Netflix’s ‘Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials’ seems to have dialed the wrong number 

By Cadence Powers 

Opening in Ronda, Spain, in the year 1920, a bull emerges from its pen running over a man, stabbing him and leaving him dead on the ground. Next to his body lies a business card, the image of a clock set to seven embedded into it. Six years later at the Chimney Estate in England, our main heroine, Eileen “Bundle” Brent, finds her future fiancé dead the morning after a party, with seven clocks placed on the mantlepiece. 

The story then follows plucky Lady Eileen, called Bundle by her family and friends, as she investigates the murder of her future fiancé, Gerry Wade. Even as she is warned to stay far from the case several times, Bundle doubles down, not willing to stop until she has found the justice she seeks. Along the way, she finds out more about The Seven Dials, a secret underground organization that may have connections related to not only Gerry’s death, but to international conspiracy and scientific discoveries that could save or destroy the world.   

While this premise may be exciting, “Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials,”  based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, fails to live up to the expectation of a typical Christie story. It’s not to say it was awful; it had moments of potential that made otherwise boring shows into something more entertaining. But that was the problem: for a story from the ‘queen of crime’ (as Christie is often affectionately referred to), it was boring. While there was some intrigue, especially regarding the idea of a large secret society interfering in many global affairs, it became muddled among dialogue that fell flat, too convenient moments that took away from the story’s excitement and characters that felt as though they had been cast in the wrong story. 

The biggest issue with the show was the dialogue. When characters spoke to each other, they did so in exposition. There was no need to remember every little detail, because details were repeated constantly. Instead of trusting the audience to pay attention, key moments that should have made the average mystery enjoyer feel both shock and approval at the plot twist, only served to emphasize the poor quality of the writing. Instead of feeling vindicated by a shocking turn of events, I simply felt disappointed.

Furthermore, the too convenient moments in the plot took away from what would have caused intrigue in the show. Characters arrived at just the right moments, and people often just happened to say the perfect clue for the moment. Characters had skills which, realistically, they should not have had and are never explained. The plot also has many holes, leaving the audience questioning the character’s connections to the seven dials and their primary motivations.

For example, our main heroine, Bundle. Bundle talks about the grief and her longing for justice, however, instead of this grief seeming to motivate her, she jumps headfirst into the waters of an investigation as though it were second-nature and not as though someone important to her had died. 

Even as more of the cast joined the deceased, it was as though Bundle was meant to be the heroine of some other tale with a much lighter tone. Instead, the murder and subsequent events feel almost too heavy for the more light, airy tone which Bundle approached them with. In this way, the show felt torn between the two genres of thriller and cozy mystery, forcing the viewer to reconcile heavy, intriguing plotlines with a softer tone.

It was not the idea that fell short, but the execution of the writing. It is disappointing to think of such an intriguing plot spelling everything out for the reader. Part of the fun of the mystery and thriller genre is the not knowing, the guesswork the watcher has to do. All in all, it was not an awful show, but it is not a show that shocked or thrilled me as it promised, nor is it a show that I will take the time to rewatch. 

‘Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials’ is available to stream on Netflix 

Cadence Powers is a Professional Writing and Information Design Major. She is fond of any form of book or movie, especially in the gothic, horror, mystery and fantasy genres. 

Images courtesy of Netflix