The Fall Is A Gem, Worthy Of A Spot On Your Netflix Queue

What could be considered as another cookie cutter crime series in this morbidly obsessed world we live in, The Fall stands out among the cliché detective shows.

Having premiered in 2013 on the British Broadcasting Channel (BBC) as well as on the popular streaming service Netflix, The Fall stars cult favorite actors Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) and Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey).

Within the first seven minutes of the pilot episode, heart pounding moments are presented. Both main characters, detective superintendent Stella Gibson (Anderson) and serial killer Paul Spector (Dornan), are introduced in a unique way.

The Fall makes it known that this isn’t your ordinary Baker Street mystery series, but instead a psychological thriller which observes both ends of the mystery.

Detective Gibson is the ultimate alpha detective, using the fact that she is a woman in a primarily male field to her advantage. She uses charm and emotional manipulation to get her way.

On the opposite side of the coin, we find Spector, a married, loving father of two. When night falls, he turns into a sadistic serial killer, targeting women with traits similar to detective Gibson, which is the root of their cat-and-mouse relationship.

The effort placed in the two main leads is quickly diminished by the fact that the secondary characters lack personality and complexity. They all play a key role in the series, but at the end of the day you can’t help but notice they are nothing more than puppets placed to keep the game going, until one of the main characters ultimately gives in.

Despite its setbacks, The Fall has kept the interest of its audience by producing five to six episodes per season, allowing the show to focus on character development and storytelling, which in turn allows the audience to organically grow with the show.

Audiences are presented with an array of notions that maybe are more relevant than they were four years ago when the series was released.

It begs the questions: how can we truly trust anyone? How can a loving father and caring husband be an incredibly dangerous serial killer? Why does our society allow for women to be dismissed in their claims?

So next time, you find yourself scrolling for something to binge watch and your fourth viewing of The Office just isn’t cutting it, just press play on The Fall.