We’ve gotten TV shows that have drawn inspiration from a number of unique places. With Nocturne, a new drama on Apple TV, that inspiration comes from a set of Swedish mystery novels.
The series, which was created by Rowan Joffé, moves the action to Pennsylvania and keeps many of the character names the same. All of it sets up a dark mystery that is compelling from the jump. The first episode, “Lazarus, Come Forth,” drops you right into the world and action. Let’s dive in.
A monster in a cage
We begin with a pair of prisoners. One, a smooth and even keeled man, is speaking to the other, who is quite emotional. He’s providing encouragement of sorts, but it doesn’t seem to be making his friend calmer. Instead, it seems to be pushing him toward something darker. And that pays off quickly as the emotional one takes his own life.
Flash-forward six months, and we’re back at Riverside Psychiatric Hospital. We’re following a young orderly, Karl (Rory Culkin), who has shown a talent at connecting with patients. He’s doing such a good job that he’s offered a promotion to work on the restricted level. There, his talent and skill will be applied to a special patient — Jurek Walter (Stephen Graham), the man we saw in the opener.
Quickly, Karl is asked to do something unexpected. The medication he provides knocks Walter out. And Karl is urged to enter his cell and find a hidden weapon. Karl finds it, but Walter wakes early. He grabs Karl, but he’s not angry. Instead, he slips Karl a note to pass to his lawyer. Karl does just that, and a friendship is born.
A boy on a bridge
Meanwhile, in Fairhaven, Pennsylvania, Michael Frost is found walking on a bridge. He’s been missing for three years, and he’s in bad shape. He is recovered and returned to his mother, Ida (Chrissy Metz), in the hospital. But it’s not the end. His sister, Felicia, disappeared with him three years ago, and she remains missing. With Michael reappearing, it kicks off a new search for Felicia and for answers.
Local Police Chief Ellison (Bill Camp) is leading the search at the outset. But he wants to let a few others know. He sends Nathan (Gary Carr) to spread the news to a couple key people. He’s calling for help now that the mystery has heated up again.
We flash-forward to Philadelphia and a young woman who is making a drug buy. Soon, the police burst in, and she gets in a fight with the arresting officer. The next morning, in Pittsburgh, Saga Bauer (Zazie Beetz) opens the door for Nathan. She’s an agent and a talented undercover agent. When she learns that Michael Frost has been found, she is focused on finding Jonah (Liev Schreiber) to share the news.
Saga heads out to the country where Jonah is working on a treehouse. It turns out his family is gone, but building the treehouse brings him some peace. Jonah was partners with Saga’s father and worked on the disappearance of Michael and Felicia. He’s like a surrogate father for Saga, and she knows that when he learns that Michael has returned, he’ll be compelled to investigate.
So, Jonah heads to the scene. He talks with Ida and the boy, then turns his attention to searching for clues. He interrupts the FBI briefing from Agent Quinn (Poorna Jagannathan). She isn’t keen on his take, but he forges ahead. When Jonah finds the clues the FBI missed, and along with Nathan finds the place where Michael was held, Quinn sees it differently. She invites Jonah, who had retired, to come out of retirement and join the case.
Jonah points back at Jurek Walter. He long suspected Walter was responsible for the disappearance of the kids, but he couldn’t prove it. Quinn and Jonah head to visit Walter. It’s a showdown that goes as expected. But it hardens Jonah’s resolve to come out of retirement and get to the truth of what happened and who is helping Walter on the outside.
This is the first of two episodes released for Nocturne's debut. The series premiere does a great job of setting the stage. The writing from Joffe is crisp, and the direction from TV veteran Timothy Van Patten does a nice job of setting the tone. I really enjoyed the characters and roll out, and I think this has potential to be a strong new mystery.
Nocturne streams Fridays on Apple TV. Check back next week as we recap all the action of the season right here. Have a question or a theory? Share it in the comments below!
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