56 Days (Season 1, USA, 2026) is a disturbing romantic crime drama set in modern-day Boston. Based on an Irish Novel, this suspenseful American tale takes us on a journey into the flashback. After the local police detectives discover a decomposing dead body, the story revisits the past 56 days in this whodunnit.
Is Love Blind? Yes, It Seems So, Especially in this “56 Days” Romantic Crime Tale
“56 Days” (Season 1, USA, 2026) English – Series Review [Spoiler-Free]
Synopsis
TODAY: When an unidentified body is found in a luxury apartment linked to Oliver Kennedy (Avan Jogia) and his girlfriend Ciara Wyse (Dove Cameron), Detectives Lee Reardon (Karla Souza) and Karl Connolly (Dorian Missick) reconstruct the couple’s deadly romance across the past 56 days.
56 DAYS AGO: After a chance supermarket encounter, Oliver and Ciara embark on an intense relationship. When a savagely murdered corpse surfaces 56 days later, the investigation delves into their turbulent love story, revealing grim secrets.
Poster
Do you like secrets? [Tagline]
Storyline
Fascinatingly, the story of this American drama is based on the original crime fiction novel “56 Days” by Catherine Ryan Howard. She is an Irish author who has set this fictional tale in Dublin. Moreover, the story was set during the COVID-19 period. Particularly, the extended lockdown period during the pandemic.
However, while watching the show, the viewers might realise that the show creators and writers have changed quite a few things in its storyline.
Anyways, right in the opening scenes of the series, there is a stinking and decayed body of a dead person inside an apartment.
The local police detectives are called in to solve the crime.
And then the flashback of 56 days starts.
Spoiler Alert (#1): Episode Summaries
A Peek Into The 8 Episodes of the Series
Episode 1 (51 minutes)
Working-class Ciara begins to fall for rich, handsome Oliver after a chance encounter. 56 days later, Detectives Lee and Karl encounter a gruesome homicide. Did Ciara and Oliver’s highly-charged romance end in murder?
Episode 2 (53 minutes)
Oliver rushes headlong into a romance with Ciara despite red flags on both sides. Karl spots Lee in a mysterious encounter with a suspect while they work to investigate the identity of both the victim and the killer.
Episode 3 (47 minutes)
Oliver’s paranoia grows when Ciara moves into his upscale apartment. Lee keeps a secret from Karl, but makes a key discovery in the search for the killer.
Episode 4 (49 minutes)
Oliver and Ciara’s twisted romance intensifies as she gets closer to accessing his multi-million dollar fortune. Lee admits the truth about Linus Finch while she and Karl track down a stalker.
Episode 5 (50 minutes)
In the midst of a city-wide holiday celebration, altered states and a prying journalist push Oliver and Ciara to their breaking point. Lee and Karl circle a new suspect as they close in on the identity of the body in the bathtub.
Episode 6 (43 minutes)
Oliver spirals as Shyla forces Ciara to make a hard decision. Karl and Lee confront personal demons that threaten their partnership.
Episode 7 (53 minutes)
The incident at Narrow River sends shockwaves through Oliver and Ciara’s lives. Lee and Karl discover the truth, but face brutal consequences.
Episode 8 (49 minutes)
Karl and Lee put together some final pieces to truly understand everything about Oliver and Ciara’s intense, charged and fatal love affair.
Key Details
| Season | Season (1) One |
| Episodes | Eight (8) Episodes |
| Show Creators | Karyn Usher, & Lisa Zwerling |
| Based On | 56 Days (2021) Novel by Catherine Ryan Howard |
| Main Cast | Avan Jogia (Oliver Kennedy), Dove Cameron (Ciara Wyse), Karla Souza (Lee Reardon), & Dorian Missick (Karl Connolly) |
Troubling Tale
Maybe the author, Catherine Ryan Howard, purposely set this troubling romantic story during the COVID-19 pandemic period. During those distressful times, when body counts were rising with each passing day, many people made questionable decisions. As they wished for love, companionship, safety and security.
But then the “56 Days” show creators, Karyn Usher & Lisa Zwerling, have set this series in a non-pandemic period. Hence, the choices made by Ciara Wyse (Dove Cameron) and her family members seemed morally wrong. At least from the outside. From the spectators’ point of view.
It appears as if the money can buy you almost anything in the world. There is one set of laws for the rich and powerful. On the other hand, people from the relatively poorer and weaker sections tend to get punished by the rules and regulations. Even for the crime (s) that they did not commit, they pay the price.
To be brutally honest, we did not like this unconventional love story, which is not palatable and digestible.
However, that is the reality of today’s era.
Such grave injustices keep happening.
The system is broken very badly.
And, we can’t do anything.
Rating
| Focus Magazine (FM) Rating of the 56 Days (2026) Series | 3.05/5 |
Don’t Judge, Maybe Just Go With The Flow, & Try To Enjoy
Notably, this “56 Days” is an adult drama meant for an 18+ audience.
The romantic lead pair (in the above poster) are essayed by Avan Jogia (Oliver Kennedy) and Dove Cameron (Ciara Wyse), and they did a decent acting job in it. The Canadian actor, Avan Jogia, tries hard, and he is okay. While the American singer and actress, Dove Cameron, turns on charm, she seems alluring.
Meanwhile, Karla Souza and Dorian Missick have portrayed the police detective in this series. They are another buddy pair, who are good friends but not in love. Furthermore, this cop buddy pair in the show, Detectives Lee Reardon (Karla Souza) and Karl Connolly (Dorian Missick), are busy with their own personal lives. Right from the start, one could sense that their respective characters lacked the seriousness to catch the actual killer. And punish the persons responsible for the murder. No wonder, they spring their own surprising twist in the tale. Their own version of truth and justice.
Is that a typical cop life in real life?
Well, you decide for yourself.
Conclusion
While watching it, we felt that they could have edited and done away with a couple of episodes, at least. Maybe with less run-time, its makers could have made this crime drama a bingeable show. Also, the clear-cut ending of the first season and no follow-up book suggest that it was a limited mini-series. In case you are looking for some kind of escape from the moralistic and judgmental world, then surely watch the “56 Days” series. Then you might enjoy it. It may help you pass your time this weekend.
Other Details
| Writers | Karyn Usher, Lisa Zwerling, Michael Broady, Brandon K. Hines, Alexandra Cunningham, & Janet Lin |
| Directors | Alethea Jones, Shana Stein, Lauren Wolkstein |
| Composer | Nathan Barr |
| Cinematographers | Nathaniel Goodman, & Tobie Marier-Robitaille |
| Support Cast | Megan Peta Hill (Shyla), Alfredo Narciso (Elliot Berhane), Patch Darragh (Dan Troxler), Kira Guloien (Jane Miller), Matt Murray (Kevin Sullivan), Jennifer Ferrin (Kristi), Jesse James Keitel (Alison Meadows), etc. |
| Network | Prime Video |
Trailer
Every good love story needs a murder.
YouTube Video Clip Link - Oliver and Ciara's Intimate Lunch Date | 56 Days | Prime Video.
Spoiler Alert (#2): Moral Quandary
A revenge drama with a very big and vile twist
A rich young man (Oliver Kennedy) murders a schoolmate.
Then he (Oliver) puts the entire blame on another poor kid (Wyse) for the said homicide crime.
The court finds the kid (Wyse) guilty and jails him. Then he ends his own life, inside the prison.
The young sister (Ciara Wyse) knows the truth, so she makes it her mission to find the actual killer (Oliver) and take revenge for her late brother and her struggling family members.
But then, instead of seeking vengeance, the young sister (Ciara) falls in love with the killer (Oliver).
So, she only steals his money for her family and spares his life.
Moreover, Ciara and Oliver run away and escape from the clutches of the law. Someone else is framed for the said murder. However, we must say that the murder victim was a despicable character in the show. And the karma did catch up with him, eventually.
Andwhat more can we say or write about the cops’ conduct in this series?
Albeit the rich and powerful got away, once again.
In the end, Ciara, Oliver and their young baby boy live happily after a faraway (most likely) tropical island.
Did Ciara cross the moral line? Well, you decide for yourself.
Lastly, read the series review of "His & Hers" (Season 1, USA, 2026) in our Focus Magazine, too.
Poster and Featured Image of 56 Days (Season 1, USA, 2026) Series | Pictures Credit: Amazon Prime Video
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