56 Days – A Spoiler FILLED Review for a NEW Mysterious & Sexy Thriller

Amazon MGM Studios and Atomic Monster just dropped all 8 episodes on Prime Video, of their new original series, 56 Days. While, it is based on a novel of the same name by Catherine Ryan Howard, it does not take place in Dublin. Nor does it take place during the COVID lockdown. For a spoiler FREE review, click HERE. However, if you’ve already binged the series, my spoiler filled thoughts are below.

Starring Dove Cameron as Ciara Wyse, and Avan Jogia as Oliver Kennedy, 56 Days is full of sex, mystery, and twist after twist.

**WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD**

The Story for 56 Days

We kick off with the most disgusting decomposing body. As we go through the season, we continue to flash back to the last 56 days. Day 1 of 56 being the day Ciara and Oliver met. What at first looks to be a random meet cute, turns into so much more. She was playing him all along, while he was hiding a huge secret. Unknowing that she’s known his secret since it happened. This back and forth leads us to believe that the body in the tub is one of them, put there by the other. However, it all beautifully unravels at the end, as the body is revealed to be…

***LAST CHANCE TO AVOID THE BIGGEST SPOILER OF THE SHOW!***

THE THERAPIST.

The Reveal of the Body

While I didn’t expect the discovery of who the corpse is, to become obvious right away, the reveal of it being the therapist never crossed my mind. We spend 8 episodes trying to figure out who is the most manipulative and conniving, and all along the ultimate predator is the one person that should be doing nothing but helping. I absolutely loved this twist, as it all made sense in the end. He had everything to gain from this young rich kid needing a therapist on call.

While the therapist was the ultimate predator, neither Ciara or Oliver are innocent. While Oliver attempted to make good on what he had done, he didn’t. The guilt ate him alive, but he still never took accountability for drowning his classmate, and letting Ciara’s brother take the blame. Just the right amount of money however, can apparently forgive a lot.

The Therapist is not the only Manipulator

Ciara is no angel in this case. She has a mission, and it’s to take down the man she blames for her brother’s suicide, and ultimately the collapse of her family: Oliver. She knows he was the one to kill his classmate, not her brother. However, Oliver had money, and her family did not. So Ciara’s brother took the blame, and then killed himself. Ciara is unaware, this was at the suggestion of the school guidance counselor (now Oliver’s on call therapist), and that Oliver intended to turn himself in. However, if she hadn’t fallen in love, would that have mattered?

Ciara’s goal is ultimately achieved. Oliver confesses, and her family is financially compensated. Despite her hate for Oliver in the beginning, there was still a passion for him, and that comes across very clear in their early sex scenes. However, you can see the moment where her passion for Oliver turns to love. Something she did not see coming.

Is Ciara what a (non manipulative) therapist would call emotionally healthy? I’m gonna guess absolutely not, but she makes for a hell of a fictional character. The twist of her brother, Shane, being the one accused for Oliver’s crime, rather than the one who Oliver killed was definitely unexpected. Giving the story an extra layer of surprise.

Oliver’s Past

It’s made very clear that despite Oliver being raised with money, he’s not emotionally well taken care of. His parents have been absent his whole life, doing nothing more than cutting a check. At one point he’s on the phone with his mother and we see her letting a child watch Invincible. While this may be just a fun Easter Egg to another Prime series, any adult who has read or watched Invincible, knows full well that is not for children. Oliver’s mom is not winning any mom of the year awards, and allowing a child to watch Invincible is a good (fun) example of that.

SIDENOTE: It’s my all time favorite comic, and an amazing show. ADULTS should absolutely read AND watch Invincible.

While it’s clear Oliver has some trauma from his childhood, his morals seem to still be in tact. Despite him not ever turning himself in and clearing Shane’s name, he does seem like a good guy. Just a bit of a coward. However, we’re regularly getting thrown off with characters like Jane, the reporter, or Alison, his boss’ wife. Were their suspicions warranted? How did they become so close?

I wanted to see more of their backstories in the hopes it would lead to more about Oliver’s past. Seeing that Alison’s death was clearly an accident, and Jane had a whole conspiracy wall and broke into Oliver’s apartment, seemed to show they were just nosey and over dramatic. While, I love how it all played out in the end, I was hoping for more from both of their storylines.

The Side Story in 56 Days

We meet Lee (played by Karla Souza) and Karl (played by Dorian Missick) early on. They’re brought on to solve the murder of the body in the tub. As the case develops we learn about them. They seem to have a good social and professional relationship. However, neither are without their faults. Lee’s faults being a bit more illegal than Karl’s. While I enjoyed their story throughout, I was starting to wonder why we were so focused on them personally.

That was until the end. Another satisfying wrap up. It’s always fun to root for the “good guy” when they’re doing shady stuff. They plant evidence, and solve two problems at once. Lee should be safe now, and Ciara and Oliver essentially get off. Even if they’ve already fled for good.

Good Guys Finish Last

The one character who genuinely seemed sweet and pure throughout this series ended up alone. Elliott (played by Alfredo Narciso) lost his best friend, his surrogate son, and his wife. He saw the good in Oliver when no one else did. Without Elliott we’re led to believe Oliver would have turned himself in. Thereby not getting his happily ever after. While, I think Oliver would have found any excuse to avoid turning himself in, Elliott made him feel good about his decision, rather than guilty. I just hope Elliott eventually got his happily ever after as well.

Overall Grade: 9/10

The overall theme of 56 Days, I believe, comes back to a little street art in the 3rd episode: “If you are happy you can forgive a great deal.” This foreshadowing seems almost comical at first, as it pops up during some illegal car activities. However, it does show up again, and seems to be even more relevant to the story later on. In the end Ciara and Oliver get their happy ending, and all seems to be forgiven.

56 Days was produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Atomic Monster. Starring Dove Cameron, Avan Jogia, Karla Souza, and Dorian Missick. Written by Lisa Zwerling and Karyn Usher.

For more from Lauren, check out ‘Hops GEEK News.’

What did you think of 56 Days?