Netflix's 2-Part British Crime Drama Is The Closest We'll Get To A Modern Nancy Drew

Netflix’s returning two-part British crime drama features the perfect modern replacement for Nancy Drew. While the Brits are well known for creating crime dramas, from intense thrillers to cozy mysteries and hit detective shows, few focus on the next generation of sleuths; the kids obsessed with true-crime podcasts, those who spend their days scouring social media and the wider internet for clues.

Of course, most American audiences are familiar with Nancy Drew, the intrepid 1930s-era teenage detective created as a female counterpart to Edward Stratemeyer’s Hardy Boys duo. Arguably, in the years since, Nancy Drew has become the bigger, more culturally relevant character, eclipsing the Hardy brothers’ legacy. She’s appeared in and headlined countless books, graphic novels, TV shows, and movies. On TV, Nancy was most recently seen in The CW’s four-season 2019 supernatural mystery series, aptly titled Nancy Drew.

Fortunately, for anyone looking for the perfect combination of a Nancy Drew-like detective and that unique British crime drama atmosphere, there’s Netflix and the BBC’s returning adaptation, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. The two-season series (likely to be three), based on the books by author Holly Jackson, is now available to stream in full. It follows Wednesday favorite Emma Meyers as fanatic amateur teenage investigator Pippa “Pip” Fitz-Amobi. Determined to unravel the five-year-old murder of Andie Bell, Pip puts herself in danger to find the truth, uncovering hidden secrets and terrifying violence in her small, shell-shocked town.

A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’s Pip Is A 21st Century Nancy Drew

Credit: Netflix

Nancy Drew’s determination, cunning, and bravery shine through in every version of the character, no matter how small or terrifying her case may be. Still, while attempts have been made to update Nancy for a new generation, these efforts haven’t always worked.

In 2007, Emma Roberts starred as Nancy in what was presumably meant to be the start of a new franchise, yet the updates made to her character and her closest friends felt shallow. It wasn’t a true, modern-day evolution of an enduring literary icon, and any potential sequels were understandably never made. Sophia Lillis’ spunky, skateboarding interpretation in the 2019 remake of Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase proved to be a much more worthwhile adaptation. Unfortunately, the movie flopped at the box office.

While The CW’s Nancy Drew — played with great energy by Kennedy McMann — was a fun, inventive new version of the character, the show’s supernatural-heavy twist made Nancy feel more like a cross between Stranger Things‘ Nancy Wheeler and Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s Buffy Summers, fighting against the “forces of darkness.” Yes, her investigative skills still came into play whenever it was convenient. Even so, the genre made her feel like a different sort of detective: a replacement for Supernatural‘s Winchester brothers, rather than the Hardy Boys.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder‘s Pip, on the other hand, feels like Nancy Drew reincarnated for a new generation. She’s smart, wily, bull-headed, and sees people for who they really are. She finds connections the police have missed, immerses herself in her classmates’ lives, and fearlessly goes after her suspects, even when they’ve proven themselves to be dangerous. Once Pip has set her mind to something, there’s no stopping her — even when it hurts those closest to her.

She’s also a true 21st-century teenager. Pip’s not being shoved into an era that’s not her own. The Andie Bell case and Pip’s investigation are inextricably intertwined with the pressures of modern teenage life, and she navigates issues like drugs, sex, peer pressure, and young love without ever losing sight of what’s at stake, working tirelessly to clear someone’s name and catch the real killer. Pip Fitz-Amobi is Nancy Drew’s spiritual successor in more ways than one, a worthy addition to the all-too-short list of young, amateur, fictional female detectives.

Emma Meyers Is The Undeniable Highlight Of A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder

Emma Myers as Pip Fitz-Amobi in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Season 2 — Emma Myers as Pip Fitz-Amobi in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Season 2

Emma Meyers may play the plucky sidekick to Jenna Ortega’s morose Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s massive supernatural mystery hit, Wednesday. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder proves Meyers has the star power to be so much more than that, though. She shines as the titular “Good Girl” in Jackson’s and Poppy Cogan’s adaptation. There’s a raw intensity to her performance that carries the show, as her dogged determination pulls people in while simultaneously pushing away those closest to her.

How Old Pip Is Compared To Emma Myers In A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder makes it easy to forget Pip’s age at times, but how old is the heroine — and how does her age compare to Emma Myers’?

Beneath her tough exterior, however, Meyers’ Pip is also achingly vulnerable. She’s not a superhero. She’s scared and inherently flawed, overly fixated on finding her own brand of justice, no matter who or what gets in the way. Meyers’ performance is sincere, especially during Pip’s most intense emotional scenes, as the amateur sleuth spirals when faced with high-stakes court cases, missing friends, and a need for vengeance. It may be a while yet before Nancy Drew returns to the big (or small) screen, but in the meantime, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder‘s Pippa Fitz-Amobi is the perfect replacement.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder season 2 is streaming now, only on Netflix.