David Bianculli

No, the best part for him is the antecedent phase, the fantasy plan, right after he becomes aware of her, when he's fueled by obsession.

I realize this whole series structure sounds complicated.

And it is.

But it's rewarding, too.

I've seen all eight episodes, and the plots and the characters really hold up.

And I haven't even mentioned Ariana DuBose, another major name in this production, who plays the daughter of Jamie Lee Curtis' Dorothy.

Or Amanda Rigetti, who plays Dorothy in the flashback scenes.

There's a lot to applaud here, and a lot to absorb.

And the way Prime Video is streaming it, you can gobble it up as fast as you can to help keep things straight, just like a good novel.

Or two good novels.

Coming up, critic-at-large John Powers reviews the Netflix series How to Get to Heaven from Belfast by the creator of The Dairy Girls.

This is Fresh Air.

The Netflix series How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is a comic mystery about three longtime friends investigating the death of another mutual old friend.

The show was created by Lisa McGee, who brought us the cult hit Dairy Girls.

Our critic at large, John Powers, says he was a bit slow getting to the series, which dropped last month, but he found it such rollicking fun that he simply had to praise it.

John Powers reviewed the Netflix series How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.

On Monday's show, a new book about Stephen Sondheim draws on archives and letters that offer new insights into his music, his relationship with his collaborators, and his often toxic relationship with his mother, including the letter she wrote to him that's known to Sondheim fans as The Letter.

We'll talk with the author, Daniel Okrent.

Join us.

To keep up with what's on the show and get highlights of our interviews, follow us on Instagram at NPR Fresh Air.