They say it’s the Golden Age of Television, but they also say: not all that glitters is gold. That’s why we’re here, every month, to dig through the annals of content, of crime story after crime story after crime story, to identify the gems among the masses. There’s no shortage of quality shows to choose from this month: maybe you’re in the mood for a biker gang? Israeli espionage? The tricks and turns of the interrogation room? A fresh take on a tired hitman? The fall season is just getting started.
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SEPTEMBER’S HIGHLIGHTS
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Mayans M.C., Season 2
(FX, 9/3)
Mayans M.C. follows in the footsteps of Better Call Saul, which forever changed the reputation of the spin-off. (We get it, it’s hard to reinvent the wheel.) While Sons of Anarchy fans are surely already familiar with its next chapter, one need not live and breathe Jax Teller to appreciate Ezekiel, ‘EZ’ Reyes, the conflicted new recruit of the titular California/Mexico border biker gang. Creator Kurt Sutter has more than made another show about biker outlaw culture—he has driven it straight into the issues facing America Today. Unlikely allegiances, border fighting, corruption, betrayal, many a leather jacket—Mayans M.C. is sure to tamp down the sociopolitical crises of real-life border crime, but insofar as antiheroes, family drama, and contemporary conflict go, it’s an enjoyable ride.
The Spy
(Netflix, 9/6)
One of the most anticipated miniseries of the season, The Spy leads with comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen taking on a very-serious role as a Mossad agent named Eli Cohen, who goes undercover in Syria in the early 1960s. Based on the true story of Israel’s most renowned spy, the 6-part series raises the stakes of Baron Cohen’s usual undercover sketch-comedy as his character undergoes a multi-year political operation to ingratiate himself to the Damascus elite. Now, the politics of these Israeli shows tend to be a wildcard, and this one is no exception, but with Gideon Raff—whose superb Prisoners of War was remade as Homeland—at the helm, we can expect a degree of emotional nuance, if not politics, driving the story.
The Deuce, Season 3
(HBO, 9/9)
The third and final season of acclaimed character-driven crime show, The Deuce, carries HBO’s premiere slot this month, jumping from where season 2 left off in 1977 to the mid-’80s, when real estate developers are turning their eyes to the long-anarchic Times Square, VHS is changing the porn industry, and HIV is on the rise. All Simon-Pelecanos creations explore the collision of myriad social, political, and economic forces through the stories of interwoven characters, and on that basis, this is one of their best. Leading lady Maggie Gyllenhall will be remembered for her astounding performance as Candy, and while it may not be everyone’s cup o’ tea, there’s no denying things turn a certain shade of gold with the touch of one David Simon.
Mr Inbetween, Season 2
(FX, 9/12)
This extraordinarily well done Australian crime-comedy is TV’s most slept-on show. Not to fear, it’s easy to catch up: season 1 consists of just six 30-minute episodes, which you can watch reasonably over the span of a week or, more likely, in one fell swoop. Ray Shoesmith is a hitman as well as a father, a boyfriend, a brother, not to mention a member of an anger management class (get it, Mr. Inbetween?) trying to juggle the duties of his violent professional life—which itself harbors a surprising and sound logic—with the demands of his personal life (the values of one can’t help but infect the other). The show somehow manages to reinvent many a well-trodden cliche with wholly surprising, hilarious, and poignant writing. Scott Ryan’s particular brand of everyman hitman is one of the most compelling characters on screen (he has an unforgettable face and a tendency to smile at the wrong time, which is somehow both creepy and endearing). Lucky for us all, season 2 is on deck.
Unbelievable
(Netflix, 9/13)
Since the beginning of time, books have been adapted into movies and TV series; now we’re in a new age, with longform journalism and podcasts the newfound content frontier (see miniseries Homecoming and The Act). The story behind Unbelievable was originally reported for ProPublica and The Marshall Project in 2015, and broadcasted concurrently on This American Life. The headline: “An 18-year-old said she was attacked at knifepoint. Then she said she made it up. That’s where our story begins.” The eight episode miniseries is timely, surprising, and masterfully made, with Michael Chabon and his mystery-writer wife, Ayelet Waldman, executive producing and staffing the writer’s room.
Criminal
(Netflix, 9/20)
Don’t let the generic, crimey titles of this month’s shows dissuade you: Criminal is a groundbreaking addition to Netflix’s canon of detective shows (and pairs particularly well in the aftermath of Mindhunter season 2), upping the ante on the conventional procedural format and going European in the process. Starring David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) and Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter), each standalone episode takes place within the walls of the interrogation room in one of four countries—France, Spain, Germany, and the UK—as suspected criminals (often known actors in their countries) are heard and questioned. Netflix states that each episode is a “stripped down cat-and-mouse drama” that hones in on “the intense mental conflict between the police officer and the suspect in question.” It’s about time Peak TV saw a high quality episodic procedural.
Godfather of Harlem
(Epix, 9/29)
Forest Whitaker stars in this new drama about the life and times of Bumpy Johnson, a career criminal who returns to a new Harlem in the early ‘60s, after ten years in prison. The Italian mob has taken over in his absence and is plunging the community into poverty. Bumpy, both a drug dealing business man and a beacon of hope, teams up with Malcom X to regain power in the neighborhood. If you haven’t heard of Epix, you’re not alone. The network has been itching for a breakout hit, and with Forest Whitaker and a narrative propelled by the convergence of crime and civil rights (not to mention a splashy soundtrack that reflects the spirit of NYC hip hop), Godfather of Harlem has all the ingredients to rise above the sea of content—you just have to shell out and subscribe to EPIX NOW.
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MORE IN CRIME TV
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Elite, Season 2 (Netflix, 9/6)
A spirited, Euro-cool teen drama about Spain’s most elite high school, where three scholarships were recently granted to working class kids. When one turns up dead, everyone is a suspect. It’s sort of like Skins, but creepier, crime-ier, and decidedly more Spanish.
The I-Land (Netflix, 9/12)
This trashy original series is sure to be wildly entertaining and widely watched. Ten strangers wake up on a deserted island. They have no idea how they got there, or how to get off. As things turn from strange to stranger it becomes clear a simulation of sorts is underway, and The I-Land starts to sound like Lost meets Cabin in the Woods, with a dash of Life of Pi.
Murder in the Bayou (Showtime, 9/13)
Eight women were murdered in and around Jennings, Louisiana between 2005 and 2009. This 5-part docu-series will rehash and reinvestigate the unsolved killings, which were first compiled in the 2016 book Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8?
Taken Down (Acorn, 9/16)
The U.S. premiere of this acclaimed Irish crime drama delves into the murky underworld of human trafficking of refugees, as a team of detectives investigates the murder of a young Nigerian girl from a center for asylum-seekers.
American Horror Story, 1984 (FX, 9/18)
Forget Orwell—this 1984 is all about the slasher flicks. Expect a serial killer, screaming, and lots of blood.
All Rise (CBS, 9/23)
This courtroom drama seems to take a page from Serial season 3, and will look closely at life in a Los Angeles courthouse—from the perspective of its judges, prosecutors, public defenders, bailiffs, clerks, and cops.
Prodigal Son (Fox, 9/23)
The son of a serial killer grows up to aid in the investigation of a slew of murders that eerily resemble his father’s. Can the apple ever escape the apple tree?
Bluff City Law (NBC, 9/23)
A father and daughter lawyer duo rekindle a tenuous relationship after years of estrangement. Together, they pursue controversial civil rights cases in Memphis.
Emergence (ABC, 9/24)
For those who can’t get enough of amnesia: a police chief rescues a young girl who has lost her memory. As she looks into the accident that erased the girl’s identity, she begins to unravel a series of secrets more dangerous than she could have imagined.
Stumptown (ABC, 9/25)
A new, hard-hitting PI show, for those who got a taste of new Veronica Mars and now have dry mouth. Based on Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth’s graphic novels of the same name, and starring Cobie Smulders as Dex Parios, the bold US vet-turned-private investigator.
