Vanished Review: Even Kaley Cuoco Can't Salvage This Desperately Silly Mystery Caper
Brace yourselves, viewers! A three-hour barrage of overstuffed nonsense, split into four 45-minute episodes, is heading your way at breakneck speed. Vanished stars Kaley Cuoco, who rose to fame in The Big Bang Theory from 2007 to 2019 and later shone in The Flight Attendant. In that earlier role, Cuoco portrayed an ordinary, albeit functionally alcoholic, stewardess who stumbled into a dangerous mystery and discovered hidden reserves of courage and resourcefulness.
A Pale Imitation of Past Success
In Vanished, Cuoco plays Alice, an ordinary, non-alcoholic archaeologist who finds herself in a similar predicament—wrong place, wrong time, entangled in an ever-deepening mystery and mortal peril. She, too, uncovers unexpected bravery and ingenuity, likely staying just ahead of the villains until the inevitable confrontations. However, this series feels like a feeble echo of The Flight Attendant, lacking the comedic flair, layered backstories, and tense unpredictability that made its predecessor enjoyable.
Alice has maintained a long-distance relationship with Tom, played by Sam Claflin, for four years. Tom is a handsome medic she first encountered while he rescued women and children from bandits. Their romance has been sustained through sporadic hotel meetings worldwide, but when Alice is offered a lecturing position at Princeton, Tom hesitates before agreeing to settle down with her.
Plot Twists That Fall Flat
To celebrate, Tom books a luxury hotel stay in Marseille, but he mysteriously vanishes from the train en route. An investigative reporter named Helene, portrayed by Karin Viard, assists Alice in reporting the disappearance, but authorities dismiss their concerns. Alice then travels to Marseille, where police inspector Monsieur Drax suggests Tom simply fled commitment, a theory that only fuels her frustration.
With Helene's encouragement, Alice uses her archaeological skills to hunt for clues, uncovering suspicious hotel bills, phone records, and photos linking Tom to another woman. She tracks down his former colleague, Alex Durand, leading to a chaotic sequence of events involving motorcycle chases, suspicious deaths, and a murder frame-up. The narrative spirals into a convoluted mess before abruptly halting.
Stellar Cast Wasted on Weak Material
Kaley Cuoco delivers a commendable performance, making the most of limited material and remaining watchable throughout. In contrast, Sam Claflin is virtually banished from the screen, appearing mostly in dull flashbacks that fail to capitalize on his talent, such as his role in Daisy Jones and the Six. The supporting cast, including Viard and Simon Abkarian, struggle with odd performances and underdeveloped characters.
Vanished relies on a woefully formulaic script, with actors seemingly going through the motions. The plot feels like a checklist of generic mystery tropes, lacking depth or originality. While the series might offer slight distraction for those having a bad day, it ultimately disappoints, leaving viewers hoping for better opportunities for its leads in the future.
Vanished is currently available for streaming on Prime Video, but it's a caper that fails to captivate or convince.
