Based on the long-running crime novel series by Patricia Cornwell, Scarpetta is a glossy, prestige adaptation starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis.
The series follows forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta (Kidman), whose career and personal life become intertwined with a murder investigation that spans decades. In the late 1990s, Scarpetta had just been elected Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth. Early in her career, as the first woman to hold the position, she faced resentment from colleagues who believed she stole the job from them. Soon after taking the job, a woman is found dead in her home, brutally assaulted and mutilated, and Scarpetta must work alongside detective Pete Marino (Bobby Cannavale) and FBI agent Benton Wesley (Simon Baker) to uncover the truth. Decades later, an eerily similar crime scene unfolds, pulling the now-retired Scarpetta and Marino back into the killer’s orbit and forcing them to confront the possibility that they may have caught the wrong man.
One of the most distinctive elements of Scarpetta is its dual-timeline structure. Roughly half of each episode takes place in the past, with the narrative constantly jumping between the original investigation and the present day. This means the series has a large ensemble and two versions of several key characters. Young Scarpetta is played by Rosy McEwan, while Jake Cannavale portrays the younger Marino to his real-life father’s present-day version. This structure, alongside the large cast, could easily become confusing, but the show generally keeps things clear enough that the emotional and investigative threads remain easy to follow.
The casting across both timelines is exceptional. Bobby Cannavale and Simon Baker deliver particularly effective supporting performances, bringing nuance to characters who could easily have been reduced to functional procedural roles or accessories to their partners. Nicole Kidman, meanwhile, is as compelling as ever as Scarpetta. Yet it’s Rosy McEwan’s younger version of the character that stands out most. McEwan not only convincingly captures Kidman’s mannerisms, expressions and temperament but also elevates the character in those earlier scenes. Her Scarpetta is someone the audience can’t help but root for, even when the character’s ambition occasionally pushes loved ones aside. We repeatedly see how undervalued and underestimated she is, which makes her determination feel wholly earned.
Tonally, Scarpetta positions itself closer to something like Hannibal, True Detective or The Outsider than a traditional procedural. With horror powerhouses Blumhouse involved and David Gordon Green directing, the show often leans darker and more horror-focused. The violent acts are not always shown directly, but the aftermath of the crimes is depicted in graphic detail, with victims found bound and partially dismembered. On top of the visuals, the show does not shy away from the disturbing descriptions of the killer’s actions, which become increasingly sadistic and sexually violent in nature. It’s a far cry from the relatively sanitised tone of procedurals like CSI or Criminal Minds, where the crimes can sometimes feel stylised or even family-friendly. I distinctly remember watching Criminal Minds as a pre-teen on Sky Living on Wednesday afternoons. Something like Scarpetta would never have been slotted into that kind of casual daytime programming. Here, the brutality is meant to be confronting.
That darker tone is occasionally offset by a carefully chosen soundtrack. Songs like The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun”, Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day”, and Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” appear throughout the series, sometimes in slightly tongue-in-cheek ways. While these 60s and early 70s needle drops don’t really match the timeframes the show creates for either its present-day scenes or its flashbacks, it hardly matters when the selections are this good. “House of the Rising Sun”, for instance, accompanies our first introduction to flashback Scarpetta in a more upbeat form, only to return at the end of the episode as a slowed-down, eerier version once the case begins to weigh on her. At times, the musical choices feel a little on the nose, but they also reinforce the show’s sense that every moment has been deliberately constructed.
If the show has a weaker link, it’s the character of Dorothy Scarpetta, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. Kay’s sister is written as a constant source of irritation, frequently inserting herself into Kay’s life while offering little gratitude for the ways Kay has supported her over the years. For example, Kay largely raises Dorothy’s daughter, Lucy, introduces her to Pete Marino (who she later marries) and allows Dorothy and Pete to move into Kay’s home when it’s under construction. Dorothy is seemingly intended as a source of comic relief in an otherwise dark narrative, but her sarcasm and snark can sometimes feel more grating than funny. As the series progresses, she becomes more sympathetic, with hints that her behaviour stems from insecurity and feelings of inadequacy compared to her younger sister, but she remains one of the more uneven elements of the ensemble.
Still, the series works because it manages to balance its central mystery with compelling character dynamics. Many procedurals succeed at one or the other; a strong puzzle but flat characters, or engaging characters but a predictable case. Scarpetta manages to keep both threads interesting. The investigation remains intriguing throughout, but the shifting family relationships and workplace tensions are often just as, if not more compelling.
The result is a dark, occasionally disturbing crime drama that’s easy to binge. I found myself finishing the series over the course of two days, drawn in as much by the characters as by the mystery itself. It ends on a note that clearly leaves the door open for more, but with a second season already confirmed, that sense of unfinished business doesn’t leave the viewer frustrated, just ready for the next chapter.
★★★★
On Prime Video from March 11th / Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Rosy McEwan / Director: David Gordon Green / Amazon MGM Studios / 18
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