SCARPETTA S1 REVIEW

SCARPETTA is based on the best-selling books by author Patricia Cornwell. Who knew a mystery/medical series about forensic science could be so popular among sleuths? Alas, not as much for the new TV series featuring Nicole Kidman as the brilliant, ruthless Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia, Dr. Kay SCARPETTA. 

I have read several installments of this famous series, so I was excited to see those larger-than-life characters emerge from the page to the screen. SCARPETTA boasts an amazing, stellar cast that includes not only Kidman but also Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Rosy McEwen, Ariana DeBose, and Jake Cannavale (Bobby’s son). There were many amazing moments of powerful, character-driven emotional arcs. It was an intense murder thriller, but the story felt disconnected because it kept going back and forth between the past and the present every other minute. It took a while to catch on and feel the rhythm. It might have been better to make it six episodes instead of eight. This would’ve made for a tighter, sharper plot line and kept the intrigue up more consistently. It ended on a huge cliffhanger, so I hope that if it returns, the writers will remember that less is always more. 

SCARPETTA is fundamentally a whodunit series based upon layers of secrets kept deep within the coroner and her quirky family members. It is a game of power, control, deception, grief, bad clothes, and a hell of a lot of drinking. Perhaps there were too many arguments, too much shouting, and far too much discussion while driving a car. I hope the writers are listening. SCARPETTA could be so much more to all the millions of loyal fans.

SCARPETTA is streaming on Prime Video.