The Crow Girl follows the fallout between a shrewd detective and a troubled psychiatrist as they hunt for a twisted serial killer.
Based on the novels by Erik Axl Sund – the pen name of Swedish authors Jerker Eriksson and Håkan Axlander Sundquist – the six-part drama, airing on Paramount+ in the UK this month, sees Eve Myles (Keeping Faith) as Bristol-based cop DCI Jeanette Kilburn, who, with her colleague DI Lou Stanley (Crime's Dougray Scott), investigates when the body of a young man is found in a bag, having been beaten and drugged.
Jeanette has a prime suspect in mind and seeks the help of esteemed but enigmatic Dr Sophia Craven (The Long Shadow's Katherine Kelly), the psychiatrist clinically assessing him. But when a string of other similar murders occurs in the city, and Sophia also appears haunted by the disappearance of another of her patients, Victoria Burkeman (Black Mirror's Clara Rugaard), AKA the ‘Crow Girl’, are the cases linked?
What To Watch caught up with Eve Myles and Katherine Kelly for an exclusive chat to learn more about The Crow Girl…
What was the appeal of The Crow Girl for you?
Katherine Kelly: “I rang my agent and said, ‘Who's playing Jeanette?’ When he said, ‘Eve Myles’, I went, ‘I'll do it!’ I’ve also never played a psychiatrist before. Sophia’s a different character for me.”
Eve Myles: “When you play opposite Kate, it's a gift, but it’s also a series that's unapologetic in its choices and a special project. I'd been playing wholesome characters, but Jeanette was somebody I found challenging, so I jumped in with two feet.”
Tell us about your characters…
Katherine Kelly: “Sophia takes on a neutral persona for her job. She’s self-aware and confident but seems unknowable, a lone wolf. But you see glitches in her behaviour. Not all’s as it seems. She's full of surprises and an odd person, but for good reason, which we find out!”
Eve Myles: “And with Jeanette, I tried to find her sharp edges that are unlikable. She's straight to the point, unfiltered, unforgiving and relentless. I leant into areas that are different from my own traits.”
How do they each view the case?
Eve Myles: “In Bristol, for bodies to be turning up every day is substantial. This is an emergency. Jeanette’s juggling work and family but this is the start of something that changes her life. She knows it isn't going to stop, and she’ll go to any lengths to get answers.”
Katherine Kelly: “Sophia’s wrestling with the past and her other cases and has taken on board more than she should. But she finds this investigation intoxicating because her usual work’s retrospective, whereas this is a race against time. She feels empowered but it disturbs her equilibrium.”
How does their relationship develop during the investigation?
Eve Myles: “They start on the wrong foot but come together. It's not about catty fighting, it's about two intellectual women. They need something from each other and an interesting, unusual relationship begins.”
Katherine Kelly: “They’re both independent, instinctive thinkers who play outside the lines. It doesn't take much to scratch the surface and realise that they’re similar beings.”
What was it like working with Dougray Scott?
Eve Myles: “He’s superb! Jeanette and Lou have been through thick and thin. He’s mentored her and worked with her father [ex-cop Brian, played by former Casualty star Charles Dale], yet she’s now above Lou. He's also old school and she's new school, so they clash, but they're two parts of a jigsaw, and fit perfectly.”
Is the drama different from the novels?
Eve Myles: “I found the books incredibly disturbing and Milly [Thomas the lead writer of the adaptation] has sourced much of the material from them, but the series is different. The authors came on set though and were thrilled.”
Katherine Kelly: “That was a blessing, there's no better praise. But the books are tricky and Milly’s found a different way in, but with respect, so that if you’re a fan, I don't think you'd be disappointed.”
It sounds like there are lots of twists...
Eve Myles: “Yes, this show’s DNA is about hidden secrets and how and when we reveal them, that's the thrill. The characters are where they should be for a reason, but it's not where they are by the end…”
The Crow Girl airs as a box-set on Paramount+ in the UK from Thursday 16 January and will air in the US at a later date.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
