LUDWIG - wed bbc 1 9pm - TV PACE NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

New series on weekly - thanks @mum2jakie for the shout out

Puzzle setter John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor’s life is upended when his identical twin, DCI James Taylor, disappears in the new series coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One

When John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor’s (David Mitchell) identical twin, James, disappears off the face of the earth, John takes over his brother’s identity in a quest to discover his whereabouts.

John has never married, never had a family and never really ventured further than his own front door.

Without a computer, mobile phone or even a television, he lives in quiet solitude, designing puzzles for a living, under the nom-de-plume of ‘Ludwig’.

However, filling the shoes of your identical twin is one thing - when your twin also happens to be a successful DCI leading Cambridge’s busy inner-city major crimes team the stakes are much higher.

John may be a master of all things cryptic, but can he crack the biggest puzzle of his life?

Joining David Mitchell in the ‘case-of-the-week’ crime comedy-drama is Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, Line of Duty), as Lucy Betts-Taylor, John’s sister-in-law and wife of his missing brother James.

Also joining the cast are Dipo Ola (Landscapers, We Hunt Together), Gerran Howell (Catch-22, Suspicion), Izuka Hoyle (Boiling Point, Big Boys), Dylan Hughes (Malory Towers, Maternal), and Dorothy Atkinson (Mum, The Gold).

I think fundamentally it’s about the murders and the puzzle solving.

I think that’s what is so escapist and satisfying about this genre, the light meringue of a pleasing plot.

Another thing that I like about it is that it’s not gritty. It is cosy murder of the old school. So even though the crime at the centre would be an absolute abomination if it happened in real life, we all benefit from the murder-mystery convention - if you like, the Agatha Christie tradition – so we don’t dwell on what murder really is, on the horrific nature of the crime.

We focus on the context and the mystery and the play of human emotions that leads to it.

In Ludwig we don’t dwell on the fact that it’s murder any more than in a game of Cluedo you’d start thinking, ‘But how awful for Doctor Black’s family. He must be so missed.’

I love your detective skills @BakeOffRewatch

It's the bearded bloke. Seems too casual about what happened. He did it - prob wrong but I like to guess

I do love this !!

But he is still giving away details, like the fact he has a brother (maybe not the fact they are twins is known yet, but it sort of hints at it)

He so diff from James I find it weird no one thinks he can't be him

Tho guess if he never mentioned he had a twin at work

But equally he's so diff. Solving murders every week with his deductions

They must reliese

Pretty crap detectives

@BakeOffRewatch is a far better one 😂😂

Teacher reminds me of dumbledore in his voice

So suspects

Beardy pe man
Lady teacher
Old man teacher
Pupils

I'm still going for beardy man. Not sure why or how but sure Ludwig will explain in 30m 😂

Yah I was right

Tho didn't expect him to have hidden in room and doubles back

He just seemed blasé

Why did she lie about the place being abandoned rather then she spoke to his ex partner

Holly and James kissed 🙀🙀🙀

Lights and house dark as usual 😂

Impressive his teacher knew the difference and that James wasn't John

After many years

But

His colleagues don't 😂😂

He probably used lots of the words and techniques that the teacher had taught him

Lots of secrets between Lucy and James

Trailers for next week look dramatic!

I turn off before trailers as don't like to see clips as think it gives story away

I absolutely don't believe that James kissed Holly, I think it was her setting a trap to be sure that it wasn't him.

Me too.

Surely this. The kiss may or may not have happened, but Holly realises it's not James.

Yes I thought it was a trap too. Holly knows.

Oh

You think so

Maybe

Seems many of you think Holly is trapping

That went over my head totally 😂

Recap e5

www.whattowatch.com/features/ludwig-episode-5-recap-is-freya-chordwell-the-killer

From the recap it's Frankie from ee

I didn't reliese that either

I did kinda recognise her and worked out she was deaf via speech

But that was part of the plot and the clock

I've not watched tonight's yet but I don't even care if we don't find out more I'm just enjoying the journey and the funniness!

DH thinks this too, Holly checking if it was him or not.

Thanks @Blondeshavemorefun but I’ve been wrong about who did all the murders! I’m a false path I’m afraid.

There is a theme of coincidences versus trends, and false paths and the solution being what’s left. And that arrogance and pride will be the perpetrator’s downfall.

@BlossomToLeaves yes Lucy does lie so easily, under the pretence of protecting others. James the same? We’ve seen him step in and take care of things, take charge.

Such a shame that the 8 hour drive to Wales was such a waste of time, false path. I was hoping we’d get more from the partner DCI Matt Neville. The relationship between him, his wife and small child is a bright light on how much James, Lucy and Henry don’t function on a basis of trust.

I thought it was very stupid of him to have a conversation aloud saying he’s John with the maths teacher. I expected him to step out the door and Constable Evans to be standing there.

Why does Constable Evans look so upset after eavesdropping on the Holly/DCI Taylor kiss conversation? Is it because he kissed James t the Christmas party too? I’m guessing it’s about his hero falling in his eyes.

I noticed Sergeant Finch and Constable Evans kept looking at each other at certain moments. Maybe they know or are questioning the change in DCI Taylor.

I don't think Holly's motives are necessarily malign, though.

So arrogance and pride are the downfall, and we keep seeing that Lucy and therefore James are quite arrogant in their approach to taking charge and proud with their feelings.

If we take away all the false paths, what’s left then?

As for the murder of the week story, I wasn’t too interested though I did really like John’s old maths teacher being in there. The PE teacher Mr Bishop was just too good at being unlikeable, and his girlfriend Miss Chordwell was just SO pathetic. Pouring out her heart and every insecurity in texts. Being emotional about a VIDEO MESSAGE proposal with a man who clearly has a rage problem and she says herself acts and thinks of himself as a sixth former. Well I guess that makes sense actually with her texting like a teen and him behaving like one! I think in this one they didn’t make it clear enough why Mr Bishop would want to murder. He’s angry and impulsive but would he plan the murder and taking three days of supplies?

The “I thought that was PE teachers” line was so good

Miss Chordwell looked so different on Strictly Come Dancing!

So it's annoying me that Lucy keeps doing her own thing without telling John who she has asked to help her. Why didn't she say she was going to see James's partner Matt? Why on earth would she disappear in the middle of the night for a meeting with Holly without telling anyone?

Although I'm pretty sure John realises Lucy is keeping things from him.

And why did Matt and his wife look angry/annoyed to see Lucy and refuse to speak to her? You would think Matt would want to find his partner or at least be a bit more sympathetic to Lucy who obviously wants answers. Unless Lucy isn't so innocent?

Also don't believe James kissed Holly and it's a way of Holly working out James is actually John. She dropped a clue last week when she alluded to people not being who they seem.

Really looking forward to the finale but don't want it to end.

I thought they made it clear enough

It was over the drugs the older boy was doing

If he had been kicked off the team they wouldn't have won

Pe beardy man obv wanted to win

And by proposing to gf as she was going to be headmistress (tho imo far too young) then he could manipulate her over the football /drugs issue

None of which stands up as logical in the cold light of day, of course.