SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Episode 6 of “Tommy & Tuppence,” now streaming on BritBox.
The finale of “Tommy & Tuppence” finds the Agatha Christie detective duo, played by Josh Dylan and Antonia Thomas, on the verge of a new chapter.
The BritBox Original series brings the classic characters into the modern day, where Tommy and Tuppence are exes instead of a married couple (as Christie originally wrote). A decade after dating at university, they bump into each other at a wedding and soon become embroiled in a murder mystery. The two have an exciting will they-won’t they chemistry as they solve cases around London (with the help of Tommy’s Aunt Ada, played by Imelda Staunton), begin their own private detective business and start getting closer. But there’s just one problem — Tuppence is married to a director back in L.A.
The series’ sixth episode sees Tommy and Tuppence solve a cold case surrounding harrowing child murders in the countryside, just as Tuppence at last acknowledges her feelings for Tommy and decides to divorce her husband. In classic rom-com fashion, just as Tuppence bursts through Tommy’s door with the news, she sees him kissing police detective Draper (Callie Cooke). Then, Tuppence’s sister presents them with their biggest mission yet: helping the U.K. government with a major case.
“Finally, it clicks and she realizes — but is she just a bit too late?” Thomas tells Variety over Zoom.
“Much of their relationship is characterized by sliding doors moments and missing each other just by a hair’s breath, which is in part infuriating but also kind of tantalizing,” Dylan adds. “It’s like, when are they going to get it out?!”
Below, Dylan and Thomas break down the finale episode, reveal how they established Tommy and Tuppence’s chemistry and discuss a potential Season 2.
First of all, what made you want to come on board the series?
Dylan: Obviously, Agatha Christie is untouchable in so many ways — incomparable rather, because she’s the Queen of Crime and it’s beloved by people. But when I read the scripts I felt like, here’s an opportunity to do something that I don’t think I’ve seen before, which is blending that cozy crime world, that Agatha Christie world, with an opportunity to make this feel really grounded and naturalistic and real.
Thomas: Tommy and Tuppence are amateurs anyway, so it lends itself really well to the more modern-day idea of being a sleuth and listening to a podcast and trying to figure something out yourself. Like we can all relate to that; I love a true crime podcast. And the way that [Christie] wrote those characters was quite modern actually, for the time. Particularly Tuppence being a pretty outspoken, front-footed woman, she was very modern in the way that she behaved. So that felt like a very easy transfer.
Tommy and Tuppence are married in Christie’s stories, but in this adaptation they’re exes in this sort of will they-won’t they phase. How did you establish that chemistry?
Thomas: Josh and I did a lot of meeting up and trying to work on the relationship and find a colloquial shorthand in and amongst the text. I certainly was quite daunted by the scenes where there’s quite a lot of exposition and they’re going through and trying to figure out the crime. I remember being like, “I don’t know how to do this!” And Josh was like, “I think these are the moments that they’re having the most fun and also when they as characters are connecting the most.” And as soon as you said that, it totally unlocked it for me. Because there’s two things going on, which is really fun about Tommy and Tuppence — the relationship between them and the crimes that they’re solving. So to use the crime-solving as a way to become closer was so fun. And then [writer] Phoebe [Eclair-Powell] was really open with allowing us to be freer with some of those bits to make it feel more modern.
Dylan: Yeah, and moments where it allowed for a little bit of improvisation. They let us get away with some of that, which was kind of them.
Antonia Thomas and Josh Dylan in “Tommy & Tuppence.”
Lara Cornell/LOOKOUT POINT / BRI
What were the conversations you had about Tommy and Tuppence’s history?
Dylan: We’re still piecing bits together, to be honest. I think the idea is that they met at university and were together and obviously had an amazing connection, but the details, the reason why they split up is still a bit contentious. They get along and they have this care for each other, but you grow up a lot in 10 years. So at the top of the series and throughout, you’re seeing these people that have this core chemistry and connection, but they’re realizing the ways in which they’ve changed and the ways they’re still the same. And that feels really human and real and truthful to me, and was really interesting to play.
Thomas: And also, as much as they have changed, they’re still the same. It’s like that idea of a leopard doesn’t change its spots. The thing that was the problem last time, 10 years ago, is still basically the problem. It’s just, are they more mature? Can they address things differently?
Dylan: But on the flip side, the spark that drew them together in the first place is also still there, in exactly the same way.
What makes them work so well together in a more professional sense, as a detective duo?
Thomas: I think the fact that they’re quite opposites. They’re the yin and yang, they complement each other. Tuppence is pretty impulsive, she’s very instinctual and has often a strong gut feeling about things and is quite ballsy. So she’ll want to attack things head on, and then Tommy is much more thoughtful and precise and forensic often about things, which is really needed. The push and pull between them I think keeps them steady and in the middle.
And I have to ask, what was it like working with Imelda Staunton as Aunt Ada?
Dylan: What a legend. She’s cool as hell and very twinkly and magical. And seems to kind of be the perfect Aunt Ada.
Thomas: There’s so much fun to her, like she brought such a fun, almost impish, brilliant side to Ada. And working with her and just watching her work, she’s such a seasoned veteran. It was a brilliant.
Let’s get into the final episode. It’s quite intense — you’re hunting down Jane Lancaster, a child murderer who then sets the house you’re all in on fire, and then Tuppence finally confesses her feelings to Tommy while he’s unconscious. What was that like to film?
Dylan: Oh my god, that’s actually a bit triggering. I just got flashbacks to being in that cottage and being in the room with the wonderful actress Alice Krige as Jane Lancaster — being in this tiny little bedroom with her for like, two days. It was so intense.
Thomas: You had to do your big ol’ speech, didn’t you?
Dylan: Absolutely glorious monologue. And then being carried out of the fire, I remember Antonia — she’s an incredible actress anyway, full stop the end, but I remember this particular take where I was a dead weight on the floor like, succumbed to the flames, and she was over my face and then a tear fell in my mouth.
Thomas: [Laughs] And then we were also really tired because that was the end of the shoot. I don’t know if I’ve done a job as intense because we’re basically in every scene, bar a few. And so by the time we got to Episodes 5 and 6, we’d been going for a few months. And then those two episodes just ramped up and it’s just really dark, isn’t it? It’s about child murder and kidnapping and Ada dies and that’s really sad. And then between the two of them as well, they’re not in a good place.
Josh Dylan and Antonia Thomas in “Tommy & Tuppence.”
Lara Cornell/LOOKOUT POINT / BRI
Do you think Tommy heard Tuppence’s confession? At the end, he seems to be moving on with Draper…
Thomas: No, I don’t think he does. I think that’s what’s sort of sad about it, in a way. And about the ending altogether. Finally, it clicks and she realizes — but is she just a bit too late?
Dylan: Much of their relationship is characterized by sliding doors moments and kind of missing each other just by a hair’s breath, which is in part infuriating but also kind of tantalizing. And they’re not always the best — shock, horror – at expressing themselves. They clearly feel a huge amount, they’re very sensitive and very compassionate and feeling, but they just keep missing each other. It’s like, when are they going to get it out?!
It’s almost like we need a second season! And the ending sets that up quite well, with an offer for the duo to help the government on a case. What would you want to see from a potential Season 2?
Thomas: Would love a second season.
Dylan: I would love to do one.
Thomas: Also, can we do it somewhere exotic?
Dylan: Yeah, the Caribbean? We’ll take Spain! No, to be fair, we’d love to do it. These characters have so much scope and potential and range to go on so many more adventures, and we love the creative team. It does feel like Season 1 ends at a very exciting junction, and they grow a lot as well. What I love about this show is that it’s grounded and funny and doesn’t take itself too seriously a lot of the time, but then I do think it has the capacity in moments to go to some darker places and stretch. So I think that would be quite nice, to continue that theme.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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