(Credit: Netflix)

Netflix never really misses the mark when it comes to adaptations, and Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is proof enough.

Adapted from the Queen of Crime’s 1929 novel, The Seven Dials Mystery, the Netflix adaptation follows a prank gone horribly and murderously wrong on Gerry Wade when his Foreign Office buddies set eight alarm clocks on his bedside to teach a lesson to the late sleeper.

But despite the simultaneously constant cacophony of the alarm clocks in Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials, when Gerry still doesn’t wake up, everyone is taken aback to find that he is actually dead, with an alarm clock missing. Despite warnings from friends and officials to stay off the case, Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, true to her go-getter attitude, sets out on her own investigation.

And it’s upon confronting Loraine in the luggage car that she finally gets the answer to the mystery. As it turns out, Loraine has always been part of the scheme to steal the formula and sell it to the highest bidder. So, when she thought Gerry was growing suspicious of her involvement, despite being his half-sister, Loraine poisoned him with an overdose of sleeping draught. But then again, she wasn’t alone in all of this.

Jimmy was part of the plan as well, since he was the one to shoot Ronnie, whose last words now resemble more of an appeal to inform the Seven Dials that Jimmy murdered him and not the other way round. Jimmy admits to shooting himself in the arm and throwing the gun out of the window. He even tore the glove off and threw it into the fireplace.

Jimmy also took the shot at Bill and tried to flee the venue with Loraine. But thanks to Dr Matip’s pocket watch, Bill was saved. However, when Bundle arrives to confront, Jimmy is at a loss for words as well as an explanation since living the life of a bachelor doesn’t come cheap, and he needs his share of profit from the formula. But while he confesses to rearranging the clocks on Gerry’s mantelpiece to misdirect investigators, he insists on not hatching the plan from scratch.

Jimmy even claims that the real culprit behind the scheme is actually at the front of the train, waiting for the package. While in Chrisie’s novel, Loraine and Jimmy are the ultimate solution to the mystery, in the Netflix version, things go a bit far. Waiting in front of the train is the actual mastermind behind the Seven Dials murders, who is revealed to be Bundle’s own mother, Lady Caterham.

Lady Caterham had arranged the part to bring everyone who could help her steal Matip’s formula. It’s a twist unique to the series, which is somewhat driven by her grieving bitterness following the loss of her son and husband. As a result, she’s more than happy to sell the formula to the highest bidder, even if it later comes back to bite England, which she blames for their deaths. She admits that the family is broke and the formula can solve their problem.

Although the ultimate revelation of Battle’s team and their quest is from Christie’s novel, the possibility of joining them eventually is something the Netflix version takes liberty with.