gridoon2024 Review of Stay Close

Stay Close (2021)

Very strong opening and finish, slight dip in the middle

[8/10 · 19 January 2022]

You know what you'll get with a Harlan Coben show: someone(s) is missing, a family wih guilty secrets, multiple interconnected stories, and a puzzling plot which will, however, eventually become crystal clear (you can always count on Coben for answers at the end). "Stay Close" gets off to a flying start, with some visually arresting motifs (the green bridge, the giant statue head), a top cast that you are trying to figure out who each character is and how they are connected, and two genuine mind-f twists / cliffhangers at the end of episodes 2 & 3. However, there is a problem with that: it creates the expectation that all episodes will have cliffhangers of this caliber, which is definitely not true. In fact, episodes 4 & 5 slow down a lot, almost to the point where one might even consider not watching the rest. But the series bounces back in episodes 6 & 7, and finally arrives at a GREAT twist in the final episode; this was really the most logical solution all along, in terms of both motive and location, but the viewer, much like the fictional police and the victims, understimates the threat. It's an uneven show, but on the strength of its beginning and ending, which are terrific, I am willing to overlook its slight dip in the middle and award it an 8 out of 10.