Prime Video’s New #1 Show Can’t Compete With Amazon’s Best Crime Thriller Series

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Prime Video seems to be hoping that Scarpetta will fill the void left by the popular show Reacher, but the new series doesn’t quite measure up. Both Reacher and Scarpetta are Prime Video thrillers based on successful book series—each with over 29 novels—adapted for television.

The first season finale of Scarpetta really highlights just how successful Prime Video’s Reacher has become. From perfectly casting Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher to staying true to Lee Child’s novels, Reacher has resonated with audiences for many reasons and set a high bar for adaptations.

Scarpetta’s Rotten Tomatoes Ratings Are Much Worse Than Reacher’s Scores

Image courtesy of Everett Collection

However, while Scarpetta tries to accomplish more than the first season of Reacher, this ambition actually hurts the show. Looking at the initial Rotten Tomatoes scores confirms this: Reacher was an immediate hit, but Scarpetta faced difficulties from the very beginning.

As a big TV fan, I’ve been looking at the numbers for a couple of shows. Scarpetta season one got a decent 69% from critics, but audiences weren’t as impressed, giving it only 45%. Now, Reacher season one? That was a hit with everyone! Critics loved it with a 91% rating, and audiences were right there with them, giving it a fantastic 92%. It’s rare to see that kind of agreement, and it really shows how well Reacher resonated with viewers.

While some shows get better after a rough start – like Parks and Recreation or Community – it’s much more typical for TV shows to receive less positive reviews as they go on. However, streaming services have changed this pattern somewhat, with many shows now managing to stay critically acclaimed for their entire run.

While most TV shows don’t get better after their first season, Bosch on Prime Video was a notable exception. Unfortunately, Scarpetta isn’t off to a strong start. The series, based on Patricia Cornwell’s novels, begins by introducing viewers to the main character, forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, played by Nicole Kidman.

Scarpetta’s Season 2 Renewal Gives The Crime Thriller A Chance To Improve

The series opens with the brilliant but unpredictable Scarpetta investigating a pair of disturbing murders that eerily resemble a case she solved years ago. The first season is ambitious, weaving between the present-day investigation and flashbacks to her earlier case, telling two stories simultaneously.

Actor Name Character Portrayed
Nicole Kidman Dr. Kay Scarpetta
Jamie Lee Curtis Dorothy Scarpetta
Ariana DeBose Lucy Farinelli-Watson
Bobby Cannavale Pete Marino
Simon Baker Benton Wesley

The first season of Scarpetta combines elements from two novels: the 1990s book Postmortem and the 2021 release Autopsy. The show alternates between a present-day storyline based on Autopsy and flashbacks adapting Postmortem. Although the concept is interesting, the show’s confusing presentation ultimately makes a potentially smart idea feel unnecessarily complicated.

The current season of the show is filled with unbelievable distractions – like a crashed spaceship, a cult led by a washed-up actor, a self-aware AI, and a company growing human organs. By the time the real killer is finally revealed, the story has wandered so far from its original path that everything that happened before feels pointless.

There’s still hope for the Scarpetta series to improve. The talented cast – including Nicole Kidman, Ariana DeBose, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Rosy McEwen, who was particularly impressive as young Scarpetta – will be back for season 2. This next season can focus more on the present story and doesn’t need to spend so much time explaining things that have already happened.

With the complicated family dynamics between Scarpetta and her loved ones now established, the second season of Scarpetta can focus on bringing another Patricia Cornwell novel to life. While the actors showed potential in the first season, it remains to be seen if the series will fully deliver on its promise for Prime Video.

Scarpetta Officially Can’t Replace Prime Video’s Reacher

Despite its efforts, Scarpetta isn’t fulfilling Prime Video’s original vision of it taking over from Reacher. The show clearly aimed to compete with, or even replace, the Reacher adaptation, as evidenced by its well-known cast, large budget, and basis on a popular book series.

Regardless of the original vision for season one, the lukewarm response to Scarpetta suggests the series needs to make significant changes before returning. While improvements are possible, Scarpetta is unlikely to become Prime Video’s next big hit like Reacher, which immediately captivated both critics and audiences upon its release.

There’s reason to be optimistic about season 2. The first season of Scarpetta felt cluttered and tried to cover too much ground, which ultimately hurt the story. Now, with lower expectations, Scarpetta doesn’t need to compete with huge hits like Reacher, and that could actually be a positive thing.

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2026-03-17 00:49