“Sweetpea,” released on Oct. 10, is a new Starz mini-series based on a book by C. J. Skuse of the same name. It stars Ella Purnell, known for her roles in “Yellowjackets” and “Fallout.” It’s the kind of show that asks the question: What happens when someone reaches their breaking point and explores the results of that?
In the first episode, titled “Sorry For Your Loss,” we meet our main character Rhiannon Lewis as she talks about the list of people she would kill and why. The audience learns that her boss and coworkers don’t respect or even notice her, her mom left, she was bullied in school, her sister doesn’t respond to her texts and her dad is in the hospital.
From the get-go Lewis is struggling and doesn’t have many people in her corner. She’s very close with her father and in the beginning of the episode he passes away. This is the first of a series of events that lead Rhiannon to hit her limit. At her dad’s funeral, her sister tells her she’s going to sell their father’s house, which Rhiannon lives in. Her high school bully, Julia, also makes an appearance as she’s going to be the realtor listing the house. This all comes to a head at the end of the episode when she stabs a random guy on the street, not visibly. At first it genuinely looks like it was a shock to her that she had that capability but then feeling that release of anger, she goes overkill on the guy.
This show really focuses and hones in on the feeling of being invisible and what it means to take that power back and be seen. Although Lewis does the wrong thing in becoming a lowkey serial killer, she really believes she’s not doing anything wrong.
I won’t lie, the first murder I was kind of okay with, but once she went after a second person I was yelling at my TV. Another layer that makes the show so enticing is that no one suspects her, so it all seems too good to be true. While she’s working a job at a newspaper, she’s able to investigate her victims in an attempt to feel better about her actions but cover it up as being an eager employee. Her dad’s recent death is another card she constantly plays and going back to the basis of the show, her being invisible to everyone begins to work in her favor.
I think it’s up to the viewer if you want to root for Lewis or not. Though, one of her motivations after the first kill is that she starts getting noticed by people in ways she didn’t before. Not to argue the moral standpoints of this show, but confidence probably shouldn’t be motivation to go around killing people. Especially because we see throughout the show the victims are not necessarily good people, and you get the idea that Lewis thinks she’s doing the world a favor.
It is a slightly graphic show and if blood specifically isn’t your thing, some scenes might be hard to watch. With that it’s also gripping because the entire time you’re watching you’re waiting to see if Rhiannon gets caught or if she’s able to get away scot free. If you’re able to watch it, I highly recommend giving it a shot and seeing how you feel. Do you support women’s rights — and wrongs?
Rating: 4/5 stars