The Alienist

Great first season with the lead character in full flow but then a spectacularly offshoot type second season - ideally should have been called "The Sara Howard detective agency show"-totally sidelining the main character and theme and name of the serial and the main essence ion dwelling into human mind and figuring out the riddle, per say. Very sad deviation in season 2.

The Alienist is a psychological thriller that will keep you at the edge of seat and glued to your tv throughout the series! Each season has an unnerving murder mystery that is so smart and detailed that it'll keep you entertained and guessing to the very end. Every episode starts to reveal more and more of that mystery and it's fascinating where the story takes you. It has Jack the Ripper type feel to it. What makes this show so good is the writing and acting. The cast is just so good that they keep you very interested in what happens to their characters. Like some here have already said, it can be a little dark for some but if you can handle it it's definitely worth watching. As good as Season 1 was, I thought Season 2 was just as good.

Honestly just binged through 5 episodes. It's obviously not unique, but it is well worth the watch. Now I haven't read the book or anything so this is my review just based on the episodes I have seen not from any books and comparing them to the show. So if you're like me - who likes; crime, a psycho, bit of weirdness and a good story. Then this is definitely for you.

Surprised at how many people are putting this show down because they read the book and its translation to the screen doesn't meet their expectations. When will we understand that literature and movies (or TV series) are different media, therefore need to be judged independently? I'm a fan, a big fan of Caleb Carr's Laszlo Kreizler novels and read them some 8 years ago. I've been waiting since then for someone to make a movie outta them and now that they have, I love the result! Daniel Brühl plays Kreizler perfectly! When I read the book I had envisioned Laszlo as a young Sean Connery but Daniel is perfect for the role. Yes, the Serial killer theme has been done before. But when the story is well developed and well told the repeating of a subject falls second. The script, the atmosphere, even the camera work are great. Give this show a chance

Seing Dakota Fanning in the cast was one of my motivations for watching the show. I've been very unimpressed by her performance, though. The plot itself sparks interest and is entertaining, but Daniel Brühl is the real reason I've kept up with it. He's outstanding as Dr. Kreizler. Inexplicably, he became Sara Howard's sidekick on season 2, which is a tiring feminist cliché... And I'm a woman.