Synopsis. Five years after the murder of a 17-year-old girl in a sleepy English town, one student is determined to uncover the truth and find the real killer. (from Netflix)
What worked for me. Emma Myers, as our Good Girl Pip, had me hooked from the start. I worried for her—she felt genuinely vulnerable—but I also believed in her ability to crack the case. She was the only one I trusted.
The pacing was fast. Every episode begged for the next, and before I knew it, I’d watched all six in just two sittings. Honestly, I could’ve finished it in one.
What didn’t work for me. What stood out most to me was that Pip sometimes came across as too smart—her conclusions felt a bit too sophisticated for a high schooler. Still, I could accept it because this is a hallmark of YA fiction: the young protagonist must be capable of navigating challenges independently. Without that, the sense of empowerment so vital to YA stories would be lost for the audience.
Final thoughts. It’s no secret I believe British television outshines its American counterpart.1 There’s a narrative sharpness to it—a kind of storytelling savvy American writers often lack. I chalk that up largely to freedom from the bloated 26-episode season model, which can dilute even the best concepts. Netflix seems to have caught on, favoring shorter, punchier series with stronger storytelling.
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Based on: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Directors: Dolly Wells, Tom Vaughan
Writers: Poppy Cogan, Ruby Thomas, Zia Ahmed, Ajoke Ibironke
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Number of Seasons: 1 (as of 2025)
Number of Episodes: 6
Main Cast: Emma Myers, Zain Iqbal, Asha Banks, Raiko Gohara, Jude Morgan-Collie, Yali Topol Margalith, Yasmin Al-Khudhairi, Henry Ashton, Carla Woodcock, Mathew Baynton, Gary Beadle
- The US has the British beat when it comes to the sit-com. There are few British comedies that I find funny. ↩︎
The Philomath 
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