Why Women Kill, Season 2: A Stylish But Boring Detective

On June 4, Amediateka will launch the second season of Why Women Kill by Desperate Housewives author Mark Cherry. The first season was built as an anthology and told unrelated stories of three heroines from different eras - the 1960s, 1980s and modern times.

The new storyline takes place in 1949 in an American suburb. The innocent gullible housewife Alma (Allison Tolman) dreams of joining a local gardening club run by the femme fatale Rita (Lana Parrilla). But she is not too happy with an unprepossessing neighbor, stuffing her into a friend. Her husband herself, not without reason, suspects Rita in connection with a young and beautiful lover-actor (Matthew Daddario), who, in addition, managed to charm Alma's daughter (V. TO. Cannon).

But the most intriguing thing is that Alma's husband, veterinarian Bertram (Nick Frost), is hiding something about himself. And one day the wife accidentally becomes part of his secret, and the threads of this secret lead to Rita and her family.

So far, only the first three episodes are available to the press, for which it is difficult to form a complete impression of the plot. But it is already clear that the series has changed dramatically compared to the first season.

One retro detective instead of three novels in a different style

In the second season, they apparently decided to abandon the concept of three timelines altogether and designed the entire show in the style of the 40-50s. It is difficult to say why they did this. Perhaps Mark Cherry simply enjoyed working with the feminine and elegant mid-century style.

To be clear, the previous stories themselves weren't very interesting. But when the viewer was constantly switching between them, throwing from one time to another and not letting them get bored, the total worked out quite well. And if you take into account the luxurious stylization of each era and the charisma of the leading actresses - so generally excellent.

However, the docked second season so far makes the impression that the audience will get exactly three times less from it. After all, the authors removed from the series everything that used to distinguish the show from the background of others. And at the same time they forgot to add something that could have saved the situation - an interesting plot.

It's also a shame: the trailer was edited in such a way that all the events in it look dynamic. But in the end, the viewer gets not an ironic thriller, but a slow one. detective with a very dubious intrigue. And if the first episode, which introduces us to the heroes, even at the very least keeps the attention on itself, after the second and third episodes one wants to watch the show less and less.

Even more nostalgic atmosphere and very funny Nick Frost

What Mark Cherry really did better than last time was the visuals. Now the introductory intro has become much more stylish, and the picture has noticeably darkened and pleases with muted tones, so suitable for the era.

The previous season was also a paradise for lovers of fluffy skirts and vintage cars. Nevertheless, in the new history, the riot of colors slowed down a little, which only benefited the atmosphere. Some scenes are stylized in the spirit of films noir with the obligatory private detective in a raincoat and a hat, and the outfits of the heroines are no longer so flashy.

In addition to the picture, strong actors are also pleasing to the eye. First of all, this is the British comedian Nick Frost, familiar to the wide audience from the films of Edgar Wright ("Zombie named Sean", "Kinda cool cops", "Armageddian"), in which he played along with Simon Pegg.

So, Frost is so hilarious that he steals literally every scene in which he appears. And an excellent duet with him is the comedian Allison Tolman (known from the TV series "Fargo") with her high-pitched voice and textured acting.

Weak characters and not always appropriate casting

Despite the excellent play of Frost and Tolman, their characters cannot be called elaborate. Probably, the heroes will still show themselves in the next series. But so far, watching their relationship is not entirely boring only thanks to the charisma of the actors.

Other characters were not allowed to reveal themselves at all. Lana Parrilla (Evil Queen from Once Upon a Time) plays the role of a beautiful hanger for haute couture dresses, which she must admit is very good. And Matthew Daddario (by the way, the brother of Alexandra Daddario from the first season) got a very suitable for him the image of an attractive villain, but behind the artist's good looks, it is impossible to make out his hero.

In addition, the choice of the 32-year-old actress for the role of the daughter of the still quite young Allison Tolman is incomprehensible, because in reality these women are only 7 years apart. And when you see them together on the screen, it is extremely difficult to immediately figure out which of them is the mother of whom.

The beginning of the second season of the beloved series looks stylish, but boring. The authors got rid of the concept of three different visualization stories and left only one historical setting. So far, the characters are not interested in him, and the selection of actors raises questions.

Well, whether to watch the sequel or not depends a lot on how much you like retro. If you breathe evenly towards this aesthetic, the show most likely just won't hook you. As a detective, he loses heavily over successful examples of the genre, and Nick Frost is much more pleasant to see in a comic pair with Simon Pegg.