Behind Her Eyes - Netflix
I love stories with twists I didn't see coming, and Behind Her Eyes had one of the twistiest twists I've seen in quite a while.
I didn't see it coming because, quite frankly, it was weird and the character it mainly involved was the least interesting of the four main characters. Not only that, but the unique take on the "whodunit" concept made you realize you weren't even asking the right questions along the way. It was bonkers, but it somehow worked and, in my mind, made up for the out-of-left-field mechanisms used to facilitate the twist. I'll admit I rolled my eyes when the mechanism, which was fantastical in nature, was introduced, and I was teetering on the brink of checking out, but the story kept me invested. Considering it's only a six-episode binge, I almost want to watch it all over again with the new perspective I have. It would be a totally different show knowing the ending.
Okay, backing up to the beginning, Behind Her Eyes was a show that subverted my expectations from episode to episode; sometimes it's delicate, others it's full of rage and vengeful, and towards the end it...turns into a sci-fi mystery? It's all over the place, but thankfully, the psychological tone is never compromised, and the pacing is slow, pensive, and down to Earth enough that none of that variety is ever distracting.
The premiere mostly was about two strangers - Louise and David - randomly connecting in a bar, so you know right away there would be relationship drama. And of course there was. David is actually married to a woman named Adele, so his involvement with Louise leads to infidelity. I'm always frustrated with how cavalier and adventurous entertainment makes cheating look in the early stages, because even then it's such an awful act. But thankfully, they experience plenty of fallout from their poorly chosen ways.
Sounds like a run-of-the-mill drama, right? Fear not, because not only does this relationship stuff eventually take a back seat to bigger fish that need frying, but it feels different from the stereotypical flirty, fairytale meeting that throws the characters' lives into a whirlwind. Louise ends up unintentionally working for David in his psychiatrist's office as his clerk. But again, we don't get the typical comedic ironies or tones that usually plague these situations into cliché oblivion. Instead, the layers of how David and Adele are affected by the affair slowly peel away to reveal crazy truths about their unhealthy marriage and some dark secrets about their motivations.
The brilliant part of this affair is Adele's involvement. She befriends Louise before she finds out that Louise is sleeping with her husband. It's interesting, because, at times, I felt like Adele was more upset with Louise than with David. But that actually unlocks even more of the story, including how David comes across as a controlling husband in their tenuous marriage. There's more going on here than meets the eye, and that sense of revelation (whether big or small) was constant, which is a tribute to the great writing and pacing. Again, the show moves a bit slowly for a six-episode arc, but everything plays a part in the grand scheme of the story (another great reason to watch it all again).
Then there's Rob, a key figure from Adele's tumultuous past whose influence has major ramifications even years later. He knew David and Adele before they got married, but he clearly had a connection with Adele, too. The development of his character is slow, but eventually pays dividends.
I won't give away too much more, but I will say that the acting was superb all the way around, and the dialogue writing definitely helped. Overall, a fantastic show I'd recommend.