If you can't get enough of James Spader and 'The Blacklist,' here are more crime thrillers you need to watch right now.
The Blacklist, starring James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington as a dangerous-criminal-turned-FBI informant, has captivated NBC audiences since 2013. Whether you have been watching the espionage thriller week-by-week for eight seasons or you recently binged the show in its entirety, you don’t have to starve yourself of a good cat-and-mouse series until the show returns for its ninth season in the fall.
From espionage imports to other well-woven storylines featuring twisty plots that somehow manage to maintain mystery and intrigue several seasons in, here are 15 shows you should start streaming after watching The Blacklist.
The Blacklist: Redemption, Prime Video
The obvious follow up to the OG Blacklist is The Blacklist: Redemption, the short-lived spinoff starring Ryan Eggold as Tom Keen, who is recruited by Scottie Hargrave (Famke Janssen) to join the international security team Halcyon. In addition to doing good, Keen is determined to find his father, who faked his own death.
Blindspot, Hulu
A beautiful woman awakens in Times Square with no idea who she is or how she got there, completely naked with a strange tattoo covering her entire body. With her memory wiped clean, it soon becomes clear that the inking on her body contains the clues to crimes that need to be solved in order for this Jane Doe to gain her identity back. You'll be happy to know that there are an entire five seasons of this addictive FBI thriller to binge on.
Homeland, Hulu
Homeland is one of the most critically acclaimed whodunit shows of all time. It stars Claire Danes in her double Golden Globe and single Emmy Award-winning role as Carrie Mathison, a CIA (and sometimes rogue) operative who battles mental illness, and is willing to go to any lengths—including getting into bed with criminals—in the honor of her country. As with The Blacklist, it’s a very fine line between the bad and the good guys, making it hard to trust anyone.
The Wire, Hulu
The Wire is a police drama set in Baltimore, Maryland, where corruption is the name of the game. Starring Dominic West as a cop determined to clean up the city, every season focuses on a different form of illegal and corrupt activity, starting with the drug trade and ending with the media. The storylines are thought to be some of the most complex and well-developed in television history, and the show is considered one of the best of all time, despite never winning an Emmy.
Mindhunter, Netflix
David Fincher’s moody psychological crime thriller is based on the book "Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit" by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker about the early years of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, which first criminally profiled serial killers by interviewing them and getting into their psyche. The show focuses on real-life serial killers, including Edmund Kemper, Dennis Rader (BTK Killer), Charles Manson, and David Berkowitz (Son of Sam). And the vibe? Classic Fincher.
Elementary, Hulu Plus
This modern take on Sherlock Holmes stars Jonny Lee Miller as the famous sleuth and recovering drug addict who solves crimes in New York City, with sober companion Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) by his side. The smart whodunit show features a lot of witty banter, and the platonic relationship between Holmes and his sidekick is absolutely perfect.
Jack Ryan, Prime Video
John Krasinski joins a highly regarded group of actors to portray Tom Clancy’s most famous protagonist, up-and-coming CIA analyst Jack Ryan, in this Prime Video series. The political action thriller takes Ryan from his desk job and throws him into a dangerous field assignment, where he goes after international terrorists in hopes of saving the world.
The Punisher, Netflix
In this Marvel series, Jon Bernthal reprises his Daredevil role as Frank Castle, a crime-fighting vigilante who is willing to do anything to avenge the bad guys of the criminal underworld. The show is dark, moody and violent, with some major John Wick vibes.
Criminal Minds, Hulu, Paramount +
Criminal Minds is a great show you can watch sporadically, as each episode is primarily a standalone with subtle storylines interwoven. The series focuses on a group of criminal profilers who are part of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). To solve the crimes they must get inside the minds of some of the most notorious criminals in the country, all while battling their own personal demons. A serious bonus? There are a whopping 15 seasons to stream.
ET and Paramount+ are both subsidiaries of ViacomCBS.
The Americans, Prime Video
This period drama centers around two married KGB spies, played by real-life married couple Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, who conceal their Russian heritage by masquerading as a suburban American couple. Not even their children know their identity, even when they disappear on dangerous missions. And, to add a serious plot twist, their neighbor and Philip’s best friend, Stan Beeman, happens to be an FBI Agent whose former partner is on the hunt for undercover Soviet spies.
Killing Eve, Hulu
Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are captivating in this action-packed British espionage series. Oh plays M15 British intelligence officer Eve Polastri who is on the hunt for Villanelle (Comer), an impossible-to-catch assassin with psychopathic tendencies. As the women become more and more obsessed with each other, the stakes are raised. The show has been nominated for a whopping 19 Emmy Awards, and is wildly successful in both the U.K. and in America.
Fauda, Netflix
If you don’t mind subtitles, you'll enjoy this Israeli series that follows a top Israeli agent who comes out of retirement when he learns that a Palestinean fighter-slash-terrorist, “The Panther,” is alive—even though he thought he killed him years ago. While it isn’t highly hyped in the United States, The New York Times voted Fauda among the best international shows of 2017.
Manifest, Peacock
A commercial airliner goes missing with all of its passengers and crew. Five years later, it mysteriously reappears. However, for all aboard, no time has passed. This supernatural drama follows those whose lives are altered forever, as they battle eerie guiding voices and visions in the process.
Informer, Amazon Prime
This edge-of-your-seat six-part series was inspired by The Wire. It centers around two counterterrorism officers in the U.K. who join forces with Raza Shar, a second generation British-Pakistani man, who becomes their informer to help take down terrorists. The show is not only riveting, smart and features a perfectly executed storyline, but also explores how race and the color of one's skin can be exploited on many levels.
Departure, Peacock
Where is Flight 716? This British-Candian series follows Kedra Malley as she investigates the crash of a large aircraft that has disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean. Archie Panjabi and Christopher Plummer are brilliant as they play the lead investigators on a mission to find the aircraft and any survivors.
RELATED CONTENT:
