The Netflix Sci-Fi Crime Thriller Series Turning Viewers Into Detectives
While we still find ourselves wondering if Mindhunter will ever get picked up for a third season, it’s worth noting that Bodies is a mini-series that’s worth your attention if you’re craving a solid binge-worthy crime drama. But unlike the David Fincher series, this Netflix original has a science-fiction component that jumps across multiple timelines and will keep you guessing throughout its entire eight-episode run.
Don’t binge too fast because Bodies only has one season, and past reports suggest that the series was never meant to be a long-running one.
Bodies is based on the Si Spencer-written graphic novel of the same name, which was released by DC Vertigo in 2015. Unlike other crime dramas, the series takes place across four different years: 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053. Though we’re familiar with series like True Detective that often have a present-day and a flashback narrative running concurrently, Bodies presents an enthralling mystery that transcends multiple generations.
Each episode of Bodies clues us into each timeline’s investigation in which the same body is discovered. As each of the four detectives investigate the mystery in their own respective timelines, we learn that everything is connected, but are left wondering how this is possible. It doesn’t take long for the viewer to realize that a decades-long conspiracy is about to unravel.
Though the premise of Bodies sounds like it will snap your brain in half, critics and fans alike have praised the series for telling a cohesive story with a satisfying conclusion. It’s not too often that such ambitious narratives are actually able to pull off four simultaneous narratives without coming off as ham-fisted, but Bodies has the pacing and bravado that has changed the game in the crime drama genre. With each bizarre twist, the mystery is re-framed in a way that’s not pretentious or patronizing and expertly carries the story forward, leaving viewers guessing what will happen next.
Bodies was an immediate hit upon its October 2023 release and garnered an 81 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes against an audience score of 74 percent. Reviewers were impressed by the series’ abilities to accurately capture the historical context for each historical period that’s being presented throughout all of the various timelines. Though the series’ script faced some scrutiny for not fully servicing its principal characters, it’s worth noting that Shira Haas, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Kyle Soller, Stephen Graham, and Amanda Okafor have received a considerable amount of praise for their performances in this bizarre series.
When you consider how ambitious the storytelling is in Bodies, you’d be hard-pressed to criticize the series for trying to cram so much exposition into eight hours of television because it successfully sticks the landing upon its conclusion. With each hour, each loose end is expertly tied off in a way that’s not only believable given the premise but will make you wish the series was a little more open-ended so it could be renewed for additional installments.
If you’re home sick from work and want to sit at the edge of your seat instead of lying down, then Bodies comes with strong recommendations. Just make sure you clear your planner because you’re probably going to want to blast through the entire series in a single sitting.
