Sweetpea Review: Purnell is brilliant in deliciously addictive series

Starz brings CJ Skuse’s novel Sweetpea to life with an utterly fascinating television adaptation starring a miraculous Ella Purnell as Rhiannon Lewis.

This narrative has twists and turns designed to keep everyone on their toes regardless of if they are familiar with the source material. It is basically like if Fleabag was mixed with Netflix’s You and featured one of the best protagonists you will find on television this year in Rhiannon Lewis (Ella Purnell, Fallout). She is utterly fascinating for all the right or wrong reasons, depending on who you ask. What Purnell does with Rhiannon is such a contrast to what we have seen from her before and the actress delivers another stand out performance amongst a solid ensemble. The series also features an excellent score from Isobel Waller-Bridge which contributes to what is ultimately a dark and hilarious time.

Sweetpea centers on Rhiannon Lewis (Purnell), who has a fairly mundane life. Hardly anyone seems to ever notice or acknowledge her presence. She has been trying to earn a promotion at work, but is overlooked. Even the guy she has taken a liking to refuses to commit in any way. To top it all off, Rhiannon’s father is very ill. When everything in her life is turned upside down, this quiet girl is finally pushed over the edge, and discovers a rush unlike any other once she loses control. Now the question is: How long can Rhiannon keep her killer secret?

What truly makes Sweetpea stand out is the character of Rhiannon Lewis and Ella Purnell’s performance. Strictly speaking, she is not a character you should be rooting for and yet, as the writers reveal more about her, you may find yourself believing that Rhiannon is not entirely in the wrong. While her behavior is indeed a bit psychopathic, this series makes you consider all the factors that contributed to it. She is a nice person, which is a contrast to her book counterpart, who spews sarcastic, funny and hateful observations about everyone, including her friends. We get some of that in the series, but only towards characters that have been openly cruel to Rhiannon. 

This is a character that has been looked over and pushed to a breaking point, rather than a psychopath like Joe Goldberg from You, who kills in a desperate need to heal  his mommy issues. Rhiannon may be unhinged, but she develops into almost a sort of anti heroine as the series progresses. She is not always in the right, but you understand her actions, and can see that this is not a completely evil person. 

Over the course of six episodes, Ella Purnell truly conveys all sides of Rhiannon and makes the character much more compelling. She helps us further understand her in a way that you cannot put on a page through her gradual shifts in tone and expressive eyes. Being able to see and hear the differences in the sweet, kind parts of Rhiannon and her darker side are key to making the entire premise work. If Purnell falters, not only is Rhiannon going to suffer as a character, but audiences will not be able to buy into the story. After all, part of the entire point of Sweetpea is making people believe Rhiannon is not capable of doing these things. 

Ella Purnell puts on an acting tour de force and elevates this interesting narrative to greater heights. Even though there are changes from the book, a number of them were seemingly done in order to make things fresh while still maintaining what makes the Sweetpea series special. We get to see more of why Rhiannon is this way and what makes her tick. This adds more depth and relatability to a character that could be viewed as nothing more than a killer as originally written. With those additions, audiences will find themselves actually rooting for her to get away with it and feel more tension whenever she finds herself backed into a corner. 

The writers also craft a number of exciting supporting characters around Purnell’s Rhiannon. Among them is Norman (Jeremy Swift), Rhiannon’s boss at The Gazette, a newspaper. This character serves as such a contrast to Leslie Higgins, whom Swift portrayed on Ted Lasso mainly because he is a lot ruder and that took some getting used to. The biggest highlight of our supporting players is Leah Harvey as Marina, a police officer investigating the string of murders. Harvey is just so good in the role and their character serves as the perfect counterpart to Rhiannon in this cat and mouse game. Their back and forths in Sweetpea, particularly as the series nears its conclusion, are awesome to watch. 

If there is one drawback to making Rhiannon a more likable character, it is that this series is at times missing those darkly comedic jokes from her that briefly took book readers away from the thrills and drama. There are comedic moments involving other characters but not all of them landed for me. It would have been nice if the writers’ room had managed to keep a little more of Rhiannon’s edgy jokes, but in the grand scheme of things, it does not hurt Sweetpea that much. 

A superb musical score by Isobel Waller-Bridge brings the right energy whenever it is utilized. Even in the opening scene, the accompanying tune is bouncy but has a dark undertone, much like Rhiannon herself. Waller-Bridge seems to have this special ability to bottle up every key moment and set it to the perfect soundtrack. She adds to the nerves that the audience feels at any given time. A perfect score can help make scenes iconic and Waller-Bridge’s music has certainly done its part to ensure that the right moments stick with viewers. 

Sweetpea is a deliciously addictive series. Ella Purnell’s sensational performance as Rhiannon Lewis gives such heart to a twisted protagonist. She will make you want to follow a fantastic, unnerving, and comedic narrative through to the very end.

The Series Premiere of Sweetpea will be released on Starz (US & Canada) and Sky & Now (UK & Ireland) on October 10, 2024, followed by weekly episodes.