Out of all the genres on TV, the one most likely to grip you from start to finish is a good crime mystery series. After all, there’s nothing like a carefully constructed mystery that unravels episode after episode with a major revelation at the end. But while most crime shows will be whodunits (after all, there’s a whole term for it), like Criminal Minds, The Mentalist and even High Potential, the TV series The Sinner flipped that structure on its head.
The USA original series, which was first released in 2017, is an anthology that sets itself apart from the other crime series out there. With just one returning character all throughout, the series has managed to reinvent itself in four different seasons, and keep viewers guessing, despite not being a whodunit at all.
‘The Sinner’ Followed a Format That Felt Unique and Fresh
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Sinner is a psychological thriller that follows the seasoned Detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) as he investigates unimaginable acts of violence committed by ordinary people. In each season, instead of opening with the crime and seeing Ambrose track down who’s responsible, The Sinner shows the criminal, or “the sinner,” from the get-go, and follows Ambrose as he understands why, not who. As the season goes on, the narrative peels back layers through nonlinear storytelling to uncover how someone would be compelled to throw their life away and do the unthinkable, all while showing how they’re coping with the consequences.
In Season 1, the story follows a small town in disarray after a seemingly ordinary mother, Cora Tannetti (Jessica Biel), stabs a man in broad daylight for reasons she can’t articulate. The mystery then traces everything that led to the act itself, including resurfacing a long-buried connection between Cora and her victim, and the trauma she’s held on because of it. In Season 2, which has the best Rotten Tomatoes series score to date from critics at 97%, the suspect is a 13-year-old named Julian (Elisha Henig), who becomes the center of a bizarre double homicide during a family road trip. As Ambrose interviews Julian, and those closer to him, he uncovers a whole world of manipulation around him, including Carrie Coon‘s Vera in one of her best roles to date.
By Season 3, the series follows Jamie (Matt Bomer), a man whose seemingly perfect life unravels when a figure from his past, Nick (Chris Messina), resurfaces to poke holes in his carefully maintained facade. The most recent season, Season 4 of 2021, follows Ambrose as he retires to a sleepy Maine town only to witness a crime involving the daughter of a prominent family, and he is recruited to help the investigation. Across all four seasons, the crimes themselves become the jumping-off points, with the real suspense being the psychological breakdown and backstory of its central figures.
‘The Sinner’ Never Lost Its Edge
When the first season of The Sinner premiered in 2017, the series was an instant streaming hit. After all, while Biel had long worked as an actress in the industry, the world started to look at her differently after her role as Cora. And, as her compelling performance was paired with the envelope-pushing, sharp writing, the series, created by Derek Simonds, became a TV show well worth chatting about. But while the buzz surrounding Season 1 certainly set a high bar, The Sinner has continued to deliver over the years, each time telling stories distinct from one another, while still benefiting from the same format. Each season, the anthology structure allows the series to explore new characters and new complex psyches while keeping the investigation sharp, compelling, and suspenseful.
Plus, with the criminals and their gruesome crimes being determined from the beginning, The Sinner is a rare mystery that doesn’t rely on spectacle, gimmicks or even red herrings. Instead, the series is all about keeping viewers invested with performances that stick and mysteries that linger long after the credits roll. So, if you’re a fan of mysteries, or have become saturated with mystery TV shows lately, The Sinner might be a welcome reprieve. It flips a whodunit on its head, and thrives because of it.
- Release Date
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2017 – 2021-00-00
- Directors
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Brad Anderson, Antonio Campos, Cherien Dabis, Jody Lee Lipes, Tucker Gates, Andrew McCarthy, Batan Silva, Radium Cheung, Colin Bucksey, John David Coles, Haifaa al-Mansour, Monica Raymund
- Writers
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Derek Simonds, Nina Braddock, Jesse McKeown, Liz W. Garcia, Piero S. Iberti, Bradford Winters, Hannah Shakespeare, Tom Pabst
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