The 10 Greatest Mystery Shows Worth Watching Over and Over

Matthew Goode as Carl Morck looking perplexed in Dept.Q.Image via Netflix

By Safwan Azeem Published 29 minutes ago

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Nothing beats a good mystery. Unfortunately, many people believe that shocking plot twists and unexpected murders are the key to the genre, but that really is not the case. A good mystery show strikes the perfect balance between revealing and concealing information from its audience, almost trusting them to pay attention to detail and keep track of things without heavy exposition. If the big reveals come too soon and happen too often, the mystery is pretty much gone.

When it’s not that, you have sloppy writing, poorly developed characters, and half-hearted plots ruining the thrill of the genre. Only a handful of shows have perfected their storytelling, acting, and pacing to deliver a story that keeps you on your toes, the way a mystery is supposed to. If that sounds like your cup of tea, here are the 10 greatest shows from the genre worth watching over and over.

10 ‘The Outsider’ (2020)

Holly Gibney looking at something offscreen with a severe expression in The OutsiderImage via HBO

The Outsider is one of the most mind-bending Stephen King adaptations of all time. You’ll actually be surprised at how unpredictable the story feels at all times, which showcases the brilliance of the story. The 10-part miniseries starts as a typical procedural but spirals into something completely unexpected and way more unsettling than it seems. The Outsider follows detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn), who has to solve a brutal murder case that shakes the entire town. Jason Bateman and Cynthia Erivo round out the show’s impressive central cast and play their roles with a kind of charm that’s both haunting and mesmerizing.

The way The Outsider blurs the line between realism and horror is a masterclass in storytelling. The show immediately pulls you in with the big crime that it follows, but once the supernatural element creeps in, the show shifts into a slower rhythm where the tension is constantly building. This is the kind of story that demands full attention from the audience, but at the same time, when you start watching it, you just can’t look away. The mystery is gripping, the performances are stellar, and the genre-bending exploration of grief and loss is unlike anything else.

9 ‘Dept. Q’ (2025-)

Matthew Goode as DCI Carl Mock and Jamie Sives as DCI James Hardy in the pilot of 'Dept. Q.'Image via Netflix

Dept. Q is not a loud or flashy crime drama, but that’s exactly what makes it so brilliant. The show, created by Scott Frank, is based on Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s famous Department Q book series. The series follows detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), whose life falls apart after a nearly fatal shooting leaves him injured, his partner paralyzed, and a young officer dead. As Carl holds himself responsible for the incident, he is tasked with running a small, new cold-case unit called Dept. Q. The whole thing starts as the police force’s way of hiding him and resolving the PR crisis they are in. However, Carl forms an equally troubled yet talented team that all come together to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Merritt Linguard, whose case uncovers a bunch of dark, unexpected secrets.

Firstly, the way all these characters slowly learn to work together, despite being the most underfunded department in the force, is a journey in itself. Then, you have the mystery at the center of the narrative, which is tackled in a slow-burning approach that works perfectly. Goode delivers one of the strongest performances of his career in Dept. Q and his chemistry with Alexej Manvelov’s Akram is easily the highlight of the series. You really have to appreciate the show for keeping its story grounded in realism, even with all its complex twists and turns. It’s no surprise that Netflix has renewed Dept Q. for another season because it’s just easy to get invested in the characters' lives, as it is to be engrossed in the crime at hand.

8 ‘Slow Horses’ (2022-)

Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in a hat and glasses looking to the side in Slow Horses.Image via Apple TV

Slow Horses has really set the benchmark for modern spy TV shows because the Apple TV+ thriller is easily one of the most consistent series on air right now. Most espionage shows have a hard time being smart without confusing their viewers or blending humor and mystery. However, Slow Horses manages to do all that and more. The premise is as simple as it gets. The Slough House is where MI5 dumps all the agents who have messed up missions, made unforgivable mistakes, or embarrassed the agency so much that firing them would just draw too much attention. They are pushed here to do mind-numbing admin work until they quit on their own out of sheer boredom. That’s not what actually happens, though. You have Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who decides to become the head of this misfit squad.

The guy is foul-mouthed, has a temper issue, and is grumpy all the time, but even then, he is the highlight of the series. Underneath all his insults, he is the sharpest MI5 has ever produced, and that really gives the audience something to root for. Slow Horses isn’t the traditional, high-stakes James Bond-style spy thriller, but it sheds light on what really goes on behind all the glamor and drama. The show features a brilliant ensemble cast, including Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Christopher Chung, and more, who all contribute to Slow Horses’s rich worldbuilding. Slow Horses Season 1 starts great, and the show’s subsequent installments only raise the stakes higher than ever. The storytelling is sharp, every character arc pays off, and you will find yourself growing obsessed with it the more you watch.

7 ‘The Killing’ (2011-2013)

Homicide detectives Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) and Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) stand in a cemetery.Image via AMC

The Killing is a hidden gem that everyone can and needs to appreciate. The show is based on the hit Danish series Forbrydelsen, and is set in Seattle, where homicide detective Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and her new partner, Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman), investigate the murder of a teenager. Now, most American procedurals follow a standard formula and are just rushing to the finish line to put an end to the mystery. However, The Killing isn’t so much about solving the crime as it is about making the viewers sit with the discomfort of not knowing. The show really zooms in on how messy investigations can be and tries to show that it’s practically impossible for everyone involved.

Linden and Holder’s chemistry and the way their polar opposite natures complement each other are the highlights of the show. Right off the bat, they share an easy camaraderie, and that translates into all the missions they set out on. What’s really great about The Killing is how the show focuses on the family of the murdered young girl and explores their anger and grief realistically. Even if you start watching the show for its mystery, you definitely stay for its emotional complexity and character-driven storytelling. This is a mystery series that will stay with you for a long time, especially with an ending that is intense enough to make anyone tear up.

6 ‘The Devil's Hour’ (2022)

Jessica Raine in The Devil's Hour Season 2Image via Prime Video

The Devil’s Hour, created by Tom Moran, is a mystery show that gets practically everything right. The show is an unexpected mix of sci-fi, psychological horror, and crime drama, which can feel overwhelming. However, The Devil’s Hour brings all these elements together in a way that never feels bloated. The story follows Jessica Raine as Lucy Chamber, a social worker who keeps waking up every night at exactly 3:33 a.m., which is also known as the devil’s hour. She keeps having visions of things that are yet to happen in her life, while her son and mother are dealing with trouble of their own. Things take a turn when Lucy’s name is suddenly connected to a series of brutal murders, and she is pulled into an investigation that makes her question whether she is losing her mind.

The Devil’s Hour doesn’t offer any easy answers to the audience. The story shifts between timelines and perspectives without warning, which can be disorienting, but everything eventually comes together in a way that just makes sense. In fact, The Devil’s Hour Season 1 finale has to be one of the strongest episodes of mystery TV in recent years, thanks to how it tied back seemingly cryptic moments to a surprising revelation. Overall, the show keeps you guessing without ever exaggerating things for shock value, and that’s hard to find in the genre.

5 ‘Hannibal’ (2013-2015)

Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) wraps his arm around the head of FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) in a supportive though imposing fashion in 'Hannibal' (2013-2015).Image via NBC

Hannibal is one of the most visually daring crime shows to have ever aired. Calling it a procedural almost feels like an insult to its psychologically unsettling and complex story. The show reimagines the early relationship between FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), who hides a dark secret beneath his seemingly perfect life. The premise sounds fairly simple on paper, but the execution of it is where Hannibal excels. The show blends several genres to make Mikkelsen’s portrayal of the cannibal feel chilling and borderline maniacal.

But the strange part is that no matter how horrified you are at what he is, you are still invested in his story till the very end. Dancy also delivers a strong performance against the antagonist, and his character’s cat-and-mouse dynamic with Hannibal is what drives the story forward. The show asks its audience to understand the villain’s actions and really taps into their empathy. By the time you get to Hannibal Season 3, it’s hard to determine whether the central characters of the show hate each other or if they have both developed an obsession with the other. It’s a shame that Hannibal was cancelled after three seasons, but there’s no denying that the show has gained cult status among fans of the mystery and horror genres.

4 ‘Behind Her Eyes’ (2021-)

Eve Hewson holding a knife and looking intently ahead in 'Behind Her Eyes'

Eve Hewson in 'Behind Her Eyes'Image via Netflix

Behind Her Eyes has everything that makes for an enjoyable mystery thriller. The show begins like a domestic drama, but you don’t even realize when it turns into a psychological drama with layers of intrigue that unravel at a deliciously deliberate pace. The story follows Louise (Simona Brown), a single mother who begins an affair with her new boss, David (Tom Bateman), and then accidentally befriends his wife, Adeld (Eve Hewson). All of this had the potential to venture off into the soap drama category, but the show creates this constant sense of dread that makes you feel like nothing is the way it seems. You can always tell that something is off when the characters interact with each other, but you can never pinpoint what it is.

The show drops clues everywhere and really demands that the viewers notice them. Behind Her Eyes practically thrives on the tension it creates and then sustains all the way to the finale, when you finally realize what has been happening all along. There’s no denying that the twist in the final episode of Behind Her Eyes Season 1 came out of nowhere, but at the same time, you have to appreciate Netflix for taking such a risk and experimenting with genres in a way that has never been done before. Every boring moment in the show turns out to be a clue, and every dialogue is dripping with meaning. For anyone who likes actively indulging in a TV show, this one is a must-watch.

3 ‘Killing Eve’ (2018-2022)

Jodie Comer as Villanelle holds a knife to Sandra Oh as Eve in the kitchen in Killing Eve.Image via BBC America

Who doesn’t love a good British spy thriller? Killing Eve, adapted from Luke Jennings’ Villanelle novels, follows Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri, a MI5 officer who becomes obsessed with hunting down an international assassin named Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Crime dramas like this usually focus on male leads, but the way Killing Eve explores how these two women consume each other in a pretty interesting way. The show doesn’t rely on cheap thrills like plot twists to drive the story forward. You don’t really realize it at first, but Eve finds Villanelle almost intoxicating because she represents the danger and adrenaline the agent has always secretly craved.

When she discovers that the assassin can actually keep up with her, Eve starts treating their interactions like a game, and that dynamic is really fun to watch. Comer is brilliant in her portrayal of the unhinged yet charismatic antagonist who can go from childish to murderous within seconds. The later seasons of the show drew in criticism from fans, but overall, Killing Eve is brilliant in its representation of women as chaotic, funny, and messy individuals. The show never stops being entertaining, and that’s what makes it endlessly rewatchable.

2 ‘Twin Peaks’ (1990-1991)

Kyle Maclachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper in twin PeaksImage via ABC

Twin Peaks is unlike any other TV show out there. The show, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, begins with a simple premise. Twin Peaks opens with police discovering the body of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). That’s when FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) arrives to investigate the mysterious murder. However, that’s where the show stops resembling a traditional mystery and turns into a surreal, unsettling, and almost dream-like portrayal of a town that holds endless secrets. Twin Peaks Season 1 still feels as electrifying as it did back in the day because even now, it feels innovative and fresh in the best possible way.

Twin Peaks has a cinematic quality to it that most other shows of its time didn’t. The mystery drama features long, still shots, uncomfortable silences, and sudden bursts of visions that don’t necessarily contribute to the story in a linear sense. However, the more you watch the show, the more it all makes sense. Twin Peaks has to be one of the most original shows ever made, given all the risks that it takes with its storytelling. Even with all that, though, the show never loses sight of its characters, who never feel one-dimensional. That kind of authenticity is hard to replicate, which is what puts Twin Peaks in a league of its own.

1 ‘Yellowjackets’ (2021-2026)

Young Van and Taissa sit near each other with arms folded and worried expressions in Yellowjackets.Image via Showtime

Yellowjackets is a pretty divisive show because of its heavy themes, but there is so much more to the story than just shock value. The series is technically about a group of teenagers stranded in the wild. However, the real story begins when they all come back home, and we get to see the aftermath of that kind of trauma. The way Yellowjackets jumps between storylines is incredibly realistic to show that sometimes, it’s just impossible to make sense of things that happen to you, even decades later.

The story really tries to explore how the characters move on with their lives while also being stuck in survival mode. That’s not to say that the wilderness story isn’t compelling, though, because the group’s descent into total madness is almost addictive to watch. Yellowjackets has its fair share of dark moments, but even then, the show is surprisingly witty and hilarious, which speaks volumes about its sharp writing. You never really know if something supernatural is coming into play or if it’s just the character’s paranoia, and the way that tension unfolds on screen is nothing short of brilliant.

Like Follow Followed Yellowjackets TV-MA Drama Mystery Horror Release Date 2021 - 2026-00-00 Network Showtime, Paramount+ with Showtime Showrunner Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco Directors Benjamin Semanoff, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Deepa Mehta, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Liz Garbus, Scott Winant, Eva Sørhaug, Jamie Travis

Cast

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Melanie Lynskey Shauna Sadecki
Tawny Cypress Taissa Turner

Genres Drama, Mystery, Horror Powered by

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TV
Mystery
Dept. Q

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