One of the trends solidified in the pandemic is a kind of revival of the ‘whodunit’ genre, immortalized by Agatha Christie. In particular, when they mix humor, there are several great ones. From Only Murders in the Building, The White Lotus, or The Afterparty, there are at least three series whose plot revolves around solving a murder in a fun way, but we also have A Murder at the End of the World, from Star Plus with a more serious feel. And now, debuting in the dark comes the potentially fun one: Death and Other Details, which could be called ‘Killers on the Boat’. A yacht, a death, and several suspects, with a great detective – by chance – among the guests. And now?

Beforehand, Death and Other Details uses two strategies that I don’t particularly like, but I’ll let it pass: the non-linear narrative and the plot that apparently wants to deceive you. As the always charismatic Mandy Patinkin leads the cast, everything becomes less obvious, and let’s embark on this journey!

Detective Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin), considered the greatest detective in the world, is on board a yacht where a murder surprises the passengers. Among them is the smart young Imogene Scott (Violett Beane), who has a past marked by trauma and distrust of Rufus himself, but helps him try to unravel the mystery.

Imogene is on the trip accompanying the Colliers, the rich and powerful family who adopted her as a child, when her mother, their secretary, was murdered. They are trying to close a mega deal with Chinese investors and want to cover up several secrets. “Details are important” is Rufus’s (and Ritcher’s) mantra, the problem is that what they show us is not so clear. The first two episodes (there are 10 in total) already included some twists and turns and the little that was revealed was more to confuse us.

Let’s get back to the trip: the cruise officially aims to celebrate the retirement of patriarch Lawrence (David Marshall Grant) and the announcement of Anna (Lauren Patten), Imogene’s best friend, as the CEO of the textile company Collier Mills. Also on board are matriarch Katherine (Jayne Atkinson); Anna’s wife, Lelia (Pardis Seremi); and Anna’s brother, Tripp (Jack Cutmore-Scott), as well as the governor of Washington (Tamberla Perry), the Collier family’s spiritual advisor, Father Toby (Danny Johnson), and his son, Derek (Sincere Wilbert), from 14 years old and obsessed with TikTok. On the same yacht, there is the wealthy Chun family, who are about to close a billion-dollar deal with the Colliers. In theory, Rufus is there to work as personal security for the Chun family, but he quickly changes his role when the murder occurs. Technically and ostensibly, Imogene would be the biggest suspect, but Rufus defends her innocence and indirectly forces her to help him. In addition to the rich, the crew is also very suspicious.

Death and Other Details tries to rely on a “modern” look and rhythm to differentiate itself, which doesn’t add anything but doesn’t bother it. This is because it is not yet obvious how the crimes – then and now – are connected, so there is a lot to discover. For those who like the genre, it’s time to theorize!

For now, I point to my immediate suspects: Father Toby and Derek. The reason is yet to come, but they are the most likely for now. Let’s follow!

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