After the release of its first season, Netflix’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (by way of the BBC) has already become one of the top-performing shows on the streamer. If you haven’t made time for it just yet, you might be wondering whether all of the hype around it means that it’s actually worth watching.
The series, which is adapted from a popular YA book of the same name, tells the story of a teenager in the U.K. who is obsessed with true crime, and becomes determined to solve a crime on her own after she is convinced that a man has been falsely accused of murder. Here are four reasons you should make time to check it out.
It’s just the right amount of self-aware
Sort of like Only Murders in the Building, part of the premise of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is that the central character is obsessed with true crime, and decides to investigate an actual murder in her area.
That level of metatextual storytelling allows the show to play around with the conventions of true crime without subverting them to such an extent that they’re meaningless. This show has fun with its central conceit, but also takes advantage of the crime it depicts to thrilling ends.
It will keep you guessing
Like any crime series worth its salt, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder will have you suspecting just about everyone as it winds its way toward its conclusion. Too many twists can feel like overkill, but this story knows exactly how to ensure that its story feels plausible even as it keeps you from guessing the ending too early.
Few shows strike that balance perfectly, but this show is anchored by a genuinely compelling mystery that will keep you on tenderhooks right through the final reveal.
It features a compelling newcomer as its lead
Emma Myers is a relative newcomer, and she anchors the show as Pip, giving life to a quirky, fairly original teenager who doesn’t fully understand how in over her head she might be until it’s too late.
Myers is immensely charming, and the show would not work at all if it hadn’t got this central role right. She’s also surrounded by a great ensemble, all of whom seem to understand exactly how to modulate their performances so that they seem of a piece with Myers’.
It feels almost guaranteed to get a second season
This reason is a little more practical than the others, but it’s true nonetheless. This series has become insanely popular in the days since it first premiered, and it’s based on a series of popular YA novels that have a built-in audience. That combination of factors makes it incredibly likely that the show will be back for a second season.
In an era when you might find yourself heavily invested in a show only to discover that it’s been canceled, finding a show that is close to guaranteed to get a second season feels like an important reason to stick with it.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is streaming on Netflix.
