The new Netflix thriller is addictive, but don't look for logic in it

'Stay Close' is the kind of series that is very easy to get sucked into: you start with one episode, continue to another, and suddenly discover that several hours have passed. The new Netflix drama, based on Harlan Coben's book, races forward over eight episodes with chases, twists, and secrets revealed at an almost impossible pace. The fast pace is both what works so well in it and what brings it down: because the plot rushes forward so much, there are quite a few moments where it simply fails to convince.

At the center of the plot is David Burroughs, a father who was sent to life imprisonment after being convicted of murdering his son, Matthew. For years he lived with the knowledge that his child was dead and his life was ruined, until he receives evidence that challenges everything he knew: perhaps Matthew is actually alive. From here begins an almost impossible journey of a father trying to understand what really happened to his son – and above all, to find him.

'Stay Close' simply does not let the plot stop. David sets out on a journey that involves his family, the police, and people from his past, with each of them holding a different piece of the puzzle. In almost every episode, a new detail is revealed that changes the picture, and the pace remains high throughout the way. In this sense, it reminds one of 'Prison Break' – only without stretching the story over 5 seasons.

Logic? Less so. Adrenaline? Definitely.

There are quite a few moments where the series asks the viewer to just go with it. David's escape from prison, for example, feels too simple relative to the situation he is in and the chase that is being conducted after him. Also, some of the moves surrounding Matthew's disappearance and the way they managed to make David look like he murdered his son raise quite a few questions. As you get deeper into the story, especially everything related to DNA, fertility treatments, and the plan that led to identity swapping, it is hard not to think: 'Wait, but how did no one notice this before?'

But perhaps the most frustrating thing is actually the last episode. After seven episodes in which the series continues to turn up the heat, one expects the eighth episode to provide a real explosion. Instead, the feeling is that the story had already reached its peak a moment earlier. Instead of a finale that would make us say 'wow', we get an ending that feels a bit too fast, as if the series was in a hurry to close all the ends that remained open.

Ultimately, 'Stay Close' is not a series that asks the viewer to sit down with a notebook and check if every detail adds up. It wants you to click 'Next Episode'. And it is very good at that. So if you are looking for eight episodes of adrenaline and suspense, even the holes in the plot will probably not stop you.