The Trailer for Netflix's 'Bodies' Unravels the Series' Time-Bending Premise
Stephen Graham in "Bodies"
(Photo: Netflix)
Netflix has released the full trailer for its time-bending police procedural Bodies, in which a murder victim somehow mysteriously reappears across multiple eras.
Based on a graphic novel by Si Spencer and Dean Ormston, this seemingly impossible murder mystery is spread across four distinct time periods and features four different detectives who are all attempting to crack an eerily similar case. The trailer introduces us to DS Hasan, a detective in the Whitechapel district of London's East End in 2023. She's baffled by the discovery of a body that has no clothes, no fingerprints, and no obvious cause of death. Further complicating matters is the fact that Hasan discovers her mysterious new case has several disturbing elements in common with two previous murders in the same location --- one that took place in 1941, and another that occurred in 1890.
The one constant is a mysterious political figure, who appears to be somehow key to unraveling the mystery of a conspiracy that spans the better part of two centuries --- and who somehow knows that this murder has also happened a fourth time, in 2053.
"The body is from the past, present, and future," he intones dramatically in the trailer, and yes, this seems to be precisely the kind of timey-wimey madness we can expect from this series.
Here's the series' synopsis.
Based on the mind-bending graphic novel by Si Spencer, Bodies is a police procedural with a twist. When a body – the same body – is found on Longharvest Lane in London's East End in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053, one detective from each period must investigate. As connections are drawn across the decades, the detectives soon discover their investigations are linked, and an enigmatic political leader – Elias Mannix (Stephen Graham) – becomes increasingly central. Did he have a part to play in the murder? Or is something far more sinister at play? To solve the mystery, our four detectives must somehow collaborate and uncover a conspiracy spanning over 150 years.
Bodies stars Amaka Okafor (The Split) as DS Hasan, alongside Kyle Soller (Poldark) as Alfred Hillinghead, a by-the-book detective inspector living in 1890; Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (The Great) as Charles Whiteman, a morally dubious detective sergeant from 1941; and Shira Haas (Unorthodox) as Iris Maplewood, a savvy detective living in 2053.
They're joined by Stephen Graham (Time), who plays the aforementioned Elias Mannix, and Tom Mothersdale (Peaky Blinders) who takes on the role of Gabriel Defoe, a leader in quantum gravity theory (a.k.a. time travel).
Bodies is created by Paul Tomalin (No Offense) who co-wrote the script with Danusia Samal (Gangs of London). Marco Kreuzpaintner (The Lazarus Project) is lead director, with further episodes helmed by Haolu Wang (Doctor Who). Will Gould, Frith Tiplady, Tomalin and Kreuzpaintner are executive producers, and the series producer is Susie Liggat.
The eight-part series premieres October 19 on Netflix.
