The serpent

[the80sweregreat]

Anyone going to watch this?
I've never heard of this person before.

Anyone else cry at the real life updates at the end?

I have to watched first two so not reading all the comments.

Love Jenna's outfits. I think l have a girl crush on her (not the character!!) Very atmospheric. It's too graphic for DH. He isn't in to murder stuff. Shocked not to hear of them. It's quite slow but gripping.

Anyone else cry at the real life updates at the end.

Yep, me!

The very final bit re intrepid travellers made me cry the most.

I’m on episode 4. I’m struggling a little with this as my parents were on the hippy trail in the 60s and 70s. They met in Morocco in 1969 and travelled together through Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, India and Thailand. I grew up with Sobhaj stories. They “think” they never met him but they were often in the same places at the same time. I can handle a documentary but a dramatization makes me so sad. These people could have so easily been my parents or people they knew. If Willem and Helena ever had kids they would be my age... Growing up with them, I never thought of my parents as unusual but reading this thread, I guess they were. That airport scene with Dominique! I felt sick with worry for him. I think I’ll stick with it but I can’t binge it, I have to watch it slowly. DH thinks I’m overreacting.

Daren't read the whole thread as don't want to risk any spoilers but have watched 2 episodes so far and absolutely love it, (Although "Love" sounds rather trite bearing in mind the subject matter. ☹️)

Jenna Coleman is amazing and, of course, looks fabulous! The whole drama gives me the serious "Creeps". I was a late teen at this time and can relate so much to the clothes, music etc. Can also remember where I was on many of the dates.

Am trying to limit myself to one ep per night - far too harrowing to binge watch - but think it's the best series on tv for ages.

We have just watched ep 4, doing one a night. Liking it so far.

Binged the whole thing and loved it! So gripping and truly gobsmacking what happened. Is it terrible that as a single lady I kept on thinking how am I single and yet Charles - a murderer who treats people like crap - keeps on getting people to fall in love with him? :D

Also I would love to know what French/Dutch people think of Jenna and Billy's accents.

Loved it. Particularly impressed by Billy Howle as the young Dutch diplomat and Jenna Coleman’s clothes and her French proficiency.

I should add apparently Jenna Coleman was learning French from scratch.

What happens to Nadine?

@IndecentFeminist

What happens to Nadine?

No spoilers from me!

She and her husband are mentioned at the end of the last episode - along with the fates of all other major characters.

Just finished the last episode. Loved it although that sounds wrong as it was based on a true story.

I've only seen Jenna Coleman in The Cry other than this but her French accent was amazing! I thought, anyway ☺

I enjoyed it and I'd give it a solid 8.5/10.

Loses 1.5 points because of his portrayal of Charles. I thought he was excellent etc etc but charmless. He played him as very creepy - which of course he probably was! - but completely lacking in any charm or charisma which you need to be a convincing conman surely? So he didn't ring quite true for me in parts but apart from that - a really good watch

I binged watched it last night.Agree that Charles came across as completely charmless and lacking in charisma, which surely wasn't the case.
This morning I'm left with an overwhelming sense of sadness - the picture of a backpacker's pack pushed into a wardrobe - all those dreams of a summer of adventure - gone. Taken by an evil couple for a few $$$ and a passport .

Finished last night, really enjoyed it, and the story kept springing surprises right to the end.

I have to confess to sending up a little cheer at the updated news of one of the participants. Won’t say who.

One thing I enjoyed was spotting the 70s/80s lifestyle and tech. Dial phones, fax machines, telex machines, travellers cheques, airplane tickets in little folders, easily forged passports,lax airport security, lovely old Citroen cars, and the smoking!!!!

Sobering thought that he wouldn’t have got away with so much for so long today. At least, I hope not.

I'm not bingewatching - decided to watch out of pure boredom - despite the fact that the murders are very cringey (graphic?) for me - agreed that Jenna Coleman is amazing as GF, the man playing Charles seems to be suave type actor and not much else.

The one playing the Dutch embassy person seems good.

I'm almost screaming at the TV to the victims - 'don't go with him, don't trust him!'. How amazing it was that a group of Americans (I think it was Americans) got sick from poisoning, got alert to his game and got out of it. Had never heard of Charles Sobhraj before and to be honest am quite disgusted that he's still denying his murders and also got a young innocent woman to marry him recently.

@viques

Finished last night, really enjoyed it, and the story kept springing surprises right to the end.

I have to confess to sending up a little cheer at the updated news of one of the participants. Won’t say who.

One thing I enjoyed was spotting the 70s/80s lifestyle and tech. Dial phones, fax machines, telex machines, travellers cheques, airplane tickets in little folders, easily forged passports,lax airport security, lovely old Citroen cars, and the smoking!!!!

Sobering thought that he wouldn’t have got away with so much for so long today. At least, I hope not.

Agreed with you the 70s/80s lifestyle and tech seems to be spot on - am a child of that era so recall a lot of that time!

Couldn't resist binge watching the whole lot! Best thing on tv for a while. Real life updates at the end made me cry.

I watched episode five last night
I have to say, whilst I love Nadine, I found the dramatisation in episode five a bit far fetched. Surely by now they would have just grabbed their passports and gone home. I highly doubt that in real life she entered the apartment of a known killer with a huge network of helpers on her own in the middle of the night. And Remi, who had previously been beside himself with worry about her, decides to pop off and have a shower while she does it!

I've had to skip through the thread in case of spoilers but I'm loving it, I've got to ep 5 and really looking forward to another binge tonight

I agree about the wiggy hair, it often seems to be the case in 70s dramas

I did notice that a PP said she didn't know anyone who went travlling in the 70s, I haven't noticed any English travellers so maybe it was more of a European/US rite of passage.

Indeed. Part of the reason Sobhraj is not well known in the UK is because none of his victims were British. I guess either not many Brits did this type of travel, or else for some reason his charms did not translate well culturally to British people?

I’ve watched two episodes and don’t think I will bother any more.
I can’t see how it can be sustained for another 6

@PleasantVille

I've had to skip through the thread in case of spoilers but I'm loving it, I've got to ep 5 and really looking forward to another binge tonight

I agree about the wiggy hair, it often seems to be the case in 70s dramas

I did notice that a PP said she didn't know anyone who went travlling in the 70s, I haven't noticed any English travellers so maybe it was more of a European/US rite of passage.

People from UK did go travelling in the 70s but it seemed less widespread - I definitely know one of my parents friends who went to Australia backpacking and also a teacher friend went to India.

I think it all depended on the commitments at the time - if you had small children you'd be less likely to go travelling - but funnily enough my DM said that if my DBro hadn't been chronically asthmatic as a child she would've taken us travelling.

@MrsJBaptiste

Just finished the last episode. Loved it although that sounds wrong as it was based on a true story.

I've only seen Jenna Coleman in The Cry other than this but her French accent was amazing! I thought, anyway ☺

There is an interview with Jenna .Coleman on the BBC news site. she has been around for ages, quite high profile roles too

holly oaks
Dr Who
Victoria

Loved this! There is a hole in my life now