_The Serpent_ is as much a tale of a failed Miniseries as it is of a serial killer. The show is an unfinished product. This is in part because the story itself is so spread out and outlandish that any attempt to do it justice would be difficult. That being said, there are multiple directorial/writing choices that didn't work. For one thing, the constant flashbacks without a clear point of return (i.e. three months prior --> present) make the show difficult to follow. In particular, the flashbacks in the last couple of episodes makes you wonder why they didn't give you that information earlier. In addition, the actors just aren't believable--the Knippenberg's are far too goody-too shoes, Sobhraj's victims are portrayed as totally dumb and Sobhraj himself is a bit stilted. I generally really like Tahar Rahim's work, but this show simply doesn't cut it.