Harlan Coben shows are essentially known for three things: crazy plot twists, non-stop murders, and Richard Armitage always finding a way into them.
Netflix’s adaptations of the acclaimed crime writer’s novels are almost more popular than the actual novels themselves at this point, but Coben has hit out at one common criticism of the shows.
From this year’s Run Away to last year’s Missing You to the most successful Harlan Coben show of them all: Fool Me Once, many of these shows are plagued by accusations they are ‘full of plot holes’.
Just recently, Run Away screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst had to come forward and address accusations the new Netflix show had a major plot hole in what happened to Henry.
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Harlan Coben also answered this today, January 16, in an exclusive AMA (Ask Me Anything) hosted by LADbible on Reddit.
One fan boldly asked whether he agrees that ‘most of [his] work has a lot of plot holes / plot armour that gets a lot of scrutiny’, something Coben denies.
He responded saying: “No. So far, I haven't seen one plot hole, though it certainly is possible. You can be specific, that's why I'm here!”
He then addressed some common accused ‘plot holes’ in Run Away, saying: “No, Henry isn't a plot hole - Dee Dee answers in Episode 7. No, Ingrid going back to the murder scene isn't a plot hole, you just didn't pay attention in the last ten minutes...”
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What happened to Henry was a major discussion in Run Away but, as Coben mentioned, fans who paid close attention will know that Dee Dee says in episode seven of her sons: “One was shot in a robbery. One committed suicide.
“One is just missing, probably a runaway. One should be, I don't know, stabbed, maybe by a drug-addled homeless nut."
Brocklehurst said the same, exclusively telling LADbible: “We do answer it, sort of, but perhaps we didn’t answer it thoroughly enough.
“We work very hard to dot the i's and cross the t's on every plot but there is always something people don't get.
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“A few reviews have said we left gaping plot holes but I’d like to ask them.... like what? Did they watch to the end?”
Coben also answered the most shocking plot hole of all from Run Away: the absence of Richard Armitage in the show.
Armitage has become a staple of Coben’s shows, starring in four of his Netflix adaptations and several more outside of the streamer.
When asked about why Armitage was in so many of his shows, as well as the implicit question being about his absence in the last couple, Coben said: “I love him and we remain dear friends. I think he's a terrific and very busy actor.
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“I'm sure we will work together again.”
As long as this means we’ll keep getting Harlan Coben shows on Netflix, with Richard Armitage appearing in some of them, that’s good enough for me.
Topics: Netflix, Richard Armitage, TV and Film, TV, Reddit
Michael Slavin