The new thriller series Watching You, based on JP Pomare's novel The Last Guests, has been criticised for its slow pace and low-stakes plot. The adaptation, created by Alexei Mizin and Ryan van Dijk, strips away the novel's central element of a voyeur network, replacing it with a more conventional villain. This decision has left some viewers questioning the show's direction.
The series follows Lina, a paramedic played by Aisha Dee, who discovers hidden cameras in a friend's apartment after a one-night stand. Despite a strong performance from Dee, the plot struggles to generate tension, meandering into territory already covered by other shows like Fake. The narrative feels padded out, and the promised psychological thriller elements fail to materialise.
While the book deployed a dramatic midpoint twist, the television adaptation slows down and rearranges its structure, leading to a lack of momentum. A late-stage development involving a past secret attempts to reignite the drama, but it comes too late to salvage the series. Dee's performance is the standout, but it cannot compensate for the show's overall lack of menace.
