Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Couple’ opens as a murder mystery but unravels into a family drama when the Winbury family’s one secret after another is brought to light. Seeing a huge PR crisis on the horizon, matriarch Greer Winbury tries to get ahead of the storm by covering all tracks. She is ready to do whatever it takes to protect the reputation of her family, but that is not the only thing she is worried about. Greer is a famous novelist, and any stain on her reputation would have a massive impact on her career, which isn’t something she can afford, considering how much her career means to her.
Greer’s prolific nature as a writer comes to light when, within the span of the show (which unfolds over about half a year), we see her go from releasing one novel to the ready manuscript of another. Interestingly, both her novels serve as a nod to the woman who created her character. SPOILERS AHEAD
Greer Winbury’s Fictional Novels are a Nod to Elin Hilderbrand’s Works
In ‘The Perfect Couple,’ Greer is known for writing a series of thriller novels called the Dash and Dolly novels. The latest entry in this installment is ‘Death in Dubai,’ during whose release she also announces that she is pulling the plug on the series and the next book will be the final one. She sees this move as essential to her career while also resonating with an important step she is to take in her personal life. A similar sentiment was shared by Elin Hilderbrand, the author of the book on which the Netflix series is based. Hilderbrand is known for writing a unique brand of Nantucket novels, which are mostly in the romance genre. Like Greer, who seeks inspiration from her own life to create Dash and Dolly, Hilderbrand was inspired by her time in Nantucket, where she spent decades writing stories set in the island town of Massachusetts.
Hilderbrand wrote about two dozen novels set in Nantucket before deciding that she wanted to take another route. Before this, almost all of her novels had been in the romance genre, but like Greer, she wanted to shake things up, which is when she came up with the idea of writing a murder mystery, ‘The Perfect Couple.’ This decisive point in Hilderbrand’s career is echoed in Greer’s story, which adds more weight to ‘Death in Dubai.’
Another of Greer’s novels to make it into the story is ‘Your Move,’ whose manuscript she gives to Amelia at the end of the story. She hints that the story is about her. Considering the genre Greer works in, it is clear that the novel is inspired by Merritt’s death, with Amelia and Merritt’s friendship taking center stage in the story. The title of the manuscript also puts it on Amelia to decide what she wants to do next. Does she want to stay away from the Winburys for good, or would she take up Greer on her offer? Whatever her decision may be, it is clear that ‘Your Move’ is a meta-reference to Hilderbrand’s ‘The Perfect Couple,’ which, despite its fictional nature, adds another layer to the story.
Read More: What is Liev Schreiber’s Tag Winbury’s Profession in The Perfect Couple?
