Death and Other Details draws inspiration from one of the most beloved mystery novelists of all time
Death and Other Details is kicking off on Hulu with a fun new version of the whodunnit. There's been a good rise for classic-styled murder mystery TV shows such as Only Murders in the Building and Poker Face. Now, Death and Other Details is joining with an intriguing setup.
Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for the premiere of Death and Other Details
Once, Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) was known as the world's greatest detective, a crime-solving genius complete with his own autobiography. Those days are long gone, as Rufus has been on a twenty-year slide to the point he's doing private security jobs.
One such job involves the Colliers, a rich family about to celebrate the birthday of the family patriarch on the SS Varuna, a remodeled luxury yacht. The Colliers are hoping to get a big deal going with the Chuns, another affluent family who have hired Rufus as a security consultant.
Among the guests is Imogene (Violet Beane), taken in by the Colliers after her mother died as a child and a good friend to Anna (Lauren Patten), who expects to be named CEO with her dad retiring. Violet also shows a shady side as a part-time thief skimming from the Collier funds.
Things take a turn when a guest is murdered and suspicion falls on Imogene. Rufus believes she's innocent and starts investigating despite the fact Imogene hates him for breaking his promise to solve her mother's murder.
It's a good setup, and it's no surprise the series was inspired by one of the greatest mystery writers around.
What classic mystery novelist inspired Death and Other Details?
It's no shock that creators Mike Weiss, Heidi Cole McAdams, and Marc Webb were inspired by arguably the greatest mystery novelist of them all, Agatha Christie. Indeed, the entire setup for the series is straight out of her masterpiece Murder on the Orient Express, with a bevy of rich folks on a passenger journey and an eccentric detective solving the crime.
Speaking to EW, Weiss and McAdams openly cited Christie as an influence, not just in the mystery but also in the atmosphere of being stuck on a ship with a killer.
"We love Agatha Christie novels. We've read everything she's ever written. We wanted to capture the atmosphere of those works and drag her style into our contemporary world. That means memorable locations. Wardrobe — overseen by the immensely stylish costume designer Mandi Line — drew inspiration from Katharine Hepburn and Grace Kelly."
Like Christie's works, the series delves deeply into the secrets every passenger on the ship carries, and nothing is truly what it seems. While the focus is on Rufus, it's also Imogene's story, as this case might hold secrets to her own mother's murder.
So with inspiration from the master of murder mysteries, Death and Other Details looks to be another worthy addition to the lineup of top mystery series showing on TV in recent times.
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Death And Other Details streams Tuesdays on Hulu.