Fool Me Once - Netflix - Harlan Coben

[tennissquare]

Anyone starting this today? It's with Michelle Keegan. 8 Episodes.

So much wrong with this series, I love Harlan Coben books but this adaption feels like its been done as part of a 6th form drama project. If you're going to circle around a supposed military theme at least get the uniforms right!!

No Staff Sergeant in the RMP would have hair like that, be unshaven on duty, wear the wrong cap badge and wear it over the right eye instead of the left.

What Maya was wearing in the opening few minutes was not military uniform, it was something out of Cheryl Cole's 'fight for this love' music video.

She's discharged from the army yet she gets to go to an indoor pistol range every 10 mins...... in the real military world you have range days 3 or 4 times a year depending on which branch you are in, they are ALWAYS outside AND there is always a range officer there, you don't just turn up, pick up a weapon and start blatting off rounds.

I wish I could have turned off and forgotten this whole sorry mess but the Mrs is heavily invested and has said "this is quite good this" 🤯😱😭

Shockingly bad, that's all I can say

Ooh a house round the corner from me was one of the locations. Will have to watch.

I'm on episode 2 and I'm already working stuff out.

I like MK but I don’t think shes a great actress. She seems to play the same character in everything I’ve seen her in.
She was quite pretty naturally but the surgery was noticeable seeing her up close in this. I hope she doesn’t spoil her face over time.
I like her character and think she did a good job if a bit wooden at times. She’s very good in feisty scenes.
I read the book a long time ago and I’m sure it’s meant to be set in America.
I don’t know why Richard Armitage (s) keeps getting cast in Harlan’s adaptations. Are there no more decent similar aged actors available to play husband roles? He and MK don’t look right as a couple together. He is surely much older than Joe was meant to be? MK looks to young to play Mays too.
I wish they would cast some new blood in dramas for once. Surely there is loads of talent out there.
I would rather watch raw talent than the same actors. I won’t watch anything with Suranne Jones or Nicola Walker in it anymore. It’s boring.

The tense dramatic music constantly playing throughout was very off-putting. It was ok but nowhere near as good as the HC adaptation with James Nesbitt.

Its so bad! Not sure I can continue.

I really enjoyed the series. Haven’t read the book but I found it a compelling yarn.

Just finished it and I'm not sure if I like it! There were several times I was shouting at the telly: why is everyone so stupid!?! Also, some bits were just not believable: Maya going all the way to the headmaster's office in a posh boarding school without being stopped?? Please!

I haven't read the book, but it does feel like it should be set in America for some reason?

I did love Maya's house and clothes though

I'm kind of obsessed with these terrible glossy Harlan Coben adaptions on Netflix.

I am fascinated by the way they set them in Europe but do not adapt the American cultural assumptions - everyone has massive cars and drives everywhere, everyone has massive open plan houses - even people with fairly ordinary jobs, people - lots of them - own handguns (pretty much illegal in the UK).

At least no one had a secret past life as a stripper/prostitute in this one!

@YouAreShoutingAtTea Harlan Coben novels are all set in America but for some reason Netflix bought them and decided to reset them in Europe - so there have been UK, French, Polish and Spanish set ones.

I'm one episode in and agree that there are lots of 'wtf why?' moments and MK is a bit generic and bland. The scene with the niece's sports coach, blimey.

BUT I think that's part of the pleasure isn't it? It's MOR comfort drama. Me and DH watch it with an enjoyably raised eyebrow and lots of 'Blimey' and 'fancy that, eh?'

The pp who mentioned American tropes in a British drama is so right - there's always something really odd about HC adaptations. It's Britain, if Britain were successful

Adeel Akhtar must get sick of being cast as the Columbo of 2024.

@Ginmonkeyagain didn't realise that there are several adaptations on Netflix!

Even when I'm not sure I liked it, I couldn't stop watching it so now I'm happy I have more things to binge watch

The Spanish one is wild!

The long checked coat is Dolce & Gabbana. Was hoping it was high street and still in stock. 😂

So fed up of seeing these age differences

I don't think the age difference is too bad - not as bad as some films anyway. Michelle Keegan is 36 and Richard Armitage is 52. I assumed that one of the points in the drama is he was a rich, succesful older man that she fell for and had a comfortable life with, but only later realised he was domineering and a wrong un.

Although I think his character was meant to be a little bit younger - the flashbacks to him and his brother as sixth formers was in 1997 - which would make the Armitage character more like early to mid forties rather than early fifties.

I finished it and enjoyed it (apart from an annoying plot issue covered in the spoiler thread) but I still think my favourite adaptation is The Stranger from 2020 (featured Jennifer Saunders in a side role) and then Stay Close with James Nesbitt and Sarah Parish (2022) and Safe with Michael C Hall (2018).

The Stranger is really good tennissquare.
RA is married to someone of similar age in that and does look younger than in this adaptation.
The age gap irl isn’t that bad but they don’t look right together imo. I’m sure his character was meant to be younger in the book hence the flashback point to 1997 a pp made.

Harlan Coben is my favorite author, I've been reading his books going back to when I discovered his Myron Bolitar series when travelling in Borneo in 2005.

Have remained obsessed with his stuff since - I think Prime also had Shelter which is the adaptation of his Mickey Bolitar series, and that was great.

I've read Fool Me Once already but I'm guessing the TV adaptation will still have some twists from the book.

Did you notice that Bolitar was part of one of the usernames.

Me and DH binged this over the last couple of evenings and really enjoyed it. Yes there were plot holes, and Maya was starting to irritate me towards the end but overall we both thought it was good story with a good twist.

Loved her clothes but couldn't live in her house - too open for me, although I did love the open balcony/terrace.

I picked a Harlen Coben book up in the charity shop recently - Six Years. Think I'll read that next so I'll be aware of any plot holes if they adapt it!

Tried watching but honestly cannot stand MK she's just like Olivia Coleman, herself in everything she's in and a poor actor.

I've just watched this and I think generally it was good but some of it was unbelievable like Maya knocking on peoples doors demanding they tell her stuff immediately, with no back story or explanation. It was all a bit silly.

What Maya was wearing in the opening few minutes was not military uniform, it was something out of Cheryl Cole's 'fight for this love' music video.

😂😂 so true!!

Was it filmed in Didsbury again? I haven’t watched it yet, but every Coben adaptation I’ve seen so far has featured at least one house on my old road.