The smartest detective series on Prime Video isn’t even marketed as a detective show

Love watching dark dramas with police investigations? Feel like you’re into true crime podcasts and documentaries but want to take a step back and watch a serialized show? There are plenty of shows out there for you to watch. But you may miss one of the top options on Prime Video if you aren’t paying attention.

The Fall features two well-known actors from the U.K. and Ireland who have made their names in Hollywood. Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan star in the series, which is marketed as a psychological thriller on Prime Video rather than as a detective story. But this series is very much a detective show, and Anderson plays a great one at that.

The Fall started in Ireland and the U.K.

It has made its way to the States

The Fall was filmed in Northern Ireland and premiered there, in Ireland, and in the U.K. in 2013. It made its way to Tubi in the U.S. in 2014 and eventually to Netflix in 2018. It more recently came to Prime Video in the U.S., where people can find it today.

The series was created by Allan Cubitt, who wrote and produced the first series and then also directed the second and third series. Cubitt relied on his time in Belfast, drawing upon the experiences as he wrote the show. There are 17 total episodes across three series of The Fall, making it a series you can finish in a weekend.

I came to this show when it was first on Netflix and was wrapped up in the series, thanks to the brilliant writing and direction. Now that it’s on Prime Video, how it was categorized is intriguing to me. This is too good a show not to have the most eyes on it that it deserves. Prime Video did it a disservice with its descriptions. The word “Detective” appears at the bottom of the description, but if you’re using a web browser like I was, it cuts off shortly after, so you don’t actually know what the rest of the description says.

It’s Gillian Anderson versus Jamie Dornan

A serial killer on the loose against a talented detective in Northern Ireland

This story involves minimal plot details about The Fall. There are no spoilers in this, so feel free to read it if you haven’t watched the series yet.

For those who do want to know what the series is about, the series focuses on two main characters. Gillian Anderson plays Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson, a woman working for the English Metropolitan Police who is seconded to Northern Ireland to help review the details of a case. Her job entails mainly reviewing investigations to see if everything makes sense and helps put the pieces together that other officers may have missed.

Gibson is incredibly smart and knows her way around an investigation and how police departments work. She uses her intellect and confidence, both in her abilities and her sexuality, to help get to the bottom of cases. Anderson is an ideal lead actress for this role, as audiences have seen her play an investigator in one of the most beloved sci-fi shows of all time, The X-Files.

The Fall landed at the same time as Anderson was costarring in the U.S. series Hannibal. Anderson has continued to land big TV roles since this series, with notable parts in Sex Education and The Crown. Her role as Margaret Thatcher won her an Emmy in 2021.

There is a woman who turns up dead in Belfast, who initially brings her to Northern Ireland, and Gibson is slated to be there for 28 days. While the initial investigation was running, more professional women in Belfast turned up dead, leading Gibson to try and connect the cases. Once she finds a common thread, it’s clear that there’s a serial killer targeting women.

That serial killer is Jamie Dornan’s Paul Spector. Paul is a seemingly happy married man with kids, but he doesn’t look like he’s an apparent psychopath. Dornan excels in the role as he provides a brooding portrayal of Spector, a man who was warped from past trauma into the monster he is today.

Dornan’s rise to fame came while his run as Christian Grey in the 50 Shades of Grey film series ran alongside his role in The Fall. He was thrust into the spotlight in both TV and film, and visiting the series about a decade after it initially ran feels like a chance to see the actor’s talents on display before people really knew his name.

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The Fall made it clear who the killer was

There was never a whodunit accident

The Fall was never meant to be a whodunit. This isn’t like Sherlock, where they have to unravel new cases each week. Cubitt didn’t waste much time exposing Spector, and it made for an interesting and more psychological look into a killer’s mind. Some detective series are all about one case per season, or even per week, where the main characters scramble to track down a killer and bring them to justice.

This series focuses more on the cat-and-mouse investigation, as the audience watches Spector not only try to avoid capture but also juggle his continuing need to kill while he’s evading police. The first episode of the series shows Spector stalking a woman, making it clear he is the bad guy in the series.

The audience gets to watch Gibson try and piece together enough information to lead her to Spector. Once that happens, the focus shifts to Spector trying to get the police off his scent. Viewers wait for a confrontation between the two main characters since both are given plenty of screen time.

The show also dives into both of their personal lives enough to give you more backstory on how they became who they are. The series features Bronagh Waugh as Sally Ann Spector, Paul’s wife, and Sarah and David Beattie as his children. Paul’s family is almost a facade for him to hide who he truly is from the public. But there is a connection that is undeniable, which is a credit to Dornan and Waugh.

The show has twists and turns in every season

The investigation continues on both sides

Stella Gibson talks with Jim Burns in The Fall

As Gibson continues to track Spector, Spector also aims to get insights on Gibson. It provides a unique angle with the killer stalking more than just his prey. As the investigation goes deeper, you can feel the intrigue on both sides. It’s more than just a professional curiosity. Both are addicted to what they do and have to be the best at it.

Other serial killer series like Dexter and Mindhunter that show both sides of investigations give glimpses into a killer’s psyche and the detective trying to capture them. It’s a gripping look that keeps audiences invested in the storytelling.

Fans can also appreciate how Cubitt kept the series fresh for three seasons, especially since the audience knows who the killer is from the get-go. Gibson not only has to battle wits against Spector, but also juggle her team’s investigations of all of the killings that they uncover.

The Fall is worth your time

Anyone who is a fan of detective series should look to Northern Ireland and consider The Fall. Having been a staple on Netflix for years, this series is now available in the U.S. on Prime Video. Anderson and Dornan both sink their teeth into their roles, and both have gone on to bigger roles in Hollywood. It’s a dark series, but one that is well-written and well-acted, giving fans a look at two actors heading towards their acting peaks.