Fool Me Once (2024)

This story strikes me as genuinely Cobenian. Harlan Coben's stories tend to follow certain parameters that are consistently reflected in his works.

They are characterised by being intriguing and mysterious, although they often evolve in a somewhat rushed manner.

The author tends to overload the plot with so many elements that, in the end, it is difficult to know what dish you are really tasting.

He makes frequent use of the cliffhanger, which, while appealing and grandiloquent, sometimes feels implausible, revealing shocking twists that can seem far-fetched.

Another hallmark of his stories is ostentation. His characters are often high or very high net worth and are in privileged environments.

I have seen several of the Netflix adaptations of his works. To be honest, I decided to avoid them, even though the stories may seem appealing at first glance.

The script developments, along with the construction of situations and characters, often gave me headaches and upset stomachs.

However, in this case, I have to say that Harlan Coben's ‘Fool Me Once’ has pleasantly surprised me. Although it maintains the same characteristic parameters, everything is better articulated and narrated.

Characters that in other stories I found repulsive, this time I found interesting. There is also a good acting quality.

The plots and subplots have resonated with me, and I must admit that I started watching it without expectations, but little by little it has won me over, as this time it seems to be a couple of steps above the previous adaptations.

Richard Armitage, who was already involved in another Coben adaptation, ‘Speak No Evil’, brings his talents to ‘Fool Me Once’, which far surpasses the previous one.

The performance of British army captain Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan) is remarkable, although at times she seems a little overdone. The excellent work of policeman Sami Kierce (Adeel Akhtar) also stands out.

Interestingly, Dino Fetscher, a bona fide gay icon in the UK, stars as the cop Marty McGregor. His style, which he had already shown in the series ‘Paranoid’, is repeated here in an almost identical role.

In short, I liked ‘Fool Me Once’. This is perhaps the first time I would recommend a series based on a Harlan Coben story. I hope the next adaptation is at least as good as this one.