The Sinner Season 2

Netflix

Those cunning Netflix people know what they’re doing. Over in the States, The Sinner is shown as a weekly serial, its continual surprises unfurling on a delayed-gratification basis. But for us UK viewers, Netflix has waited until all eight episodes have aired over there, so as of last Friday, we can binge on the whole thing in one satisfying orgy of crime-drama consumption. It turns out that the show’s writers and producers also knew exactly what they’re doing. After all, they’ve had to tackle one of the most obvious examples of Contrived Second Season Syndrome. This is what occurs when a TV drama adapted from an existing novel – like 13 Reasons Why (also on Netflix), or C4’s import The Handmaid’s Tale – turns out to be such a huge success, a second run simply has to happen, even though they’ve run out of source material. In this case, the star and exec producer of series one, Jessica Biel, has wisely opted out of appearing in this series, and instead the new story focuses on returning detective Harry Ambrose, played by Bill Pullman, oozing soulful gravitas. There are also smart thematic links to season one. It’s another whydunnit – this time focusing on an 11-year-old boy who’s poisoned his parents on a seemingly merry trip to Niagara Falls. And there’s a religious thread running through the narrative. The superb Carrie Coon (Gone Girl) shows up at the end of episode one, as the leader of a local cult connected to the crime, with a distinct Messiah complex. If anything, these eight hours are even more overwhelmingly gripping than season one. In fact, The Sinner might just be the most addictive binge of all.