Viewers can't seem to get enough of a gripping crime thriller series. Recent streaming hits such as All Her Fault and His and Hers have left fans hungry for more compelling murder mysteries, and Prime Video may have just dropped the crime series of the year.
Scarpetta, which just premiered on Prime Video on March 11 and is one of the best shows to watch right now, follows a talented forensic pathologist investigating a brutal murder that echoes a traumatic case from the 1990s. Alternating between past and present, the show explores her brilliant psyche as a disturbing serial killer story unfolds. We've rounded up four reasons to give Scarpetta a chance.
It is based on a best-selling book series
Scarpetta is based on a best-selling book series by Patricia Cornwell, which follows the titular character solving a range of disturbing cases over the years. Interestingly, the show adapts more than one book at a time; a clever choice, considering the book series spans 29 titles and continues to expand.
Scarpetta season 1 alternates between the 1990s and the present, drawing inspiration from Postmortem, the first book in the series, and Autopsy, one of the most recent entries, released in 2021. This allows the audience to see how Dr. Scarpetta evolved over the years while adding a dynamic pace to the story. Season 2 has already been confirmed, so fans can expect more Scarpetta books to come to life on Amazon very soon.
The cast is fantastic
Since the release of Big Little Lies, Nicole Kidman's involvement has become a strong indication that a crime series is worth watching. It has been the case with The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers, and it remains true with Prime Video's Scarpetta. Kidman plays the titular character in the present day, carrying the weight of many unsettling experiences in the field.
Rosy McEwen plays Kidman's younger counterpart in the 1990s, an experienced medical examiner who has not yet been fully hardened by the horrors of her profession. The two performances complement each other and make the show's dual timeline worthwhile. Scarpetta also features several recognizable faces, including Oscar-winning actors like Ariana DeBose and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Dr. Scarpetta is a brilliant main character
Scarpetta is one of those shows built around a singular genius, in the same vein as House, Sherlock, and The Mentalist. Like those series, it introduces a protagonist whose talent is unmatched, while exploring how that calling can become a burden when no one else quite understands their unique way of thinking.
What sets Scarpetta apart from many similar TV shows is how it doesn't fall into the trap of dehumanizing its main character. The series is just as invested in Dr. Scarpetta's flaws and emotional struggles, highlighting them through her fractured family ties and the resilience she develops in the face of trauma.
The series doesn’t shy away from gore
One thing viewers should be prepared for before watching Scarpetta is how graphic the show can be. Fans who enjoyed Hannibal's stomach-turning cases will certainly relish the show's gruesome depictions of violence.
It's a show about a forensic pathologist, after all, but the series does push the premise to unsettling extremes, showing in disturbing detail the many clues a corpse can reveal about a brutal crime. Scarpetta is not for the faint of heart, which, for many crime thriller fans, may be exactly the point.
All episodes of Scarpetta are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.