Criminal

So you've already binged Criminal Minds, some form of Law and Order, and maybe even NCIS, but have you watched Criminal? My personal favorite, Criminal: UK. There is also Criminal: France, Spain, Germany, and Portugal. However, Criminal: UK is by far one of the greatest.

Crime procedurals have taken over the film industry and have changed the game for thrill seekers and mystery solvers everywhere. For some reason, we can't get enough of them. They're captivating, thrilling, whatever word you want to use. They have it all. Emotion, excitement. I have to say, this one gives more than the others.

There are two seasons of Criminal: UK on Netflix currently. It doesn't seem like a lot, but I promise you it's worth getting into. Criminal is a series with a different criminal case each episode so you don't have to worry about watching 200 episodes before you get the answers you want. Each episode is an interrogation by the same team of people trying to discover what really happened.

I have never seen a better cast than in this series. The acting is the best I've ever seen. You can't get more depth than this. Remember the fun-loving Raj (Kunal Nayyar) from The Big Bang Theory? He appears in his own episode and gives the best performance you'll see in any crime drama series to date. He plays a dark, sadistic serial killer. The guest cast in both seasons are perfect. Every episode takes place in one room, the interrogation room and sometimes, a small room that's attached. For the entire episode, that's all we see and somehow each character is able to liven the space into an emotion filled performance you can't look away from.

Much like the crime drama shows you've grown to love, we do have recurring characters. They just aren't really the stars of the show. We appreciate them, because of where they take the actors on the other side of the table, but we don't really learn much about them throughout the two seasons. Which I thought would be a problem for me, but it's actually satisfying to see a criminal come in and leave and you know exactly the answers you were looking for. There's something so raw and real about not knowing the interrogators and learning the depths of the people being interrogated.

That's not to say you know absolutely nothing about the characters who return. We come to understand bits and pieces here and there about certain characters, but it really feels like we've been dropped in the middle of a team in an emotional battle with the people they must dig into. We can see the emotion from both sides as they attempt to figure each other out. Trust, love and secrets all come into play when they must find out how to communicate.

Kunal isn't the only guest star to make an impression. There are many others who make a lasting impact on the stories they tell, such as, David Tennant, Hayley Atwell, Sophie Okonedo, and Kit Harington. Hayley Atwell, especially, portrays a lovely character full of internal conflict in one of the best episodes of the first season. They each give unique performances that show that they can liven up even the most boring settings.

Besides the phenomenal acting, this show can really catch the attention of all crime drama viewers. Even those who are die hard fans of one particular series. It has everything you look for, without all of the distractions. The plain setting lets you immerse yourself into the emotions of both sides and really dig into the serious nature of the crimes. No more watching Criminal Minds just to see Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan) and his beautiful pecs. If you're watching Criminal, you're watching to dig deep into the gravity of crime and mystery and the emotion it brings.

This isn't your typical crime procedural, and I understand that. It's a show different than the rest, a show well worth giving a try. And if you watch it for anything, watch it for the performance Kunal gives. You can tell these people put everything they've got into these ones.