The little drummer girl

I watched episode one on catch up last night, hoping to enjoy a good 9pm Sunday tv series again. Initially I reminded myself that Le Carrie is always dense and complicated so to concentrate and focus. 15 minutes in I turned it off, I was bored and couldn't see the point. Shame.

I watched last night's episode to the end, and felt it failed because of the poor performance of the Little Drummer Girl, don't know her character's name.
On stage she would be described as stopping dead at the footlights.
Complete lack of charisma; how did she get the part?
The observing interrogators made more impact.

It would probably be better to read the book and use our own imaginations.

Agreed Jalima, but I do like a 9pm Sunday drama on the telly. I don't always cook a roast dinner these days but other Sunday traditions continue, long dog walks, lazy afternoons reading the papers, or getting the garden tidied up a bit then, eating an evening meal, before settling down to watch some telly.

I agree Iam64, it does seem a pity; it's not in the tradition of good Sunday evening viewing.

However, Sean O'Grady of the Independent disagrees with the majority of posters on here:
Almost everything about this production is wonderful

www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/little-drummer-girl-review-episode-2-bbc-watch-florence-pugh-alexander-skarsgard-john-le-carre-a8614176.html

or is he just being pretentious?

The cat and I had an early night, much more enjoyable reading a good book.

Has anyone else stuck with it? Becoming more interesting and moving I thought. Her confusion with the Israeli spy and the Palestinian terrorist is well done and very appropriate. Illustrates the whole problem in a new way,

There's a lot of talk on the internet and elsewhere about the unfathomobility of the plot. I too am terribly confused as to what is happening but I have stuck with it. As always, he deals with some very uncomfortable issues.

Browsing through the internet, there were several comments that the character Charmian was based on Le Carre's half sister, Charlotte Cornwell who was one of the stars of Rock Follies (if anyone remembers that).

Le Carre is a great writer but I find most of his books very difficult to follow - though from my recollection A Perfect Spy was more straightforward and a not too challenging read.

I also enjoyed The Night Manager so was looking forward to this. It failed to hold my interest so I gave up after the first episode.

I never knew that Eloethan!

The reviews have been extremely enthusiastic and 5*, but I'm afraid that I didn't stick with it.

Oh I agree charleygirl. I have no cat, but plenty of books

I have stuck with it, but the latest episode was a confused plotline, probably better done in the book.
Have just got the dvd of the old Tinker Tailor and A Perfect Spy ( I always liked Peter Egan) and because they were made a good few years ago I bet the plot is much easier to follow.

I agree that The Night Manager was a fantastic series, so well done.

I don't mind the complexity of the plot, in fact I think it adds to the interest and the tension. The absolute horror of what is being done dawns slowly and hence is much more moving than a simple and graphic depiction.

I've stuck with this and it has grown on me. I don't understand all of what is happening but that's probably just me and I still think it is very good.

Well I stuck it to the end but really found it difficult to get through the rather unbelievable plot. Spoiler Alert!!! A staged explosion with fake injuries? A terrorist living alone and unprotected in a house somewhere in a wood? And whatever was Charley's motivation for going through what she did, and still carrying on? An actor's commitment to a role surely has its limits, or was it all for love? Whatever it was it was a waste of time!

I gave up after episode 2. It didn't feel worth the energy expended in trying to follow it!

I watched each episode, was lost in the middle but "got it" better in last episode. I thought the actress playing Charmian was good playing just what she was supposed to be, an aspiring actress. I haven't read the book and had expectations that the plot would explore the politics and motivations and possibly the Stockholm effect, but it didn't really. Had to suspend belief with some aspects, but this happens with most dramas.

I've recorded it to binge watch as I find I follow things so much better that way.

Well, at least she ended up with the gorgeous guy she fancied all along. That's the main thing. I loved it. Didn't understand it all but still loved it. Characters, places, everything really.

I tried to watch most of this but fell asleep in the first two episodes. However I watched the last one all through and really if I had just seen that I would have known the whole plot so for me it was a one possibly two hour thing rather than several episodes.

Like Annodomini, we gave up after Ep. 2 and from most of what I read here we haven't missed much. A great disappointment after the brilliance of The Night Manager.

I watched all of it, and it grew on me. Very good acting all round, and the plot developed slowly but well.
Possibly reading the book would be better, as it usually is.

I enjoyed it but must admit I wasn't really sure what was happening most of the time, except that there were some very nasty goings on. I think I need to try and find a synopsis that can explain it all to me.

I don't think you can compare it to the Night Manager. The Night Manager was a fairly straightforward plot whereas the plot to the Little Drummer Girl was very complex. I really liked the Night Manager but I couldn't stand Tom Hiddleston in it and really couldn't imagine him as the sort of hard man he portrayed.