April 9, 2024: The Crime Binge continues – A few to my liking!

Traces (2019 – 2022) Season 1

While attending an online forensic course, young lab assistant discovers that the fictitious case study has a link to her past. With the help of two female professors she works on bringing a killer to justice.

My thoughts: Okay forensic thriller that never quite attains the lofty story-telling heights of an Unforgotten.  Notable for its casting of a protagonist who looks 14, making the romantic sub-plot kind of creepy.

3/5

Bosch (2014 – 2021) Season 1

An L.A.P.D. homicide detective works to solve the murder of a 13-year-old boy while standing trial in federal court for the murder of a serial killer.

My thoughts: Lots of buzz about this one, but I found it formulaic, from the stock characters to the cliche dialogue.

3/5

Elite (2018 – 2024) Season 1

When three working-class teenagers begin attending an exclusive private school in Spain, the clash between them and the wealthy students leads to murder.

My thoughts: Over-the-top mystery teen soap done right.

4/5

Fargo (2014 – 2024) Season 2

In a small Minnesota town, a shooting at a diner disrupts the lives of a state officer, a married couple, and a North Dakota crime syndicate.

My thoughts: This season surpasses the show’s impressive first season, delivering a top-notch darkly humorous off-kilter small-town thriller.

4.5/5

Australian Gangster (2021) 1 season

A wild tale of ruthless ambition and revenge, set within the Sydney underworld, where gangsters and the Instagram generation collide with Sydney’s glamorous social elite.

My thoughts: The reviews were not kind so I wasn’t expecting much but came away impressed with the tight, tragicomic story-telling and a surprisingly endearing fuck-up wannabe gangster played by Alexander Bertrand.

4/5