How to watch Sweetpea: Ella Purnell’s new show explained
StarzIf you love Yellowjackets and Fallout star Ella Purnell, you might want to watch Sweetpea, a dark new comedy
There are plenty of new TV shows coming to streaming services this month, from the treasure-hunting antics in Outer Banks Season 4 to the return of The Lincoln Lawyer in Season 3.
But with Halloween approaching, now’s the perfect time to watch a serial killer thriller, especially when it’s blended with female rage, coming-of-age, and wit sharper than a knife.
Cue Sweetpea, the new horror series bound to be your next TV obsession. Here’s everything you need to know about the show, including its release schedule and how to watch it.
How to watch Sweetpea
Sweetpea Episode 1 is available to watch on Starz, with new episodes dropping weekly on Fridays.
If you don’t have cable, you can subscribe to the Starz streaming service directly, or as an add-on via Hulu, Philo, or SlingTV.
Sweetpea release schedule
Although Episode 1 dropped on a Thursday, all episodes thereafter will be released on Fridays in the US. You can either watch them at 8pm ET on the Starz linear channel or 12am ET on the streaming app.
You can see the full release schedule below:
- Episode 1: Thursday, October 10
- Episode 2: Friday, October 18
- Episode 3: Friday, October 25
- Episode 4: Friday, November 1
- Episode 5: Friday, November 8
- Episode 6: Friday, November 15
What’s it about?
Sweetpea is a six-episode, darkly comedic thriller that follows Rhiannon, a seemingly ordinary woman living an unremarkable life. Beneath her mundane exterior, however, she harbors violent fantasies and a growing urge to act on them.
StarzBy day, she navigates an unsatisfying job and toxic relationships, while at night, her serial killer tendencies come to the fore. As these dualities collide, Rhiannon’s life spirals into chaos.
As horrific as her crimes are, you can’t help but sympathize with Rhiannon, making her the ultimate anti-heroine. The new TV show is an adaptation of CJ Skuse’s 2017 novel of the same name.
As per the official synopsis, “Rhiannon Lewis doesn’t make much of an impression – people walk past her in the street without a second glance. That is until she is pushed over the edge and loses control. Rhiannon’s life transforms, but can she keep her killer secret?”
Who’s in the cast?
Alongside Ella Purnell as our leading lady killer Rhiannon, the Sweetpea cast includes:
- Nicôle Lecky as Julia, a former school bully and Rhiannon’s tormenter
- Jon Pointing as Craig, a builder who hooked up with Rhiannon
- Calam Lynch as AJ, a “nepo baby” junior reporter at the Gazette where Rhiannon works
- Leah Harvey as Marina, a smart junior detective
- Jeremy Swift as Norman, the editor of the Gazette
- Dustin Demri-Burns as Jeff, a “petty” senior reporter at the Gazette
- Dino Kelly as Marcus, Julia’s fiancé
- Lucy Heath as Lucille, Rhiannon’s sister
As well as taking on the lead role, Purnell – whose acting credits include Fallout and Yellowjackets – served as executive producer.
StarzSpeaking to Variety about portraying her character, she said, “When you tell a story from just one character and that character happens to have no friends and be quite lonely, it can be very difficult to explain her inner narrative if you’re not doing a ‘Dear Diary’ or any other storytelling devices.
“So her room became a way to do that. I wanted it to be very innocent and show how stuck in the past she was, as if she stopped developing when the initial trauma happened. So she has pictures of boy bands on her walls and lip glosses, old scrunchies and dolls.”
When it came to her appearance, Purnell and the team wanted to “highlight her invisibility,” giving her dark clothes and mousy hair.
“I wanted her to be the kind of person that makes other people uncomfortable, not because of anything she’s done or said – she actually can be quite sweet – but because there’s this desperation and inability to connect that should put you on edge,” she added.
Sweetpea achieves perfect Rotten Tomatoes score
Although it’s too early for an audience score, Sweetpea Season 1 has received a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating from the critics.
This is based on just eight reviews, meaning this figure will likely change in time. However, so far the reaction has been positive.
StarzRogerEbert.com wrote, “Sweetpea feels fresh from beginning to end, offering us a gripping story right down to the final episode’s shocking cliffhanger.”
The Daily Telegraph added, “It is part thriller, part rom-com, part fantasy – undefinable in genre, but simply brilliant TV.”
“While other shows in this vein have had difficulty sticking the landing, Sweetpea does more than enough to inspire confidence that, no matter what happens, it remains an addictive watch through to the very end,” said Collider.
Of the less favorable reviews, The Guardian stated, “This insipid, humourless adaptation of CJ Skuse’s blackly comic Sweetpea books has been stripped of everything good.”
Will there be a Season 2?
There are currently no plans for Sweetpea Season 2, but that’s not to say it won’t happen. With five books in Skuse’s collection, there’s plenty more source material to draw from.
StarzIn a conversation with The Post, Purnell also said the show serves as a prequel of sorts. “The dark comedic element here comes from the books, which are different to the show,” she explained.
“The show is more the prequel to the books – the making-of. But the humor is definitely similar.”
Season 1 also ends on a cliffhanger, meaning you’ll no doubt want to find out more after the finale. However, nothing has been set in stone.
As stated by Sky, where Sweetpea airs in the UK, “There are five books in the collection, so there is always scope for expansion.
“However, the book and series story is vastly different in its nature, with several characters being expanded on, and Rhiannon’s back story being changed.
“At the time of writing (October 2024), there are currently no plans in place for a new season.” We’ll be sure to keep you posted if this changes.
For more binge-worthy TV shows, check out the new series coming to streaming this month. If you’re more into true crime, here are the documentaries to add to your watchlist.