Having read the message board posts for this program, a lot of people seem to dislike both the new "Marple" adaptations in general, and this episode in particular. However, I am not one of theme. I have never been one to hold up live-action adaptations to their source novels (I haven't even read this Agatha Christie book), and I think thought this episode was very good when viewed independently of the book! Although not the best-ever episode of "Marple" (that honor falls to "A Murder Is Announced", from the first season), "Nemesis" is a very solid, engaging entry in the series.
The basic premise is that a friend of Miss Marple's, Jason Rafiel, dies and leaves her a letter asking her to solve an unspecified crime that has happened, or will happen soon. To this end, he has also left her 2 tickets for a bus tour of the English countryside. So, Miss Marple sets off with her nephew Raymond, but it seems as if all the other bus passengers are connected to one another through a mysterious girl named Verity. It falls to Miss Marple to honor Jason Rafiel's last request, and untangle the secrets that bind everyone together.
Like all other "Marple" episodes, one of the highlights was the performances - "Marple" episodes always feature great British character actors, and this one was no exception. Geraldine McEwan is always excellent; she is by far my favorite Miss Marple (I know many will disagree, but I always found Joan Hickson to be far too cold and unfriendly in the role). Other standouts in this episode were Ruth Wilson, fresh from the recent "Jane Eyre" TV adaptation, as the tour group leader, and Ronni Ancona as the glamorous socialite Amanda Dalrymple. The settings and costumes were also impeccable.
The story itself was also very intriguing, with many secrets from the past being brought to the surface (a very common theme in Agatha Christie's novels). The story did move quite briskly, though, and it was occasionally difficult to keep up with the plot developments. I was watching the episode on tape, though, so it wasn't a big issue for me. I also found the solution to the mystery to be very gratifying, and it completely surprised me! Although I have not read the book, I have heard that this adaptation has taken significant liberties with the plot, so you may wish to 'prepare yourself' if the book is one of your favorites. However, I enjoyed this adaptation a great deal, and I definitely recommend it.
The basic premise is that a friend of Miss Marple's, Jason Rafiel, dies and leaves her a letter asking her to solve an unspecified crime that has happened, or will happen soon. To this end, he has also left her 2 tickets for a bus tour of the English countryside. So, Miss Marple sets off with her nephew Raymond, but it seems as if all the other bus passengers are connected to one another through a mysterious girl named Verity. It falls to Miss Marple to honor Jason Rafiel's last request, and untangle the secrets that bind everyone together.
Like all other "Marple" episodes, one of the highlights was the performances - "Marple" episodes always feature great British character actors, and this one was no exception. Geraldine McEwan is always excellent; she is by far my favorite Miss Marple (I know many will disagree, but I always found Joan Hickson to be far too cold and unfriendly in the role). Other standouts in this episode were Ruth Wilson, fresh from the recent "Jane Eyre" TV adaptation, as the tour group leader, and Ronni Ancona as the glamorous socialite Amanda Dalrymple. The settings and costumes were also impeccable.
The story itself was also very intriguing, with many secrets from the past being brought to the surface (a very common theme in Agatha Christie's novels). The story did move quite briskly, though, and it was occasionally difficult to keep up with the plot developments. I was watching the episode on tape, though, so it wasn't a big issue for me. I also found the solution to the mystery to be very gratifying, and it completely surprised me! Although I have not read the book, I have heard that this adaptation has taken significant liberties with the plot, so you may wish to 'prepare yourself' if the book is one of your favorites. However, I enjoyed this adaptation a great deal, and I definitely recommend it.