Winter is always a good time for catching up on TV series I’ve been wanting to see for some time. I actually much prefer limited series, with a predetermined number of episodes that tell a complete story, to regular series that are designed to go on and on for several seasons.
My husband and I were sold on this show just from watching the trailer and reading the brief description on IMDb.
Four detectives in four different time periods of London find themselves investigating the same murder.
Neither of us had any knowledge of the source material, it wasn’t until the third episode that I found out via Wikipedia that the limited series is based on a detective fiction comic book series created and written by Si Spencer, and that a different artist rendered each of the four time periods. Series creator Paul Tomalin is no stranger to sci-fi procedural series, having worked on the British series Torchwood (a Doctor Who spin-off) and The Frankenstein Chronicles.
Procedural and mystery series are very popular but what sets Bodies apart is the time-travel elements that link four characters from four different eras as they work on solving the same murder case. It’s appealing to me as I love period/costume dramas and sci-fi mysteries, so it’s like getting the best of both worlds. It’s the kind of show where continuity is key, jumping from 1890, 1940, and 2014, all the way to the future in 2050.
The detectives are all trying to solve the murder of a mysterious man named Gabriel Defoe (Tom Mothersdale) who’s always found naked as of the day he was born, with a gun-shot wound through his left eye, a gash on his forehead and a tattoo marking on his left wrist. I like time travel themes but it’s a popular trope that’s tough to get right, yet somehow the creator of this show does it in a way that feels fresh and unpredictable. It also takes a seemingly innocent phrase ‘know you are loved’ and makes it so gloriously ominous.
The genius of the show is that within the first episode, it’s evident that the murder is just the beginning. I love that the show gets more and more intriguing with each episode, and the more piece of information is revealed, the bigger the mystery. I’m not going to talk about the story as it’s best that you discover its twists and turns as you watch it. What I can say is the show is addictive and pulls you in deeper and deeper as you become more invested in the characters. The fact that each era reflects the culture and sociopolitical aspects of that period makes it all the more fascinating. While the show can be quite dark and threatening, it’s not gratuitously violent which can be overdone by certain showrunners. I appreciate that the focus is always on the characters that drive the story forward.
The ensemble cast is impeccable, and I love the diversity of the characters, including those of Jewish and Muslim heritage. The casting decision goes beyond inclusivity as the creators make the characters’ ethnicities, persona, and sexual identities integral to the plot, which adds a gripping emotional layer to the story. The one cast member I recognize right away is Stephen Graham and his introduction to the series as Julian Harker, a member of London’s elite society, is wonderfully enigmatic. It’s a juicy role for the talented Englishman that he relishes with aplomb… let’s just say his character is much more than meets the eye. At times he reminds me of Russell Crowe, Graham is magnetic, ruthless, sly, with an air of subtle menace.
The characters playing the detectives are equally excellent and perfectly cast for each era: Kyle Soller (who’s also great in ANDOR) as Edmond Hillinghead (1890), Amaka Okafor as Shahara Hasan (2014), Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (Medici, The Queen’s Gambit) as Charles Whiteman (1940), and Shira Haas as Iris Maplewood (2050). I can’t pick a favorite out of the four, though I find Maplewood’s futuristic storyline as her world is recovering from a technological apocalypse the most intriguing. Nice to see another Medici alum Synnove Karlsen and veteran actress Greta Scacchi in important roles.
The team behind the scenes is diverse as well–while Tomalin is the primary writer, an actress/writer of Kurdish/Polish descent Danusia Samal wrote three of the episodes. Directing duties are split between Marco Kreuzpaintner and London-based Chinese writer/director Haolu Wang who directed four episodes each. Kudos to Sara J. Doughty & her team of script supervisors, they’re the people responsible for ensuring continuity as their eye for detail is especially pivotal for this one. Each era also has a different color grading, a subtle visual effect that adds so much to the sensory experience. Props to set designers, costumes, make-up, cinematographers, editors, etc. All these below-the-line crews are instrumental in creating this superb show.
Bodies has everything one could want in a series: gripping stories, compelling characters, suspense, mystery, intrigue, and even a bit of romance for good measure! I read online that there’s a similar show with a similar theme on Netflix called DARK, a German-language family saga with a supernatural twist where the disappearance of two young children exposes the relationships among four families. I might check that one out too at some point. In any case, if you’re looking for a good series to really get lost in, I can’t recommend this one enough. I’ll be watching for what series Tomalin will work on next!
Have you seen BODIES? I’d love to hear what you think!
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FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Of course you know how much I love 💕 time travel too, thanks for the heads up, can’t wait to start watching!
Hey Becky! It’s really good, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I watched the first episode a few weeks ago, didn’t hook me as I thought it would. I’ll probably finish it later since I’m currently watching the new season of True Detective. But I think I’ve mentioned a few times on here that DARK is one of the most underrated shows within the last few years, I highly recommend that one! It’s only 3 seasons and it’s full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Lol!
Yeah you mentioned DARK before but it’s a serialized series and it’s already has 3 seasons so it’s harder to catch up on. I much prefer miniseries that has an ending by the end of the season. That said, I would love it if they continue with BODIES, maybe spin off one of the characters or something? Or come up with a brand new puzzle to solve, that would be awesome!
Dark is great. One of my favorite shows.
I need to check it out at some point!
I’m having issues w/ Netflix again since it’s under my sister’s account who created a profile for my mother but we have no access to it as I’m unsure for how long as I guess I’ll have to create an account for myself. I am interested in this show.
I hope you get your Netflix situation resolved, Steven. This is a good one that I have a feeling you’d appreciate.
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I’m a huge fan of British TV, subscribing to both Acorn TV and BritBox. When I saw this on Netflix and read the description, I was intrigued. After watching the first episode, I was hooked. And very disappointed when it ended because I didn’t want it to. That is a great sign of a show well done.
Hi Louise!! Thanks for taking the time to check out my site and leave a comment! I’m a huge fan of British series + movies too. Yeah, the description had me hooked right away and thankfully the show ended up being amazing! I was disappointed when it ended too, I would love it if they’d continue with season 2 with a new puzzle to solve. Or maybe spin off one of the characters or something? I’m most curious about Iris Maplewood’s storyline out of the 4 detectives, how about you?
I actually talked about this one on my podcast but overall I really enjoyed it. I liked the visuals of the 4 different time periods and how it weaved between them with fun,dynamic editing.
What’s your podcast? Yeah this one is such a great show!
I am kind of taking a hiatus right now to figure some things out, but it is titled “The Queer-In Theater” and has 2 episodes up. https://open.spotify.com/show/66syzx6P5mjCemfX08G3bh
Watched Bodies… I think it needs a better title, something like Time and Again, Bodies is so generic and uninteresting and says nothing about what it’s really about… well I enjoyed it until they started “explaining?” how the time travel came together… and got totally lost, but that’s just me, I’m not that great at ciphering out plots. But a couple other limited series on Netflix that are VERY good that I COULD follow are Fool Me Once (slow burn thriller with a female lead and a big twist at the end) and TransAtlantic (Americans working with the French Resistance during 1940 WWII based on true events).
Hello Becky! Yeah I agree with you about the generic title, it doesn’t really tell you anything about the story and so uninteresting! Ahah, I actually like the time-travel bit and I think this series did a good job NOT overexplaining things, but I can see why it can be overwhelming. I think overall the characters are intriguing and how they tie the three different timeframes are fascinating.
As for Fool Me Once, y’know I tried the first Harlan Coben series on Netflix (as I like Richard Armitage from BBC’s North & South) but I just couldn’t get into it, so I kinda gave up on any more of Coben’s Netflix adaptations, but maybe I’ll give that one a shot. I gotta check out TransAtlantic, that sounds like something I’d enjoy!
Hey Flixy, what is the “first Harlan Coben series” you’re referring to? Give Fool Me Once first episode a try just for the heck of it. It gripped me right away and had no problem to keep watching. There’s so many good subplots and characters. I like RA too, he’s an important character but he doesn’t have a lot of screen time, you’ll find out why :-). Funny but TransAtlantic isn’t the best title either but it’s a part of WWII French resistance similar to Casablanca but in an entirely different context, so it’s really interesting (and sometimes also a little cheeky!) Be sure to watch the 30-minute documentary “Making TransAtlantic,” too, it gives a lot of good background.
It’s The Stranger https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9698480/ I think I only watched like 3 eps or something. I thought the casting of Jennifer Saunders who’s a comedienne is odd, and the plot is just preposterous. I do like the lead actress of Fool Me Once though, she’s hilarious in interviews with her thick Northern accent.
I just saw the preview of TransAtlantic, I have to find time to watch it now!
I’m curious now to at least watch an episode or two of The Stranger, will let you know what I think and you let me know about TransAtlantic!
Sounds like a plan! Thanks for the recs, Becky!!