6 Crime Miniseries That Never Had a Weak Episode

Consistency is a quality that all crime shows strive for, as retaining a level of quality throughout is important in order to retain the enthusiasm of an audience. With that being said, it is nearly impossible for shows to never have a bad episode, as some all-time masterpieces have entire seasons that aren’t quite as good as the rest. When looking at the best crime shows of all time, series like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and The Wire are often brought up. Each of these shows are masterpieces in their entireties, but they are not above criticism; Breaking Bad struggled in the second half of its first season due to the constraints of the WGA strike, the first half of the final season of The Sopranos wasn’t as good as the second half, The Wire featured a storyline in its Season 5 about a serial killer that ruined its realism, and Twin Peaks so infamously went off the rails in Season 2 that David Lynch had to return to set things right with the finale, “Beyond Life and Death.”

Perfection within television can often be found in miniseries, which have become the preferred format for many networks. It’s more often that A-list stars and auteur filmmakers will want to sign on to a limited event show so they do not have to commit to making several seasons, as the productions can feel closer to that of a film. Even then, some miniseries are extended and have diminishing returns; the second season of Big Little Lies was a mixed bag that wasn’t as strong as the first, and True Detective has been all over the place in terms of quality after its brilliant first season was expanded into three more. Generally, the crime shows that don’t have any bad episodes are self-contained, personal, and offer something original that makes them stand out within the streaming landscape.

6

‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)

Image via HBO

Mare of Easttown is a brilliant crime show that took an unusual approach to the murder mystery genre because it explored how an entire community heals after the tragic murder of a teenage girl (Cailee Spaeny), whose death leads a local police detective (Kate Winslet) to investigate anyone who could have been involved in the event. Although Mare of Easttown has a twisty mystery storyline that includes more than a few surprises and several shocking deaths, it’s also a deeply humane drama that speaks to Brad Ingleby’s talents as a writer.

Mare of Easttown is beautifully wrapped up, as the show has no filler and does not necessitate a second season. However, it does serve as one chapter within a larger universe, as Ingleby revealed that Mare of Easttown is within the same continuity as his acclaimed crime thriller Task, which is returning for its second season later this year.

5

‘Escape at Dannemora’ (2018)

Image via Showtime

Escape at Dannemora was a major career pivot for Ben Stiller, who had previously been best known as a comedic actor, even though he had directed several of the films that he also starred in. Although 1994’s Reality Bites was the last time in which Stiller took on slightly more serious material as a director, he had something to prove after 2016’s Zoolander 2 was a complete failure that suggested he no longer had the juice of his early career. Escape at Dannemora marked the first time that Stiller directed something that he did not also star in, as the true crime thriller starred Benicio del Toro and Paul Dano as inmates at a high-security prison who plot their escape with the help of a service worker (Patricia Arquette), whom they are both in a physical relationship with.

Escape at Dannemora is a throwback to classic prison break thrillers from the ‘60s and ‘70s, but it’s also grounded in a wild true story and features eccentric performances from three of the most underrated living actors.

4

‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ (2022)

Image via Michelle Faye / ©FX on Hulu / Courtesy Everett Collection

Under the Banner of Heaven is a fascinating crime thriller that doubles as a powerful drama TV show because it explores important ideas about faith, family, and forgiveness by tackling a controversial true story that has continued to spark controversy. Andrew Garfield gives one of the greatest performances of his entire career as a police detective and loyal member of the Mormon church who is called in to investigate a series of murders linked to a radical sect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which suggests the involvement of polygamy and child marriages.

Under the Banner of Heaven examines complex questions about what faith can be, as anyone who swears themselves loyal to a religion must be able to acknowledge that their same ideals could be corrupted and used for ill on the part of someone with malicious intentions.

3

‘The Night Of’ (2016)

Image via HBO

The Night Of is another masterpiece from Steven Zaillian, who deserves more credit for being one of the greatest crime writers of all-time; although Zaillian got his start writing classics like Schindler’s List and The Irishman, he also proved his merit as a showrunner with Netflix’s Ripley. However, Zaillian first ventured into the television landscape with The Night Of, a powerful legal thriller about a Muslim cab driver (Riz Ahmed) in New York City who is falsely accused of murder, but must remain in prison as a case is waged about his guilt. He is forced to adapt to the brutalistic culture within the prison, which looks down upon him because of his culture and supposed crimes, all while an idealistic public defender (John Turturro) tries to argue on his behalf and clear his name.

The Night Of is a scathing indictment of the modern justice system that features career-best performances from Ahmed and Turturro, as well as a terrific supporting role for the late great Michael K. Williams as another inmate. The show’s analysis of police brutality and Islamophobia has sadly grown even more relevant ever since, given that The Night Of debuted before the end of a controversial election.

2

‘The Outsider’ (2020)

Image via HBO

The Outsider is one of the best and most underrated Stephen King adaptations of all time, and it’s a novelty because it is based on the author’s more recent books. Most of the most well-known King adaptations were inspired by the work that he did in the ‘70s and ‘80s, but The Outsider was a modern crime drama that was perfectly executed into a thrilling miniseries that offered the perfect blend of detective fiction and supernatural paranoia. Rarely has a show been able to jump between genres in such a concise and effective way; The Outsider initially appears to be a straightforward murder mystery about a death that wrecks an entire small community, but it transforms into a deeper, spiritual journey into human grief and the pursuit of an everlasting source of evil.

The Outsider is able to be both gritty and stylized, and does a great job of being a showcase for its actors. Ben Mendelsohn gives one of the most humane and accessible performances of his career, serving as a reminder that he doesn’t always have to be cast as villains (even if he is quite good at playing them). It also featured a strong turn from Jason Bateman, who also directed a few episodes, showing once again that he is just as talented behind the camera as he is in front of it.

1

‘Too Old to Die Young’ (2019)

Image via Prime Video

Too Old to Die Young is among the strangest and most criminally underseen shows of the modern era, as most audiences weren’t sure what to make of it when it dropped on Prime Video in 2019 without much fanfare. Although writer/director Nicolas Winding Refn had made a cult classic with Drive, a majority of the other films he made have been much more polarizing, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Too Old to Die Young is just as divisive. The series is a Los Angeles noir about a lone police officer (Miles Teller) who is drawn into a vast and insidious criminal underworld, where he becomes involved in a nearly mythic battle between good and evil.

Too Old to Die Young can’t be described in the way that most television shows could, given that Refn essentially treated the project as a cinematic experiment, and even screened some episodes at the Cannes Film Festival in the same year. Although at times it feels like he is trying to be as disorienting and disgusting as possible in order to provoke a reaction out of the audience, there are also moments of pure beauty and wonder that emphasize the spirituality within all of his work; it’s also a feast for cinephiles because of all the references to classic films that Refn sprinkles in. Too Old to Die Young won’t be for everyone, as those who don’t enjoy arthouse cinema should stay far away, but it’s a completely unique experiment where it could never be said that Refn didn’t fulfill the exact vision that he had in his mind.

Too Old to Die Young

Release Date

2019 – 2019-00-00

Network

Amazon Prime Video

Directors

Nicolas Winding Refn

Writers

Nicolas Winding Refn

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