BBC One's new thriller series, The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies, made its debut on Tuesday night and viewers are very divided over the drama.
The five-parter follows two very different women, Alice and Cheryl, and the conman they both have in common, Dr Rob Chance.
While some viewers were immediately glued to the screen, others were left a little confused. Taking to Twitter, now X, one person wrote: "I have absolutely no idea what's going on in #thefollowingeventsarebasedonapackoflies," while another added: "Am I in the minority but I wish the BBC would make a drama that easy to follow and I understand what is going on! First it was Woman in the Wall and now The Following Events are based on a pack of Lies. I pay for this!"
Others were forced to switch off the drama, with one person tweeting: "I was really intrigued by the premise of #TheFollowingEventsAreBasedOnAPackOfLies, but 15 minutes in and I haven't got a clue what's going on, so it's time to switch over," while another commented: "Gave it 20 mins. Just got annoyed. Music got on my nerves. No idea what's going on. I'm off."
© Ludovic RobertHowever, not all viewers were unimpressed with the show's debut and took to X to praise the gripping plot. One person tweeted: "#TheFollowingEventsAreBasedOnAPackOfLies is right up my street. Great fun!" while another added: "Absolutely brilliant drama."
A third person wrote: "Enjoyed that, right side of quirky," while another commented: "#TheFollowingEventsAreBasedOnAPackOfLies I really like this drama it's building well and seems paced okay as long as you forgive some unlikely aspects of the plot for dramatic purposes."
© Massimiliano GiorgeschiWhat is The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies about?
The new thriller follows three characters, Alice, Cheryl and Rob, who become trapped in a "tangled triangle of complexly layered half-truths and lies of epic proportions," according to the synopsis.
Viewers are first introduced to Alice, played by Rebekah Staton, a formidable but long-underestimated PA who lives in a bungalow with her young son and magician partner. The story opens when she spots her ex-husband Rob, played by Alistair Petrie, casually walking down the streets of Oxford several years after he disappeared without a trace, taking all her money with him.
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© Luudovic RobertWhile Alice seeks revenge on the man who destroyed her life, another woman is in danger as author Cheryl [Marianne Jean-Baptiste] begins to fall for his deceptions and delusions.
The synopsis reads: "We all know the story of the dastardly yet charming conman who pulls off a devilish con. That story is as old as the con itself. This is not that story. This is a story about lies and artifice, about our weakness for self-deception, and about the rapid ascent of the modern fraudster.
© Ludovic Robert"It is the story of an unexpected friendship between two very different women and the power they’ll discover when they raise their voices in joyous rage. As they finally find the courage and self-belief to take charge, the con is on to try and take a sociopathic predator down."
All five episodes of The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies are available to stream on Netflix.
