ADVANCE REVIEW: Ragdoll Has a Hard Time Stitching Itself Together
A creepy killer obsessed with a cop is a story we have all heard before. The killer always goes after the cop’s love ones until the cop and the killer come face to face where the killer meets his/her end. AMC+’s new series, Ragdoll takes this same story and adds a whole new element to the overdone storyline. But, at least in the first three episodes, the audience may find it hard getting into the series.
Based on the novel by Daniel Cole, the new series follows disgraced Detective Sergeant Nathan Rose (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) as he is drawn into an unusual case by his former partner, Detective Inspector Emily Baxter (Thalissa Teixeira). The case features an unknown killer who has sewn together a body made up pieces belonging to his victims. It is now up to Rose, Baxter, and Detective Constable Lake Edmonds (Lucy Hale) to stop the killer before it is too late.
The first three episodes set up the story, but there are too many stories within the story that for the audience to fully grasp what is going on. The two lead characters, Rose and Baxter, aren’t exactly the characters you want to root for, let alone learn more about, while Hale’s Edmonds plays a minor part compared to the other two, but has the more interesting storyline. Edmonds story focuses on the actual case and, to me, that was the most intriguing part. Watching as she unraveled the case and pieced the puzzle together was more interesting that the banter between Rose and Baxter or Rose’s personal life.
Hale is great as the opinionated, out spoken Edmonds. She is a standout compared to Lloyd-Hughes’ Rose and Teixeira’s Baxter. Llyoyd-Hughes and Teizeira are good, but their characters don’t have the capability of carrying a show like this. Maybe it is because the writers opted to not focus on the killer and the investigation or because both characters make some very questionable decisions throughout the first three episodes, I ended the watch not wanting to learn more about either character.
If you can ignore the other storylines and focus on the investigation and Edmonds’ involvement in it, you may find yourself enjoying the show. But, unfortunately, some may find this a feat in itself. If you are into thriller series, this show may be for you, but if you are looking for your next police procedural, turn on an old favorite because this one won’t be for you.