Cora Seaborne is a woman who escaped one monster and is pursuing another.
As played by Claire Danes (“Homeland,” “Stardust”) in the six-episode drama “The Essex Serpent,” premiering May 13 on Apple TV+, she’s a 19th century socialite who departs London following the death of her abusive husband to pursue her passion for natural history in the rural wilds of Essex, much to the disappointment of Luke Garrett (Frank Dillane, “Fear the Walking Dead”), a hotshot surgeon who has the hots for her.
There in what best friend and traveling companion Martha (Hayley Squires, “The Miniaturist”) calls “witch-burning country,” Cora investigates reports of a sea monster that according to legend has claimed a few victims. On one jaunt, she crosses paths with Will Ransome (Tom Hiddleston, “Loki”), the local vicar, with whom she has a mutual attraction. This man of the cloth takes the newcomer into his home with wife Stella (Clemence Poesy, “The Tunnel”) and his family. But when tragedy strikes, the locals accuse Cora of attracting the creature.
