Watch Masterpiece Classic: The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Masterpiece Classic: The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a television adaptation of the unfinished novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. It originally aired on PBS in 2012 as a part of the Masterpiece Classic anthology series. The series has only two episodes with a total runtime of approximately two hours.

As the title suggests, the series revolves around the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the titular character, Edwin Drood, who is engaged to a young woman named Rosa Bud. Edwin's uncle, John Jasper, who is also in love with Rosa, becomes the prime suspect in the investigation, which is led by Inspector Bucket.

The series is set in the fictional town of Cloisterham, England, in the year 1865. The town serves as a backdrop for the complex relationships between the characters, their secrets, and their hidden motives.

The first episode introduces us to the various characters in the story, their connections, and their motivations. We meet Edwin Drood, his fiancée Rosa Bud, his uncle John Jasper, and other supporting characters such as the Reverend Septimus Crisparkle, the Landless siblings (Helena and Neville), and the Princess Puffer, a local opium den proprietor.

The story begins with Edwin Drood and Rosa Bud breaking off their engagement due to their differing personalities. Edwin decides to leave town for a few months to travel and think things over before returning to Rosa. However, on the night before he leaves, John Jasper invites him to his house and drugs him. The next day, Edwin is nowhere to be found.

The second episode focuses on the investigation into Edwin's disappearance. Inspector Bucket arrives in Cloisterham and begins to interview the various suspects. He discovers that John Jasper has a motive to harm Edwin due to his resentment of Edwin's engagement to Rosa. Bucket also learns about John Jasper's increasingly erratic behavior, including his addiction to opium which he gets from the Princess Puffer.

The mystery deepens when Neville Landless, Rosa's former suitor and fellow student of John Jasper's, becomes a suspect due to his feud with Edwin. However, it is revealed that Neville's twin sister, Helena, has a motive for harming Edwin due to her strong dislike of him.

As the investigation progresses and more suspects emerge, the series keeps the audience guessing as to what really happened to Edwin Drood. The series ends on a cliffhanger, as Dickens died before he could finish the novel, leaving the mystery unresolved.

Overall, Masterpiece Classic: The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a beautifully crafted period drama that captures the essence of Charles Dickens' work. The series' cast delivers strong performances, and its production design and cinematography create a vivid depiction of 19th-century England. The mystery at the heart of the story keeps the viewers engaged and guessing until the end. It is a must-watch for fans of classic literature and period dramas.

Masterpiece Classic: The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a series that ran for 1 seasons (2 episodes) between April 15, 2012 and on PBS