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The Serpent on BBC

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  • 13-01-2021 2:01am
    #1
    MayoForSam
    Registered Users Posts: 2,266 ✭✭✭


    Anyone else watching The Serpent on BBC? All episodes are available on the iPlayer.

    Decent story about a creepy serial killer of hippy tourists in SE Asia during the mid 1970's, based on true events. It's well made, great soundtrack and very atmospheric. The main character is a bit of a cartoon villain, played by the actor from A Prophet a few years ago. Not sure where Jemma Coleman (ex Emmerdale) got the French accent (some of the dialogue is multi-lingual, quiet fitting for the period in question). The time jumps are rather off-putting but you get used to them.

    Lord Percy (Tim McInerney) puts in a half decent performance as a Belgian hard man diplomat.


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    #2
    Hodors Appletart
    Registered Users Posts: 2,025 ✭✭✭Hodors Appletart


    We've watched 2 eps so far and it's good, it looks very nice.


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    #3
    The_Dave
    Registered Users Posts: 433 ✭✭The_Dave


    I'm enjoying it, but some issues I have are
    why do the captives keep taking the 'medicine' have they no common sense and the constant leaping between times confuses me somewhat
    . I find it a bit slow-paced, could definitely have cut the 3 episodes I've seen so far into at least half that


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    #4
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    It does have longuers but the story is a good one, you could easily imagine it could still happen bar the issue of much faster communication. I suspect that many who do the modern hippy trail are pretty naive and careless.


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    #5
    johnire
    Registered Users Posts: 1,527 ✭✭✭johnire


    I thought it was absolutely fantastic. The attention to detail to recreate the 70s look was so impressive


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    #6
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    It does but they are in Thailand and we don't really know what the differences between now and then are in that part of the world. A bit of set dressing, some old cars and clothes can go a long way. Plus the careful use of old footage which is blended in with the new stuff to help create the 70s vibe.


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    #7
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    i heard someone raving about this on the radio, is it really that good?


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    #8
    johnire
    Registered Users Posts: 1,527 ✭✭✭johnire


    Yes! It was absolutely fascinating.
    fryup wrote: »
    i heard someone raving about this on the radio, is it really that good?


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    #9
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,815 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    Its very good a bit drawn out at times but overall I'm enjoying it.


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    #10
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    is it repeated during the week by any chance??


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    #11
    johnire
    Registered Users Posts: 1,527 ✭✭✭johnire


    No unfortunately it’s not.

    fryup wrote: »
    is it repeated during the week by any chance??


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    #12
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I thought this was brilliant. I was going to give up after about 2 episodes, thought it was a bit slow. But so glad I stuck with it. Watched the whole lot on BBC iplayer over the weekend. Acting is great, especially Jenna Coleman, clothes are great, story is great. True story too which makes it even better.


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    #13
    Larsso30
    Registered Users Posts: 560 ✭✭✭Larsso30


    Thought this was excellent


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    #14
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    The crazy thing is that it's pretty much all true.

    They only changed minor details for the story flow.

    There is a 45 minute piece" serial killer Charles Sobraj documentary" on YouTube. Worth a watch after you've watched this to the end.

    You can see where the tv show recreated directly some shots.

    As an aside I've never seen so many cigarettes smoked during one tv show!

    Interesting way of dealing with smoking whilst certainly not glamorising it.


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    #15
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,815 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    glasso wrote: »
    The crazy thing is that it's pretty much all true.

    They only changed minor details for the story flow.

    There is a 45 minute piece" serial killer Charles Sobraj documentary" on YouTube. Worth a watch after you've watched this to the end.

    You can see where the tv show recreated directly some shots.

    As an aside I've never seen so many cigarettes smoked during one tv show!

    Interesting way of dealing with smoking whilst certainly not glamorising it.

    The Dutch man smoking was certainly true, I've never met people like the Dutch to smoke, usually roll ups morning noon and night. I'm resisting the temptation to jump ahead and watch it on the iPlayer. Last two episodes of spiral on Saturday night too...


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    #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    The Dutch man smoking was certainly true, I've never met people like the Dutch to smoke, usually roll ups morning noon and night. I'm resisting the temptation to jump ahead and watch it on the iPlayer. Last two episodes of spiral on Saturday night too...

    Yer wan "monique" was always sucking on a fag too in most scenes.


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    #17
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,815 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    glasso wrote: »
    Yer wan "monique" was always sucking on a fag too in most scenes.

    You can include the French in my statement too!!


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    #18
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    You can include the French in my statement too!!

    People smoke a lot less in most nationalities these days tbh

    70's was pretty much peak smoking

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Os7OrPZSo


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    #19
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    You can include the French in my statement too!!

    She was Canadian tho.


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    #20
    Hangdogroad
    Registered Users Posts: 4,924 ✭✭✭Hangdogroad


    glasso wrote: »
    She was Canadian tho.

    Think he means the blond one who was photographing their apartment.


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    #21
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,815 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    Hangdogroad wrote: »
    Think he means the blond one who was photographing their apartment.

    Don't bother he'll have the last word no matter what...


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    #22
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Hangdogroad wrote: »
    Think he means the blond one who was photographing their apartment.

    Ah come on now, Nadine is a brunette!

    She is French yes.

    Knippenberg's wife/ ex-wife is the blonde....


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    #23
    ThunbergsAreGo
    Registered Users Posts: 10,399 ✭✭✭✭ThunbergsAreGo


    Best thing I have watched in a while


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    #24
    Larsso30
    Registered Users Posts: 560 ✭✭✭Larsso30


    absolutely loved this, at points i couldnt believe it was so true , he was just repeating same and same again and getting away with it.

    Would love to know what happened with Ajay.

    Why he went back to nepal, beggars belief.

    had a degree of sympathy for monique until the two tourists in Nepal. she knew well what she had signed their death warrant


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    #25
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    i missed the first 4 episodes of this,

    can someone give me a quick synopsis, what's his purpose for killing these people jealousy spite or just for money?


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    #26
    ednwireland
    Registered Users Posts: 14,308 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    fryup wrote: »
    i missed the first 4 episodes of this,

    can someone give me a quick synopsis, what's his purpose for killing these people jealousy spite or just for money?

    just for money as far as i can tell but he seems to enjoy it as well, although they havent gone into his motivations much apart from the fact he thinks they are rich spoilt white kids !

    although its dog slow for the first 4 episodes its probably 2 episodes too long

    if the OH wasnt watching it i would have given up by now

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



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    #27
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,815 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    ednwireland wrote: »
    just for money as far as i can tell but he seems to enjoy it as well, although they havent gone into his motivations much apart from the fact he thinks they are rich spoilt white kids !

    although its dog slow for the first 4 episodes its probably 2 episodes too long

    if the OH wasnt watching it i would have given up by now

    He was using their identities to move from country to country to transport gems which was far more lucrative than what he robbed from his victims.


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    #28
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    well what did you think of the ending???

    quare fish wasn't he, wonder why he returned to nepal? for the attention?? to goad
    the authorities??


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    #29
    rubberdungeon
    Registered Users Posts: 606 ✭✭✭rubberdungeon


    I really liked it, watched it weekly rather than watching it in a couple of sitting via the player.

    I thought it was slow to begin with and found some parts hard to follow but now I’ve watched it all, I really enjoyed it.

    That said, when I watched it all, I Googled him to get more details to fill in some of the gaps for myself


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    #30
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,815 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    fryup wrote: »
    well what did you think of the ending???

    quare fish wasn't he, wonder why he returned to nepal? for the attention?? to goad
    the authorities??

    Brilliant, he was a complete loop the loop, reminds me of a Garry Larson cartoon, patient lying on the shrinks couch, looking over the shoulder of the shrink he has written on his notepad "Just plain nuts!!"


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    #31
    is_that_so
    Registered Users Posts: 32,136 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so


    Finding this a real slog and convinced 4 episodes would have been enough. So many unnecessary nondescript tangents in it. Main actors good, there are some good moments and it nails the 70s look very well but it all seems to suffer from that loose "based on" caveat, which can often signify not enough editing. I see most reviews gave it 3/5, that's probably about right.


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