Warning: Major SPOILERS ahead for Landscapers.
HBO’s new series, Landscapers, follows what really happened to the murderous couple, Christopher and Susan Edwards, and the true story of their crimes. Although, like all adaptations, the narrative contains elements of creative license, the drama is a largely faithful retelling of the true story. This makes it a useful tool in understanding exactly what happened to the real Christopher and Susan Edwards.
Landscapers begins in 2013, with Susan and Christopher living in France, on the run from the police, after murdering Susan’s parents, Patricia and William Wycherley, in 1998. Having run out of money, Christopher contacts his stepmother seeking a loan, after which she calls to tip off the police. In the absence of any way to support themselves, the couple returns to the UK and surrender themselves, with the first episode ending as they arrive, greeted by a host of police (with Bridget Jones’s Baby actress Kate O’Flynn as the no-nonsense, wise-cracking female police officer). Landscapers features Olivia Colman and David Thewlis in the lead roles and is written and produced by Colman’s husband, Ed Sinclair. Directed by Will Sharpe, the miniseries is set to arrive in four parts, with the first having debuted on HBO Max this past Monday to excellent reviews.
The series is remarkably dedicated to the real story, holding fast to even the smallest details of the couple’s relationship like their penchant for classic films and memorabilia, to the police investigation and subsequent trial. As Landscapers moves into its remaining three episodes, viewers should expect to see many truths about the case come to the screen. Here is a breakdown of the fascinating details from the true story of Christopher and Susan Edwards and what to expect next in Landscapers.
How Much Of Landscapers' Story Is True
So far, HBO Max’s new December release Landscapers has been very accurate. The first episode saw the couple living in poverty in France where, despite their being destitute, Susan Edwards continues to purchase expensive tokens of old Hollywood. According to BBC News (via BBC), “despite siphoning off a total of £245,000 of the Wycherleys' money, just over a year later they had just one Euro between them, having spent thousands on Hollywood souvenirs, particularly autographs of movie star Gary Cooper.” This behavior is reflected in the narrative of the show. For instance, in Landscapers, Susan returns home from shopping to their ratty apartment and stores her recently acquired poster (presumably purchased with her parent’s credit card) in a room entirely dedicated to the couple’s memorabilia. Despite such seemingly bizarre circumstances, these events are incredibly close to how the couple behaved in real life, highlighting Landscapers' commitment to accuracy.
If the series continues to cling so close to the true story in coming episodes, viewers should also see the couple confess, claiming that Susan Edward’s mother, Patricia Wycherley, shot her father, William Wycherley and that Susan then shot her mother after being provoked. The day after the murder, Susan (played in Landscapers by The Crown’s second Queen Elizabeth, the fantastic Olivia Colman) empties her parents’ bank account and she and Christopher begin an elaborate charade—forging Christmas cards to family friends, collecting her deceased parents’ government benefits and maintaining the Wycherley’s home—claiming that her parents are traveling abroad. The charade continues until 2012 when the couple flees to France, where Landscapers episode 1 begins.
Where The Real Christopher & Susan Edwards Are Today
Though the Edwardses pled guilty for manslaughter when they were tried in 2014, they were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 25 years. In Landscapers episode 1, Susan’s great fear is that they will be separated and indeed they are, with the real Christopher and Susan serving their sentences in separate facilities in the U.K. If they survive their sentences, Susan will be 81 when she walks free, and Christopher 82.
Landscapers streams on HBO Max on Monday nights.