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The cast dances in The Perfect Couple’s opening credits because director Susanne Bier and showrunner Jenna Lamia wanted the sequence to introduce the show as more than a grim murder mystery. The number began as part of a nightmare planned for episode 5; when that scene was abandoned, Bier and Lamia reshaped the idea into a joyful, deliberately heightened opening that tells viewers what kind of ride they are joining.
From an episode 5 nightmare to the opening credits
The dance was first intended for a nightmare near the start of episode 5. In that version, Amelia dreams that she and Merritt discuss the future. Merritt then asks who committed the killing, and water pours from her eyes and mouth. Showrunner Jenna Lamia described the dream as horrible; the dance was meant to be part of it.
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45 Years | $8.20 | Buy on Amazon |
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![A Perfect Couple [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51U8JyKoaDL._SL160_.jpg)
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A Perfect Couple [DVD] | $44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Robert Altman Collection (M*A*S*H / A Perfect Couple / Quintet / A Wedding) | $40.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Netflix’s behind-the-scenes account says the production found the nightmare sequence difficult to shoot for practical reasons and changed direction. In a separate interview with TV Insider, Bier recalled reading an early script that suggested a TikTok dance inside a nightmare. She objected to both the TikTok idea and the nightmare, then wondered whether the opening credits could instead carry a lively dance. Those accounts describe the pivot from different angles: one emphasizes the production challenge, the other Bier’s creative response to the script.
The final sequence is not a plot event. It is an opening-credits performance that replaces the proposed eerie dream with a playful ensemble number.
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#1 Best Overall
- Movie dvd
Why put a joyful dance in a murder mystery?
The contrast is the point. Bier and Lamia wanted the credits to set expectations for a crime story that could also be fun. Bier described the show’s world as a “slightly heightened reality.” Lamia said it was important for viewers to understand that this was a fun murder mystery, not a show in the mode of The Undoing or some of Bier’s earlier work.
The number therefore works as a tonal signal: the series has a killing at its center, but it is not asking viewers to approach every moment as solemn realism. A group dance gives the audience a quick, unmistakable invitation into its more playful register.
Rank #2
The song and choreography
Meghan Trainor’s “Criminals”
Bier chose Meghan Trainor’s “Criminals” after hearing suggested songs during filming. Netflix’s account connects the song’s repeated use of “criminals” to the show’s central question of who is guilty. TV Insider also noted that Trainor is from Nantucket, like author Elin Hilderbrand, and that the track appears on the deluxe edition of Trainor’s album Timeless. That is a reported connection, not evidence that the Nantucket link was the reason Bier chose it.
Charm La’Donna’s flash-mob routine
Choreographer Charm La’Donna mapped out the sequence. Bier suggested a Saturday Night Fever vibe. The cast members’ accounts of learning it differ: Mia Isaac said she picked it up in ten minutes and likened it to the easy, familiar feel of the “Macarena,” while Sam Nivola said he and some fellow cast members felt intimidated and found it harder than expected. The routine was not equally effortless for everyone.
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The cast was not uniformly eager to dance at first. Netflix’s account says some performers were nervous and recalls Bier hearing protests of “I’m not dancing.” Dakota Fanning told Vanity Fair she initially refused, but came to see how the number established the series’ alternate, heightened reality. She said the experience became a joy: “Doing it was actually so much fun.” Her account describes her own change of heart, not necessarily every cast member’s.
The production accounts also suggest the sequence came together quickly. Netflix reported that the cast had a few days at most to learn the dance. Bier told TV Insider that a shoot of this kind often takes a day and a half to two days, but this one took about an hour and a half. Those are interview-reported timings, not independently measured production data. Ishaan Khatter and Fanning both said the dance was the last scene they filmed with the cast.
Rank #4
- Genre: TV Comedy
- Number of Discs: 20
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Playback Duration: 3005
- Movie Title: The Odd Couple: The Complete Series
Where to see Bier dancing with the cast
Bier joined the group dance. Viewers can see that behind-the-scenes footage at the very end of episode 6, after the credits. Fanning also singled out the end-of-series behind-the-scenes moment as one of her favorite parts of watching the show.
Quick Recap
The planned version versus the one viewers got
| Planned for episode 5 | Final opening-credits sequence |
|---|---|
| A dance inside Amelia’s frightening nightmare, with Merritt asking who committed the killing. | A joyful group number set to “Criminals,” separate from the plot’s events. |
| The production found the nightmare version difficult to shoot; Bier also recalled objecting to the early script’s TikTok-dance and nightmare idea. | Bier and Lamia used the credits to establish the series’ playful, heightened tone. |
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