MovieChat Forums > Strike (2018) Discussion > Career of Evil

Career of Evil

posted a year ago by ClementinaSpur (911)
7 replies | jump to latest

If anyone hasn't watched Career of Evil yet, do yourself a favor and read the book first. The book is amazing, and I'm saying that after I had already seen the TV adaptation of it. I can't imagine the ride it would've been if I went into the book blind to anything about it. Wow.

Every single thing is personal for Strike (and Robin) in Career of Evil. The conflict both professionally and personally is tense. His attraction and feelings for Robin are blossoming and reaching his conscious mind. Robin is being pulled toward Strike as well. Every event and every character adds up to a superb read.

I don't think it's necessary to read The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm to dive into Career of Evil. They were good, with The Silkworm being better than The Cuckoo's Calling, but they really just get everyone and everything in motion. Career of Evil is enhanced because we get more Robin than the first two books.

I'm still perplexed at how the series just barely scratches the surface of what happens in the books to the detriment of understanding the mystery. All the scenes that made me furiously flip pages were not put in the series. Too much is left to inference which would be impossible to figure out unless one reads the books.

[–] Luffy (852) a year ago

I'm still perplexed at how the series just barely scratches the surface of what happens in the books to the detriment of understanding the mystery. All the scenes that made me furiously flip pages were not put in the series. Too much is left to inference which would be impossible to figure out unless one reads the books.

That will always happen. It is to be deplored. The admiration you have for CoE is familiar to me. Books replaced movies (esp recent movies) for me and have for a few years. I gave the direct sequel to CoE, Lethal White, 2 stars out of 5 though. So while I'm not a fan of the series, I'm a believer in bookish adaptations being inferior to the book 98 times out of 100.

[–] ClementinaSpur (911) a year ago

I agree that book adaptations are inferior to the book in almost every case, but to me Strike suffers even more. Even before I started reading the books, I would feel lost and out-of-the-loop on the mysteries. Getting from Point A to Point B seemed even tougher. I thought even then that they were leaving too much up to the viewer's ability to draw an inference. I don't think an adaptation has to spoon feed every single thing, but a little inside knowledge would be nice.

I do think the bare bones of the TV series is probably down to budget. There are many more characters and locations in the books that would drive up a budget if they had been included.

I also suppose it could be possible that the producers and writers decided to sacrifice fidelity to the mystery to focus on the growing romantic and sexual tension between Strike and Robin. The mysteries are just vehicles to carry the two of them along in what really is a love story.

I'll let you know what I think of Lethal White when I finish. I know my view of the TV version didn't rank high.

[–] Luffy (852) a year ago

Fair enough. You have quite some intelligence. Hope you like the book.

[–] ClementinaSpur (911) a year ago

Thanks, Luffy. Good conversation here!

[–] ClementinaSpur (911) 6 months ago

I've started rereading the books and just finished The Cuckoo's Calling. I enjoyed it much more in the second round because many of the things in Cuckoo's Calling have significance in later books, and I didn't realize that in the first read. Then I rewatched the TV adaptation of Cuckoo's Calling.

I am replying to my own post here because I was reminded of how thinly written the TV mystery is regarding very important plot elements such as the reason Lula Landry wrote her will so hurriedly, John Bristow's real motive to kill her, the unique plan Bristow put in motion to provide himself an alibi, etc. Lady Yvette Bristow plays a huge role in the plot, but that is not even hinted at in the series.

I know a TV adaptation cannot be all the things a novel is and include everything in it; however, in the final episode when Strike lays out his case to Bristow in his office, it would've been so easy to have written into Strike's dialogue the important plot issues I listed above. I bet filming a quick flashback to explain the reasons, motive, and alibi wouldn't have broken the bank or the episode time limit. There's just too much left to inference with no possible way to get there.

[–] ClementinaSpur (911) a year ago

Hi, Luffy. I said I'd let you know what I thought of Lethal White. It's no Career of Evil, but I enjoyed it well enough. I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5. I think the draw of this book is the drama around Robin's crumbling marriage to Matthew because he is the jerk of the century to Robin just about every moment which the TV series does not adequately portray in my opinion.

I also feel that this book was changed the most for the TV adaptation which would explain why I felt more lost watching Lethal White than I did with the other adaptations.

Now on to the behemoth Troubled Blood.

[–] Luffy (852) a year ago

Thanks for the post, ClementinaSpur! The book is better than many others in the genre. I hope you don't get disappointed by Troubled Blood. Send a word whenever, especially if you want recommendations.