River
River is a BBC show that you can stream through Netflix. It’s a gritty, harrowing, and often depressing cop drama. However, it stands out from its peers because it takes the archetype of the “haunted detective” quite literally. Stellen Skarsgard plays the titular detective, River. River literally sees ghosts. Past victims of crimes he’s solving, as well as a bizarre historical criminal, frequently appear and talk to him. Nobody sees these “manifests” but River, and he’s spurned by his colleagues because of his erratic behavior.
Stellan Skarsgard nails the character as you watch him with a mixture of sadness and bewilderment. River’s life is pitiable and his actions often come off as extremely bizarre. Not strange enough for you to lose investment in his character, but just enough to keep your interest piqued. It’s the glimmers of happiness that Skarsgard occasionally shows that make you care for River and root for him to succeed and escape these “manifests” that keep him trapped in the past. Whenever River’s face lights up at a particular song or favorite memory, it’s like the sun finally breaking through the clouds.
River consists of five hour-long episodes, and though that sounds binge watchable, I don’t recommend it. River is not one of those shows you should binge watch. It’s very heavy and very much a downer. Each episode weighs you down and the murder mystery the plot centers around is horrifically dark. If you’re looking for a solid murder mystery and cop drama, then River is your show.
