The only detective follow-up to watch if you loved ‘Enola Holmes 3’
If you just finished watching Enola Holmes on Netflix and are seeking a detective follow-up beyond the cinematic format, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is the ideal pick to go for.
The miniseries features Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, a sharp, inquisitive, and determined young aristocrat who transforms into an amateur detective when a prank on a deep-sleeper at a country house party involving alarm clocks goes murderously wrong.
Much like the protagonist of the Enola Holmes franchise, Lady Eileen is a vibrant, modern lead navigating the constraints of her era while effortlessly outsmarting those around her. While Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials captures the same historical British aesthetic that fans of Enola Holmes would appreciate, similar to the movie, it balances a classic whodunit atmosphere with elements of espionage and intrigue.
Besides the surface-level similarity of a young woman solving mysteries, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials and Enola Holmes share several thematic and stylistic DNA strands that make them look like sister projects.
The first and foremost string of commonality is that both Enola and Bundle Brent are outsider sleuths who refuse to conform to societal expectations of their respective eras. While Enola refuses to finish school and proper ladyhood to pursue her agency, Bundle is characterised by her thrill-seeking nature, making them one and the same since both deem the standard socialite lifestyle stifling.
Additionally, neither character waits for a man to solve their problems, regardless of whether their investigations involve high-stakes action and speed pursuits. And somehow, in more ways than one, the stories capitalise on the backdrop of high society and wealth to conceal the darkest secrets.
Another core component that makes Enola Holmes 3 and Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials equally fun on their own is the protagonist’s witty, often sarcastic interactions with established authority figures. And perhaps the most obvious connection is Helena Bonham Carter, who portrays Enola’s mother Eudoria in the Enola Holmes franchise and Bundle Brent’s mother in the three-episode Netflix mystery series.
In short, the stories are approached as modernised period pieces that, despite being set in the past, aren’t slow-burning dramas. So, if you’re planning to give Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials a shot after Enola Holmes 3, don’t think twice!