tuppence.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Their partnership really takes shape.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk about this modernization because the adaptation is very much trying
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: to bring Tommy and Tuppence into right now.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: So we're in contemporary London.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: The show doesn't try to hide that or give us some timeless version of the city.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: We got smartphones and social media and influencers and characters living modern lifestyles.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_00: And then we, I guess we also got the F-bomb.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: Y'all, they dropped the F word quite a bit in these first two episodes.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: And what made me laugh is that for whatever reason,
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: I don't remember hearing nearly as many of the other cuss words.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_00: I think he called her a B, not Tommy, by the way, another person called Tuppets a B.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: But it's kind of like they modernized Agatha Christie and said,
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: all right, everybody gets one favorite word and everybody can drop it.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: It didn't bother me because I don't mind.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: The only reason why I don't cuss on this podcast is because my mom listened to it.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: And not just that, but if you're young, maybe you shouldn't be hearing it.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't know.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: But I've noticed the F-bombs.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're coming from some of the older,
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: more traditional Christie adaptations,
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: hearing these characters casually drop these F-bombs might catch you
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: a little off guard.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: But overall,
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think the result feels less like an Agatha Christie transported directly into 2026
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: and more like a modern mystery that was inspired by Agatha Christie
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: and her characters.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: And to me,
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's where things get a little interesting because psychologically,
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: I think the show might have worked better for me initially if it wasn't called Tommy
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_00: and Tuppence.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: So hear me out.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a big fan of the Tommy and Tuppets books or you watch some of
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: the previous adaptations, you're coming into this with real expectations.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: You already know who you think Tommy is.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: You already know who you think Tuppets is.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know what their relationship feels like.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know their personality.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: You probably have certain things about these characters that you consider important
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: to making them Tommy and Tuppets.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: So when you put those names on a new adaptation,
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_00: People aren't just watching a new mystery series anymore, they're comparing.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's part of what's happening with some of the reactions to this show
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: because if I completely remove the Tommy and Tumpet's name for a second and
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: then imagine this exact same show being released as like a brand new mystery series
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: about two old university friends who reconnect at a wedding,
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: solve a murder together and then become flatmates and decide
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: to start solving crimes together,
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: y'all, we would all probably be eating this up, everybody.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: You have the beautiful British locations in the Alice
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: in Wonderland themed murder mystery and two attractive leads with banter
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: in this posh retirement community and Imelda Stanton helping them solve crimes and
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: a creepy ass bunny.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: That sounds like Something my audience will put on their watch list.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: But once you call it Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence,
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: you're asking people to judge it on two different levels.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: Is this an entertaining mystery series?
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: And is this a good adaptation of Tommy and Tuppence?
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: And those aren't really the same question.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so after two episodes,
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think I'm enjoying it more when I allow myself to look at it as
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: a modern interpretation inspired by these characters rather than expecting it
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: to kind of recreate the characters we already know.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: That doesn't mean I don't want more of the original characters to come through, though.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: I do.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: Especially with Tommy.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: And like I said earlier, I want to see more of that confidence and a stronger voice, right?
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm also willing to give this version room to kind of become its own thing.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to be honest, that may be the biggest challenge that this adaptation has.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: Because, I mean, you're not just introducing them to a new audience.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's like also getting the older folks, the Gen Xers and the Boomers.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just joking.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: That was a joke.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: That might already love the old ones.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: And those are the people that's going to have the most opinions, okay?
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: But after these first two episodes, I'm interested enough to see what this version becomes.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, but this is Cozy Comfort Club, so we have to answer the most important question.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: Is Tommy and Tuppence actually cozy?
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: For me, yes, very much so.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_00: And a huge part of that is simply the way the show looks.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: I find London really cozy on screen anyway, and this series just takes advantage of it.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: I love Tommy's flat because it feels so him and the fact that his flat is right above a pub.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: Come on, that's perfect.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: A crime novelist living above a London pub and then solving mysteries
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: with his old university friend.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: Perfect.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: But visually, I also think this show is beautiful.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: It has a sleek, polished look.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_00: You got to give credit when credit is due to the direction and the cinematography
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: because there were so many moments where I was just enjoying what I was looking at.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: The colors are vivid.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: The locations are beautiful.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: The costumes are beautiful.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: And that Alice in Wonderland wedding theme was a delight.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: It gave that first mystery this like slightly whimsical storybook quality,
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: but also sinister, you know, which is like cozy mystery.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: That is a catnip for us, right?
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_00: And even with the contemporary setting,
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't feel like the show lost that like cozy British mystery feel.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: And then you have the banter.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's another part of the coziness for me.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: Even when they're investigating a murder,
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: there's these funny little moments between them that just feel good.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: Most importantly, I love their friendship.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's very light and it's enjoyable.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I just felt really relaxed watching it.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: That's something I always pay attention to with my cozy rating
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: because cozy isn't just about whether there's a murder or curse words.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe, you know, sometimes it's just how a show makes me feel while I'm watching it.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: And for most of these first two episodes, TNT just felt good to watch.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: The murder, the actual murder isn't completely off screen though.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: We do see the victim dying and there are a few moments where it's
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: a little bit more graphic than your traditional super light cozy mystery.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_00: But I wouldn't describe the first case overall as really graphic.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: And then we got to the end of episode two.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_00: BritBox.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, anyway, I don't know.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_00: Y'all know, I already said it.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: Something goes down at the end of that episode.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_00: I wasn't ready for it.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, I just thought when I saw that,
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_00: there goes my cozy rating because I was so comfortable up until the end
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: of episode two.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why I couldn't push this into that 4.5 or 5 out of 5 cozy territory.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_00: And so...
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_00: My First Impressions Cozy rating is going to be a 4.25 out of 5.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's still a very cozy watch for me for all the reasons I just mentioned.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_00: But there's just enough darkness underneath everything to remind you
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_00: that it isn't just completely soft and fluffy.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I really like that balance.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: So after these first two episodes, there's actually quite a bit that's working for me.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_00: The visuals, I talked about that already.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_00: The banter.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: And Aunt Ada.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's Emilda Staunton.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: I love having her tucked away in this retirement community and celebrating.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: And just being a part of the show.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm also very curious about her because toward the end,
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_00: she hints at something that made me think there's a little more going on here
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_00: and she's going to be really active into,
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_00: like maybe even play a role in some of these mystery cases, like a big role.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: And while we're talking about her, where did she get that peacock shirt?
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_00: I love peacocks and I need that shirt.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_00: I don't care what nobody thinks.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's cute.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I like the use of technology in this.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_00: If you're going to move Agatha Christie into the present day,
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want you pretending smartphones and social media doesn't exist.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: So use them.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: And let these characters investigate in ways that make sense for people today.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: And that's one of the things I'm interested in watching throughout the rest of the season.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_00: How are they going to create a Christie-style mystery in a world
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_00: where people can Google somebody,
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: look at their social media, text each other, take pictures?
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we've seen this in all the mysteries that we watch.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's possible.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_00: But it's going to be really interesting to see.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: I also have to talk about Albert because I was so happy to see that name pop up.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: Albert is another character with roots in Christie's Tommy and Tuppence stories.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: He becomes a longtime part of the Bears for his lives in the books.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if he's in all the books, though.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's in maybe one final one.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: But...
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: I realized who it was supposed to be and I became more interested
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: in what they're going to do with him because I'm sure he's going to help.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I really liked him.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: There's another example of what I was talking about earlier.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: You can modernize these stories and change some things and still drop in a few little pieces.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_00: So give me more Albert.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I thought D.I.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_00: Marriott, was it Marriott?
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: I can't remember, guys, but you know I want to talk about the main detective.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: She's brilliant.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: And here's another connection to the original TNT stories that I appreciated.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: In Christie's books, we have Inspector Marriott, who is a male Scotland Yard police officer.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: For this adaptation, they kind of reimagined that character as a woman.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_00: D.I.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_00: Marriott also?
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: Or...
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_00: Marriott, okay,
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: I don't,
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: honestly,
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: I need to go and listen to the episode again just so I know how to pronounce it.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_00: But you know who I'm talking about.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: I really like what they did with her.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: And her no-nonsense personality was a lot of fun.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: She brings a completely different energy into the show.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: Tommy and Tup is running around like they crazy,
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_00: following their supposed instincts and inserting themselves into
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: an investigation they have no business being involved in.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then here comes D.I.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_00: Marriott and she's direct straight to the point and like, I do this for a living, back off.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_00: I like that energy.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_00: This is, this was great.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: And depending on what they do with her over the remaining episodes,
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: I could see her becoming one of my favorite supporting characters.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_00: I also don't need her to become the stereotypical police detective
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: who spends every episode yelling at the amateur sleuths to stay out of
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: the investigation.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: So let her be good at her job,
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: let TNT be good at what they do,
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_00: and let those very different personalities kind of bounce off of each other.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now, there are definitely some things I'm still waiting on.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_00: The biggest one is probably Tommy and Tuppence romantically.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_00: But now I need to see where they're actually taking this
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_00: because we have one rather large Julia-shaped elephant in the room.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Tuppence is married.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_00: So what happened?
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what's happening now?
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: How is Julius going to enter his story?
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: Tuppence was living with her sister.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_00: So now she done moved in with a man randomly.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_00: I know her sister's like, what is this woman doing?
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_00: Picking up my children from school late?
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: Solving these mysteries?
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: Having all these side hustles?
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: Girl.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway, I appreciate they didn't give us all the answers right away, though.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: We need some clarity, though, by the end of episode six.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: I do want the remaining mysteries to get a little twistier.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: I enjoyed the first case.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_00: It held my attention.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_00: I like realizing during the reveal that some of the clues that was right in front
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: of me, but there were moments where I did feel it was just too straightforward.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted another suspect.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: Make me change my mind three times.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if episode three and four are another two-part mystery, Listen,
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying somebody has to get murdered at the end of episode three,
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_00: but I'm also not saying I will be opposed to it.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: Give me a cliffhanger.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_00: I want that moment where the credits start rolling.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sitting there thinking, you cannot end it here.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_00: Although considering BritBox is already making me wait for these episodes,
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: maybe I should be careful what I ask for.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I think that's ultimately where I am after these two episodes.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'm enjoying it.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: And most importantly, I want to keep watching.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think this show has shown me completely what it's capable of yet.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I want this adaptation to find ways to honor or to continue to honor
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_00: the original characters and then confidently be in its own weird thing.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's something here and I'm just waiting to see how good it can get.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, it's time for the Cozy Comfort Club card.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, these are first impressions only.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: I've only watched the first two episodes,
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_00: so these ratings could absolutely change by the time we get to the end of
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: the season.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm actually leaving off my binge rating this time
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: because I don't think I've seen enough of the series to give it one fairly.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_00: So after episodes one and two overall, just like my cozy score, I gave it a 4.25 out of 5.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_00: And my first impressions verdict is try it.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_00: I want to emphasize the word try here because I don't think it's going to be
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_00: an adaptation where every longtime TNT fan watches the first episode and then says,
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_00: yes, that's exactly how I pictured them.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's taking some pretty big liberties with the characters and everything in the time period.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: But I also don't think that makes it a bad mystery series.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_00: And after these first two episodes, I'm having a really good time with it.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'd recommend giving this one a try if you enjoy Cozy Mysteries,
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_00: Modern Whodunnits,
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_00: Gorgeous British Settings, of course, Good Banter, and Amateur Sleuths, right?
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: A little romantic tension, Agatha Christie...
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_00: Inspired mysteries that aren't afraid to take some liberties with the original material.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I think there's a distinction between somebody discovering TNT for
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_00: the first time through the series and somebody who's been reading these books
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_00: and watching the previous adaptations for years.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_00: I think they even have an adaptation in the French language.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're in that second group, you might have to give yourself a minute to adjust.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_00: Because like I said earlier, there are really two questions here.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: Is this a faithful version of TNT I already know?
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_00: Nope.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: And am I enjoying this version of Tommy and Tuppets?
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to give Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppets a try it for now.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_00: And when we get to the end of the season,
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_00: we'll see if they can turn that try it into a binge it.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_00: Before we wrap up, it's time for a final cup of comfort.
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_00: And today's question is,
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: how much can an adaptation change before it stops feeling like the story
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: or characters we originally loved?
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_00: I've been thinking about this throughout these first two episodes
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_00: because I think TNT is a very good example of
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_00: the complicated relationship people can have with adaptations.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, we bring our expectations with us.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_00: We have an idea of how our characters should behave,
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_00: what they should look like, how their relationships should feel.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we even have a particular actor kind of permanently attached to
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_00: the character in our heads.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_00: And then somebody comes along and says, okay, but what if we change it?
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_00: What if Tommy's a crime novelist or Tuppence is a struggling actress living in L.A.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_00: and Julius is a husband and Inspector Marriott, Marriott, whatever, becomes D.I.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_00: Marriott.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_00: What if we're solving crimes with smartphones and social media and influences and some F-bombs?
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_00: And at what point do these changes become too much?
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if there's one answer to that,
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_00: because after watching these first two episodes,
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm realizing that maybe the question for me isn't necessarily,
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_00: is this exactly like the Tommy and Tumpets that I already watched?
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's more of,
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: does this new version understand what made those characters interested in
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: the first place?
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what I'm going to be watching for over the next four episodes.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_00: For me personally, I don't need an adaptation to copy the book word for word.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_00: Actually,
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_00: sometimes I enjoy seeing somebody take those familiar characters
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: and do something completely unexpected.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I just want to be able to find the heart of the characters somewhere underneath all of this.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe that's the balance every adaptation is trying to find.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_00: How do you make something new without losing what made people love it in the first place?
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_00: So that's my final cup of comfort question for you.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_00: When you're watching an adaptation of something you already love, what matters more to you?
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: The faithfulness to the original or whether the new version works on its own.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I'd love to know where you all fall on that one.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, now before I go, I promise you a little announcement at the beginning of today's episode.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_00: I made my first Cozy Comfort Club digital product, guys.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's the Cozy Fall Watchlist and Tracker,
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_00: and it's a six-page printable that I created for keeping track
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_00: of everything we're watching and enjoying this fall.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_00: There's a fall watchlist,
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_00: a weekly Cozy Tracker,
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_00: a sheet to record your seasonal favorites, cozy viewing notes, and a fall recap.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_00: So you can keep track of your shows and your ratings and your favorite characters,
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_00: but also things like Now,
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_00: the tracker is $5, and I'll have the link in the show notes.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_00: But if you were already subscribed to my Cozy Comfort Club Substack
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_00: before this tracker launched, you're getting it for free.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I really wanted to do something special for the people
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_00: who have already been here reading my newsletters and supporting Cozy Comfort Club
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_00: while I've been building all of this.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_00: So current subscribers, check your inbox.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_00: This one's for you.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_00: And for everybody else,
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_00: you can grab the Cozy Fall Watchlist and Tracker for $5 through the link in
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: the show notes.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I cannot believe I'm saying this,
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: but Cozy Comfort Club officially has its first product, y'all.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_00: And before I go,
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_00: if you enjoy spending your Tuesdays talking about British TV with me and would like
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_00: to support Cozy Comfort Club, you can buy me a coffee.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_00: Your support helps me continue watching,
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_00: researching, recording, editing, and creating new episodes and memes.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, you absolutely do not have to spend anything to support this show.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_00: Following the podcast,
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_00: leaving a rating,
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_00: a review,
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_00: sharing an episode with another British TV fan,
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_00: or even just telling someone about Cozy Comfort Club helps more than you know.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you so much for listening and for being part of this little club.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_00: It truly means a lot to me.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: You can find me at Cozy Comfort Club on Instagram, YouTube, and Substack.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_00: You can also find me on TikTok at Cozy Comfort Club Podcast.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_00: And all of those links are in the show notes.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you're following the podcast so you don't miss our next chat.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for spending some of your day with me.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_00: And until next time, stay cozy.