Beth Fairchild’s world collapses at Tom’s surprise 40th when police burst in and arrest the respected doctor for the murder of his assistant Katie. Over four episodes Beth, played by Annabel Scholey, rifles through Tom’s laptop, finds violent porn and proof of affairs, and hears him beg for a false alibi. The script, split between Suzanne Cowie (episodes 1 and 3) and Ben Morris (2 and 4), keeps the action inside Beth’s coastal mansion and the Kent cliffs where most of the footage was shot in June 2023 around Folkestone and Hythe.
The real predator is Tom’s oldest friend Adam, played by Luke Treadaway, who has framed Tom, slept with Beth, and killed at least five women. A hidden trophy box and a paternity test that reveals Tom fathered Adam’s child tip Beth over the edge; during a clifftop walk she shoves Adam to his death and scrubs every trace of his crimes. Director Laura Way ends the Paramount+ limited series on a chill post-credit sting: family friend Jules visits Tom in prison with files from his former lawyer that promise fresh trouble.
Jack Farthing’s Tom remains a blank slate of charm and menace, but the drama belongs to Scholey, whose Beth moves from perfect hostess to calculated killer while never leaving her cream-coloured kitchen. The four-hour run, released 15 December 2023, keeps tension high yet leaves the body count off-screen, favouring whispered secrets in tennis whites and candlelit sex-club flashbacks over gore.
Production Details
Paramount+ / 1 Season / 4 Episodes / 2023
Showrunner(s): Andy Morgan, Giuliano Papadia, Chiara Cardoso
Producer(s): Jonathan Phillips, Francesco Paglioli
Cinematography: Evan Barry
Music: Giorgio Giampà
Main Cast
Annabel Scholey as Beth Fairchild
Jack Farthing as Tom Fairchild
Luke Treadaway as Adam Plummer
Angela Griffin as DI Aline Edgeworth
Shobna Gulati as Kiran
Morgana Robinson as Jules
Hari Dhillon as Maxwell
Tim Daish as Ray Garland
Benjamin O'Mahony as Mike Pearson
Alara-Star Khan as Poppy
Matt Rentell as Crime Scene Investigator
Julie Graham as Clover
