Death and Other Details is the brand-new Hulu original series in the whodunit genre that follows in the footsteps of Knives Out, Gone Girl, Fargo, Seven, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, True Detective, and Broadchurch. These are probably some of the best crime dramas in which a murderer is a looming figure throughout the runtime while the investigation and questioning happen simultaneously, as many are eager to find out who the killer could be. The Hulu series revolves around a murder that takes place on a cruise liner. Every person associated with the victim is under scrutiny and being treated as a suspect. Each episode unfolds a new facet of each character on board, and the first one is an introduction to the show.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Was Imogene Living With The Colliers?
Imogene, from a young age, had been living with the rich and influential Collier family as she was their daughter Anna’s closest friend. Imogene had a tough childhood, as she was a witness to her mother’s brutal death in a car bombing. Her mother was an employee with the Colliers and her unfortunate death had them take her in. Imogene was given as lavish an upbringing as Anna was. She boarded the ship with the family for the next ten days as upcoming week would be crucial for all of them.
Why Were The Collier Family On The Ship?
The Colliers were on the ship, as explained by the maître d’, to finalize a business deal with another rich business family who had shown interest in investing in their legacy-based venture. The whole cruise was paid for by Lawrence for the Chuns, and it was Anna who was the face of the business deal, for she was the one who brought them to the table to finalize the agreement. Anna was also running for the seat of CEO of the company, as she was responsible for major profits coming in, but there was speculation that her father would choose her brother Tripp over her just because of the skewed gender politics. Anna was also joined by her wife, Laila, a former journalist. This business deal was important, which is why it was important to Anna and her family for things in the next few days to go smoothly.
Who Was Keith Trubisky?
Keith Trubisky was introduced as Tripp’s investor friend, who had deep pockets and agreed to invest in yet another failed business idea of the Collier son. Tripp’s several businesses never worked, and he was surviving only on his father’s money. Tripp had a long history of drug abuse as well, and Keith was one of his fail-safe ways to remind his father that as a son he could be trusted with running his business empire. Keith turns out to be an entitled rich man who showcases zero empathy or decency towards the staff and the passengers on the ship including Lawrence’s guests.
Imogene was triggered by his mean behavior, and to give the poor staff some justice, she broke into his room and stole his money. Her entrance and exit from his room were caught by the corridor CCTV camera and she was aware of it. Keith Trubisky quickly becomes an enemy on board because of his unpleasant behavior. He was found murdered by the cleaning staff the next day. The murder weapon used on him was the crossbow he had purchased for fishing expeditions.
Why Was Imogene Not Comfortable With Rufus Being On The Ship?
Imogene and the Collier family were not happy to have Rufus as a part of the cruise liner because of his history of not solving the young girl’s mother’s cruel death. Rufus had struck up a friendship with the young girl throughout his investigation, but he left her and the family in the dark, seemingly without giving any answers. This allowed her and Anna’s family to judge him for being incompetent. Years later, after having walked away from the investigation, Rufus was spotted again in the security team of the Chuns, and they wondered if he’d either been scouted or he joined the business family purposely. Imogene wanted to confront the man for abandoning her years ago and was close to informing the Chuns about his past work with Colliers.
Why Was Laila Unsettled?
Two days before Keith was found murdered, Laila confronted Keith outside her room and was concerned about Keith’s presence around the family and his sudden appearance. Laila had met with an accident and was going through treatment for it. As a result of the accident, she had been suspicious of many things around her including Keith. She believed her accident was an attempt on her life and that Keith was probably sent to spy on her and Anna. There was an air of distrust around the ship, something which Anna was unable to come to terms with.
Was Imogene Willing To Believe Rufus?
Initially, Rufus claimed to not have recognized Imogene. This was probably to perturb her and her family. Rufus was aware his presence would give him a chance to play with their minds, especially Imogene and Anna’s parents. After Keith’s murder, Rufus confronted Imogene through the CCTV footage he had of her sneaking out of the victim’s room. She could be branded as a murderer, but she chose to join Rufus in his quest to find the real one.
Rufus was keen to find answers because, as the former world’s best investigator, he probably wanted to get back into the game, allowing Imogene to find the answers she had been seeking over the years. They both found camaraderie because she was willing to believe his reasons for exiting from the investigation he was carrying out years ago into her mother’s death. Though the authorities on the ship did not inform most of the people about the murder, Rufus and Imogene wanted answers.
Did Rufus Know Keith?
As the news of Keith’s murder was broken to the Chuns and the Collier family, along with others who had joined them, they were under the impression Keith was the mean potential investor Tripp brought along. There were a multitude of suspects that were brought forward only because Imogene was convinced there could be answers to her mother’s death in this mystery. The woman had also started reading the autobiography written by Rufus about his investigation skills, and she was intrigued by what she read. There is a lot to uncover, but it is difficult to fathom. A lot could be skimmed through and understood from the book that Imogene claimed to have read. Imogene was willing to believe him quickly, which was convenient given what he discovered about her mother’s death. As Imogene’s conversations with Rufus carry on, she suddenly remembers that Keith was Rufus’ assistant, which is why the old man is so interested in solving the murder. Imogene was quickly drawn to find answers that could bring forward many unsettling truths about many people, as Keith managed to ruffle many feathers.
The episode ended with all the people associated with Keith coming together on the ship deck to answer Rufus’ questions. Many were shocked at the news but one of them was surely a murderer. Imogene comes forward to offer herself up as the first person for the interview to get it over with. Her stepping forward to answer questions will be considered an expression of her anger towards Rufus and her desire to confront the man for his role in the unfinished investigation of her mother’s death. Only time would tell what Rufus would unearth about Keith’s murder and if Imogene was genuinely willing to believe him.