'Cheat' actress Katherine Kelly says it's an 'all or nothing show', keeps you 'on the edge of your seat'
Spoilers ahead for episode 1 of 'Cheat'
When actress Katherine Kelly first read the script for 'Cheat', she simply couldn't put it down, "which is obviously a good sign!" she quips.
In an exclusive chat with MEA WorldWide, Kelly, who plays the role of Dr Leah Dale, talks about her character on the show.
A chat with the director Louise Hooper made it clear to Kelly that 'Cheat' is a riveting chase, but not a cat and mouse chase. "It is like watching a boxing match and you didn't know which side was the strongest."
A nuanced and detailed show, 'Cheat' is a psychological thriller that follows university lecturer Dr Leah Dale, played by Kelly, who is increasingly growing suspicious of final-year student Rose Vaughn for having submitted, what she thinks is a plagiarised paper.
While it seems like an open and shut case of academic plagiarism, there is more going on than what meets the eye. Rose takes up the challenge and soon the deception case spirals out of control. What follows is a devasting series of events that threatens to engulf both Rose and Leah.
In the first episode, Leah confronts Rose about cheating on her paper. But needless to say, the conversation doesn't go at all like she had planned, which was for Rose to give in and confess.
But Rose is not playing the same game that Leah is. And so begins a series of deceptions, lies and mind games. And Kelly thoroughly enjoyed playing Leah's role. "We meet Leah at the beginning of the show, and she seemingly lives in the idyllic life - she has a great job and she's on the verge of getting a permanent job and one of the best universities in the country and a subject that she loves. She's trying for a baby with her husband and they live in an idyllic house. Soon you see that you never know what goes on behind closed doors and actually isn't as idyllic as it would seem on the surface."
Leah's seemingly perfect world is shattered by Rose's entry into her life. And this is where the story begins. But as we had earlier pointed out, 'Cheat' is a lot more about the journey. Leah's character begins 'Cheat' on a different note and ends on a different one.
"It's ['Cheat'] a kind of show that won't let you look away - if you do, you really miss some things. So I think it's an all or nothing show. You're on the edge of your seat watching all those."
When watching 'Cheat', one will find themselves hungrily trying to piece the puzzle together. You could try but it won't click.
Episode 1 of 'Cheat' is currently streaming on AMC Networks' streaming service Sundance Now. Episode 2 will be out on November 28, 2019.