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This is why fans are confused about the setting of Stay Close

Have you watched the Netflix drama?

stay close location
Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
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Stay Close is the new thriller from Harlan Coben that has everybody talking. Not only has the all-star cast and the plot full of twists and turns sparked a reaction online, but the Netflix show's setting and location for filming has seemingly generated a lot of conversation.

MORE: Did you know this Stay Close star had a role in Call the Midwife?

Taking to social media, many have been commenting on the scenery of Stay Close – with some confused by the close proximities of the characters, and random landmarks appearing in the background. Find out why viewers are confused here…

WATCH: Richard Armitage awkwardly learns he was 'excluded' by Stay Close co-stars

The eight-part drama, set in the north of England, focuses on Megan (Cush Jumbo) who lives in Ridgewood with her husband and three children. However, Megan was previously known as Cassie, a dancer in a local club with secrets to hide. After the disappearance of her boss, Cassie decides to become Megan – but the location of her new life has audiences at home perplexed.

One person summed it up by tweeting: "The thing I find most bizarre about #StayClose is that she managed to run away and start a new life just 10 minutes down the road from her previous life, 'without anyone finding or recognising' her."

MORE: Stay Close star Cush Jumbo married her husband on stage - details and photo

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stay close carnival© Photo: Netflix

Stay Close filmed in various areas in the north of England

A second echoed this, writing: "Do they all drive Concorde in this show? They get places in five minutes flat #StayClose," as a third shared a photo of Megan and Ray's character (played by Richard Armitage) with the witty caption: "'How did you find me?' 'Um...you started a new life five minutes up the road.' #StayClose."

However, the Netflix series has since cleared up some of this confusion, stating the location is not as close as it's played out on screen. The official account tweeted a series of images along with the caption: "Getting questions about the locations used in #StayClose… Vipers, for example, is in fictional Livingstone while Megan's family is an hour+ away (ergo crossing that bridge) in Ridgewood. Thanks for watching!"

MORE: Stay Close: viewers are all saying the same thing about shock ending

stay close jimmy

Did you watch the Netflix drama?

Other viewers were keen to defend the locations of Stay Close, reiterating that the thriller is fictional and not to be taken literally. "People moaning about the location settings being wrong on #stayclose It’s fiction. The original is set in Atlantic City. The TV version isn't specifically set anywhere so it makes no difference... stop stressing and just watch it."

The locations used were in and around areas of Merseyside including St Helens as well as in central Manchester for more city-themed scenes. One key location was the Vipers club, which viewers are first introduced to in episode one and where Megan used to work with her old friend, Lorraine (Sarah Parish) who has made a reappearance in her life.

Another standout location from the show is the large head sculpture, which is shown with birds-eye and aerial camera shots. This too is also a real place and the sculpture is named Dream. It was created by the artist Jaume Plensa and is located in the Merseyside town of St Helens. Other key areas used were Blackpool, the Northern Quarter of Manchester, and the city centre's bars and hotels.

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