Article Text
A chance encounter in a grocery store sparks a whirlwind romance in 56 Days, but the relationship takes a sinister turn when police discover a body in a bathtub.
The eight-episode series follows Ciara Wyse and Oliver Kennedy, played by Dove Cameron and Avan Jogia. The pair have only weeks to understand and trust each other, even as both conceal the truth about their pasts.
Released in full on Feb. 18, 56 Days quickly attracted attention and rose to the No. 1 spot among Amazon Prime Video shows worldwide.
The series is adapted from Catherine Ryan Howard’s acclaimed novel of the same name. The book became a No. 1 bestseller in Ireland and was recognized by both The New York Times and The Washington Post as one of 2021’s best thrillers.
Cameron and Jogia, whose early careers included work on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, give their characters unexpected depth as the apparent romance becomes increasingly complicated.
The story begins when Wyse and Kennedy meet in a grocery store. What initially resembles an ordinary romantic introduction quietly establishes the uncertainty that shapes everything to come.
Moving repeatedly between the past and present, the series builds suspense while withholding key details about the couple’s relationship. The shifting timeline gradually exposes how their secrets connect to a possible murder.
In the present-day storyline, detectives Lee Reardon and Karl Connolly—portrayed by Karla Souza and Dorian Missick—arrive at Kennedy’s apartment and find a dead body in the bathtub. Their investigation begins to uncover the events that led to the killing.
Reardon is also confronting personal challenges that affect how she and Connolly handle the case.
Although Wyse and Kennedy’s relationship initially appears artificial and buried beneath layers of deception, later episodes reveal a more complex bond and an unusual dynamic between them.
Directing duties were divided among Alethea Jones, Shana Stein, Lauren Wolkstein and Jessica Yu. Each member of the all-female team directed two episodes.
Blending romance with mystery, 56 Days builds its tension gradually through a suspenseful plot and compelling central performances, leaving its biggest questions—and the truth about its doomed relationship—to unravel over time.