Gone for Good

I enjoyed aspects of this series, but felt there were just too many things going on, too many layers, plots and sub-plots, some relevant and some not. Developing every character in detail, when there are already other important threads to sustain in the story web, can detract from the story, in my opinion. Just too much going on for me to score this higher.

I have been reading Harlan Coben's books since he started publishing them. I rated this book on GoodReads at 5 stars. I'll be honest, I didn't recognize the plot at all. At times I was talking to my tv because I was so confused at times. But. That didn't keep me from binge watching the whole series tonight. One episode slid effortlessly right into the next so there was no question I was watching it all in one sitting.

It's a story of two brothers, one good and one bad. It's also the story of the night the main character loses both his ex-girlfriend and his brother. When the main character's now girlfriend goes missing after his father's funeral, he's pulled into the mystery of where she went and has to do more than a few illegal things while on his hunt. The man that employs both main characters is on the hunt with him at times and actually had quite the messed up backstory.

There was a lot going on in this series. Lots of subplots, some of which were not that important. One major free for all fight was really poorly done. So unrealistic. Still it kept me interested from beginning to end and I'm glad I decided to watch. If you like suspense with a bit of romance thrown in, this just might be the series for you to watch next!

As this five-part French series, based on a book by Harlan Coben, opens in 2010 in the South of France; there is an attack at a house... a woman, Sonia, ends up dead in the pool and a man, Fred, is shot; his body falls into the Mediterranean and is never seen again. The two are linked by Guillaume Lucchesi; Sonia was his first love and Fred was his brother. Ten years pass and Guillaume thinks he has but the past behind him. Then one day his fiancée suddenly vanishes. As he tries to find out what happens he must also explore what happened in 2010 and the possible link to current events.

As one would expect from a series based on a book by Harlan Coben there are lots of twists and turns and many things we, and characters, believe turn out to be somewhat different in reality. There are plenty of exciting moments as Guillaume and his friend De Costa ask questions of some distinctly shady characters and are followed by an ominous hooded figure. There are plenty of flashbacks to various important things that happened in the past; thankfully these are well signed so the viewer is never in doubt about when and where what they are watching takes place. The cast does a fine job; most notably Finnegan Oldfield, as Guillaume; Guillaume Gouix as De Costa; and Garance Marillier as Sonia's younger Sister Inès. There is much in the way of fine scenery to be enjoyed... as well as some locations tourists would give a wide berth. Overall I found this to be a gripping little series and would certainly recommend it.

These comments are based on watching the series in French with English subtitles.

I found this show entertaining, BUT the series was filmed in France with French actors. I recommend watching it in its native language with subtitles if you don't speak French. The dubbing is horrible and annoying.

The thing with Harlan Coben stories is they always have a lot going on. You've got your main plot and several other subplots going on. This one didn't have as many subplots, as everything going on was all connected. With all of HC's work you get thrown a lot of information in the beginning which can often be confusing, but everything is alway explained at the end. Apart from The Woods, I've thoroughly enjoyed the Netflix adaptations of HC's novels. (Including the SKY production of The Five which he created). However, Gone For Good has not gone down well with me. It actually started out quite similar to The Innocent (which was fantastic), and there were a few surprises here and there and so I thought it was bound to have this shocking, massive twist at the end, however halfway through the show it started to go downhill and by the end the 'reveal' wasn't really a surprise. I've not read the book and so I cannot make comparisons but the show for me was a huge letdown. Unlike the other shows I've seen, this one became a bit predictable. I was disappointed with it, nevertheless I will continue to watch as Netflix continue to produce HC's novels. 5 down, 9 more to go! Looking forward to Stay Close which hopefully premieres on Netflix later this year.