Black Cake

From the start, I quite liked Black Cake, particularly the first few episodes. The plot is intriguing, it's very well cast, and the significant amount of tension makes it work. The sets, costumes, and cinematography are quite fitting. The ocean scenes in the Caribbean have a lush feel, serving as an effective contrast to the troubled relationships.

But something happened around episode 3. It's when I felt that this series should have been produced in a more compressed form. Rather than 8 episodes, how about 6? I've just finished the 5th episode, and I'm further convinced. The core story seems to be diluted by tangents and extra relationships. There are moments of unintended humor in this episode, because it's veering into soap opera territory. I feel a bit let down. I've not read the novel it's based on, but I would presume the script follows it faithfully. I plan to continue watching the show, but it seems like the producers have somehow missed the mark.