In the latest season of Nine Perfect Strangers, Nicole Kidman’s Masha Dmitrichenko — a slightly unhinged, ambiguously Russian, and wildly overmedicated wellness guru — is back to unleash her brand of psychedelic chaos on a fresh batch of unsuspecting guests, all seeking healing in a snowbound Austrian retreat. But amid the churning sea of emotional wreckage, unresolved mommy/daddy issues, and trauma with a capital T, one perfect stranger stands out like a lifeline: Dolly de Leon as the quietly unshakable ex-nun, Sister Agnes.
Sister Agnes feels out of place among the privileged nine perfect strangers, each one hoping to use their credit cards to fix their existential crises. And there are a lot of crises to follow: there’s Imogen (Annie Murphy), hoping Jungian theory will smooth over her strained relationship with her mother Victoria (Christine Baranski), who is also a guest with her handsome young beau Matteo (Aras Aydin). Also in the mix are the volatile Brian (Murray Bartlett), the icy couple Wolfie and Tina (Maisie Richardson-Sellers and King Princess), nepo baby Peter (Henry Golding), and his long-absent father David (Mark Strong). With just two episodes out, it remains to be seen how, and if, each guest will earn their moment in the spotlight.
Holy Mystery
But let’s focus on de Leon. From what little we know about her, Sister Agnes appears to have walked away from life in the convent, although exactly why still remains a mystery. She’s shed her habit, and from the brief glimpses we get of her in the trailer and the first two episodes, she seems to be the only calm, steady presence among the guests so far. Compared to the other strangers, who all arrive in a flurry of large suitcases, lavish outfits, and loud demands for treatment, Sister Agnes moves through the resort as if she had always belonged there. “It’s a privilege to serve,” she says quietly before helping one of the guests.
While I would love to see more of Sister Agnes, especially because she seems to be operating on a different wavelength than the other strangers, the problem with an ensemble cast as big as that of Nine Perfect Strangers is that it’s easy for cast members to get lost in the shuffle — and for intriguing characters like de Leon’s to get sidelined. With just two episodes released on Prime, we’re already a quarter of the way through the eight-episode season. Is there enough time for us to learn more about Sister Agnes’ backstory? And how will Dmitrichenko’s treatment change her? It would be a pity if the season doesn’t fully capitalize on one of its brightest stars, but here’s hoping that the show makes room for Sister Agnes’ story to unfold.
New episodes will drop weekly on Prime every Wednesday.
