This ‘Game of Thrones’ Star’s Gripping Period Thriller Turned Frankenstein Into a Gruesome Detective Story

Mary Shelley‘s Frankenstein remains one of the most influential pieces of literature ever penned. It gave birth to the sci-fi genre and sparked multiple film adaptations, including Guillermo del Toro‘s gloriously gothic take for Netflix, featuring Oscar Isaac as the titular scientist and Jacob Elordi as his creation. Perhaps the most twisted take on Frankenstein comes courtesy of The Frankenstein Chronicles, which features Game of Thrones‘ Sean Bean in a series that reshapes the Frankenstein mythos into a macabre murder mystery. Bean’s Inspector John Marlott discovers what looks like a human corpse, but upon further inspection, he learns that it’s stitched together from eight different children. His investigation soon leads him to some of the darkest corners of science, and some familiar faces from his era.

‘The Frankenstein Chronicles’ Took Some Wild Swings During Its Run

Frankenstein Chronicles Sean Bean — A poster for ‘The Frankenstein Chronicles’, featuring Sean Bean.

To describe the events of The Frankenstein Chronicles is a pretty impossible task, as it features unexpected appearances from historical figures in addition to elements from Frankenstein. The biggest example of this is Anna Maxwell Martin playing Mary Shelley. Yes, this is a Frankenstein story where the author of Frankenstein plays a role. If that wasn’t wild enough, Marlott ends up going the way of all Sean Bean characters at the end of the first series, but is brought back to life by the mad scientist who’s been cutting up corpses and sewing them back together. It’s the type of wild storytelling swings that became a rarity during the era of “Peak TV”, but it’s also part of the series’ charm — you’ll be tuning in to see what happens each episode.

Viewers watching The Frankenstein Chronicles might also notice a familiar face, as Vanessa Kirby plays a brief but memorable role in the first season. Kirby’s Lady Jemima Hervey is the sister of the brilliant but disturbed Lord Daniel Hervey; Daniel is revealed to be behind the macabre murders and the transformation of Marlott. Though her role in The Frankenstein Chronicles is small, Kirby still shows off the same immense magnetism that would fuel her roles in Mission: Impossible – Fallout and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It also came before her breakout performance in The Crown, another historical drama, meaning that fans of Kirby will want to revisit The Frankenstein Chronicles. But that also raises the question of why this series has flown under the radar, and it underlines an issue that’s facing modern television.

‘The Frankenstein Chronicles’ Had A Rocky Road To The Small Screen

Back in 2015, A&E acquired the rights to The Frankenstein Chronicles, intending to air it in the U.S. after it premiered on Britain’s ITV channel. That deal never came through as A&E struggled with its original scripted programming, but Netflix would eventually step in and secure the rights to the series in 2018. As a result, The Frankenstein Chronicles received massive critical acclaim in both the United States and Britain, with many praising its grim tone and its reworking of the source material. Netflix, unfortunately, removed The Frankenstein Chronicles from its catalog in 2022, which underlines the downside of streaming services. One day, they can save your favorite show, and the next it’s gone forever. Thankfully, The Frankenstein Chronicles has landed on Prime Video, giving lovers of gothic fiction another chance to watch one of the wildest takes on a classic novel.