From: The Scene Blog
Mystery Machines: Five shows and movies to add to your Netflix queue this week
This week is all about detective work, mystery and camaraderie. Although some may find crime shows formulaic, they also serve as a good source of intrigue. Each episode may have a shocking murder, crime or peril, but more often than not, the characters themselves are emotionally and physically stable. In my opinion, this takes the emphasis off character drama and puts it on the mystery at hand. My suggestion is to add the shows and movies listed below to your Netflix queue, so you can watch them during times of stress or drama in your life.
2. Blue Bloods, 2010-Present
Starring Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg (Mark Wahlberg’s older brother and founding member of the oh-so-legendary Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch), “Blue Bloods” revolves around the Reagan family, which is made up almost entirely of cops. Set and filmed in New York City, the show doesn’t simply go into detail about officers and detectives on the police force: it supercedes these staple characters with characters such as the Assistant District Attorney and Chief of Police. Including these occupations allows the show to delve deeper into topics such as police brutality, politics, gun laws, drugs and so on than they would have otherwise. Since the show is family oriented, the series focuses on family loyalty, dynamics and brotherhood. But that is not to say the show is boring— every episode there is a mystery to be solved and a case to be prosecuted, so in a way, “Blue Bloods” is like “Law & Order” on steroids.
Although “Criminal Minds” is a well known show and has been around for ten years, I still think it’s worth putting on the list. For a time, “Criminal Minds” got incredibly plot heavy, which weighed down the mysteries its characters solved. But season ten (recently added to Netflix) brings back the crime solving feel of earlier seasons. The most recent season seems to have given the show its mojo back and though incredibly twisted at times, the show is worth watching for its character development, humor and interesting case solving. The fact that the agents focus on behavior when solving their crimes is quite interesting and also unique. So if you’ve stopped watching, or have never watched, consider picking the show up and adding it to your queue.
To add a bit of humor to this list, I thought it was only right to include “Hot Fuzz.” Filled with ludicrous plots, insane humor and heartwarming friendship, it’s definitely worth a watch if you’re looking for a good and confused laugh. The film starts with an uptight and well decorated cop from London who is sent to a small, strange town. From there, the plot goes to places that can hardly even be put into words. All I can say is that if you haven’t watched or heard of this movie yet, you’re in for a real treat and adventure.
Unlike most crime and cop shows that have a new mystery each episode, “The Killing” takes its time with only one. Although this may sound daunting and boring, it’s actually quite interesting, since it allows the characters and storyline to dig a lot deeper into the case and gives the detectives time to investigate many angles and suspects. Along with the time given to the case, the characters are also given ample development to grow, to become friends and to reveal their back stories. Similar in some ways to “Blue Bloods,” “The Killing” is a very intriguing show, and once you start watching, it’s incredibly hard to turn off Netflix. (Hint, hint perhaps it’s perfect for a binge watch one weekend.)
The fact that Gillian Anderson (Scully from “The X-Files”) is in this pick should be reason enough to watch this show. Plus, Jamie Dornan (Christian Grey from “Fifty Shades of Grey”) stars in the series, so that’s lots of eye candy and a cute Irish accent. But if that still isn’t enough to convince you, this show is interesting for more substantial reasons. For one, you get to see the killer go about his daily, murderous life. Then, since the show takes place in Ireland, you get to see how people in other countries go about solving their crimes. Furthermore, the show is dark and enthralling. And again, let me emphasize: Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan star (!!!!!!!!).
So grab a magnifying glass (just kidding), some snacks and some friends and get cracking on some mysteries!
