The Alienist

:

Season 1
  • Network: TNT
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 22, 2018
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 106
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 106
  3. Negative: 22 out of 106
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User Reviews

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  1. Kenmei
    Apr 3, 2018
    7
    A good setup and some wonderful acting doesn't make up for the extremely rushed ending and the multiple side stories that literally just stopped happening throughout the series. Daniel Bruhl is one my favorite actors today and he does very good job as the main character Dr. Kreizler. Dakota Fanning is great too and both actors do a very good job for the few times they are actually togetherA good setup and some wonderful acting doesn't make up for the extremely rushed ending and the multiple side stories that literally just stopped happening throughout the series. Daniel Bruhl is one my favorite actors today and he does very good job as the main character Dr. Kreizler. Dakota Fanning is great too and both actors do a very good job for the few times they are actually together on the show. It also does a great job of showing just how far behind modern day the time period of the show is set and the setting is almost a character itself. However the great story telling falters at the end with an extremely rushed ending. There needed to be at least 1 more episode slotted between the first 20 mins of the last episode and the rest of that episode. Without spoiling things, stuff just seems to happen without explanation, which is extremely odd considering the show almost over explains things at times. From there, things kinda spiral out of control to give an ending that would have been much better had the previous events been explained much better. It also tried to tie up some loose ends established by a few side stories that I'd almost forgotten about considering they hadn't shown up in 4-5 episodes. Needless to say, there's too much going on and not enough answers for why things happened. They also set up for a potential second season, which I'd like to see. Just with a few more things shored up here and there.… Expand
  2. sp001
    May 9, 2018
    5
    I can't really give this an honest review as I never got beyond episode two. I never took it any further as the end of the episode has a character being raped by children. Perhaps that will be crucial to the plot later, perhaps not. My thoughts are that it was there simply to shock and build support for the character. This turns the production away from artistic endeavour and toward simpleI can't really give this an honest review as I never got beyond episode two. I never took it any further as the end of the episode has a character being raped by children. Perhaps that will be crucial to the plot later, perhaps not. My thoughts are that it was there simply to shock and build support for the character. This turns the production away from artistic endeavour and toward simple entertainment. Other than that, I had no qualms with the show, but that was enough to discourage me.… Expand
  3. garmonbozia
    Aug 15, 2018
    9
    "The alienist" has an engaging plot, interesting and likable characters and it just looks beautiful - production design and costumes are breathtaking. I read the book after I had watched the series and I am surprised how well those two mediums complement each other. The book will give you deeper insight into the investigation and the process of creating the psychological profile of the"The alienist" has an engaging plot, interesting and likable characters and it just looks beautiful - production design and costumes are breathtaking. I read the book after I had watched the series and I am surprised how well those two mediums complement each other. The book will give you deeper insight into the investigation and the process of creating the psychological profile of the murderer. You will better understand the motives behind the crimes and the killer. But the series definitely adds a lot of suspense into the story, shows new perspectives of events, expands personal stories of the characters, adds some red herrings and changes few things - the outcome is the same, but paths leading to it vary in places from the original.
    This show receives mostly moderate reviews and I understand why. It's an archaic, somewhat traditional story, so if you're into twists and turns, things happening fast and characters that are very expressive - you will probably feel disappointed.
    The plot developes slowly but steadily, and after three episodes it really kicks of. The characters at the beginning seem a bit odd, but they develope with the story and after a while they create this investigating gang full of mixed feelings towards each other and relationships and back stories that are interesting to watch. I love all the characters (even minor characters like Teddy Roosevelt, Mary, Stevie or Cyrus). Yes all the bad guys (not the killer) are quite stereotypically portrayed, but it doesn't bother me. It's fun to cheer the good ones and hate the bad ones.
    This is a crime story and it's a mixture of who, why and how to catch them. It's more like "the silence of the lambs" than Agatha Christie novels. We don't really have suspects. Our team tries to create one of the first psychological portraits of a serial killer based on the crimes he or she has committed.
    The ending is a bit underwhelming, but the whole journey is worth watching. It is truly a beautiful experience and I hope there will be a second season with the same characters and new crime to solve.    … Expand
  4. asmanraj
    Feb 2, 2018
    10
    As someone who read the book, I found the first episode immensely enjoyable.
  5. TVBug
    Feb 27, 2018
    10
    My favorite shows have great characters who are watchable, likeable and interestng. I also appreciate good production values. This show, my current favorite, has all of these qualities with some intrigue thrown in to boot.
  6. AngryIgor
    Mar 5, 2018
    10
    amazing TV show. Why the hell has this grimdark horror atmospheric masterpiece such a low score? Not enough PC-SJW-PoC bs.... this is 10/10 pure gold. Go watch it.
  7. cherold
    Mar 5, 2018
    4
    This first episode has the same grim humorlessness that turned me off of True Detective. It's very focused on atmosphere but not so focused on character, at least to start. Even Teddy Roosevelt just comes across as part of a generic group of serious men being serious about a serious thing.

    I'm also not big on serial killer stuff.
  8. Apolsc
    May 12, 2018
    8
    This is a very good series, with top notch actors where Luke Evans stands out with his great performance, spectacular costume design and a tough depiction of new York in the end of the nineteenth century.
  9. JulianIncen
    May 5, 2019
    7
    The Alienist is not for everyone. It has good production and costume design for the period in which it develops. The cast is luxurious and it is easy to empathize with each of them. Beyond that, I think his episodes fail at timing and his end is not good enough for what we've seen in the show.
  10. globalnomad
    May 19, 2018
    9
    Lush period detail of 1896 New York, inspired direction, Hitchcock-like photography, compelling and likable protagonists. The three colleagues, including Dakota Fanning as NY's first woman police officer, pursue a hellish serial killer, creating criminal profiles from scratch. Thumbs up!
  11. Davrosdaleks1
    Mar 30, 2018
    8
    The bare bones of the plot are pretty basic: A serial killer is tracked by a group of people fighting their own personal demons, including a socially awkward genius specialist. But, the show is well executed and written.

    Dakota Fanning, Daniel Bruhl, and Luke Evans all do a great job, especially Evans. Heck, the entire casting in the show is good. The sets of 19th century New York look    The bare bones of the plot are pretty basic: A serial killer is tracked by a group of people fighting their own personal demons, including a socially awkward genius specialist. But, the show is well executed and written.

    Dakota Fanning, Daniel Bruhl, and Luke Evans all do a great job, especially Evans. Heck, the entire casting in the show is good. The sets of 19th century New York look great, particularly for a TV budget.

    Be forewarned that this show gets real dark. The killer targets boy prostitutes and The Alienist focuses on their trade to a very uncomfortable degree. If the show was weaker, I would have quit.    … Expand
  12. jaasieljunior
    May 5, 2018
    8
    The Alienist tem muitos elementos parecidos com muitas séries consagradas como,por exmeplo, a ambientação de Penny Dreadful ,a temática de Midhunter e o teor misterioso e desconcertante de True Detective. Embora essas séries sejam excelentes,The Alienist ainda fica atrás das citadas,pois sua continuidade nos força a entender que os 5 últimos episódios foram mais importantes que osThe Alienist tem muitos elementos parecidos com muitas séries consagradas como,por exmeplo, a ambientação de Penny Dreadful ,a temática de Midhunter e o teor misterioso e desconcertante de True Detective. Embora essas séries sejam excelentes,The Alienist ainda fica atrás das citadas,pois sua continuidade nos força a entender que os 5 últimos episódios foram mais importantes que os primeiros eps. As atuações são medianas, mas a ambientação e o mistério me fizeram continuar a terminar a primeira temporada.… Expand
  13. DiogoOliveira
    Apr 30, 2018
    7
    otimo figurino, ambientação incrível, tudo na medida correta, teve erros de continuidade, teve erro no foco narrativo, mas tudo isso e ofuscado pela otima atuações e ambientações da serie.
  14. JLuis_001
    Aug 2, 2018
    7
    In general terms I did enjoy it. The cast was solid but the story has several problems, especially when the narrative was very slow. The first 4 episodes were too slow for their own good but it took a good rhythm in its final phase and although the resolution was not as I expected, it was good enough.

    And how many times in the show was Luke Evans drugged and knocked down?
  15. salexa171
    Mar 27, 2018
    8
    I am not a fan of historical dramas generally. It is rarely the fault of the show but more my tastes . However, something about this show I really really liked. The story is grizzly and gripping and manages to throw you. My only criticism would be that I'm really not sure whether to like the main characters or not. This would usually be a massive criticism but for some reason theI am not a fan of historical dramas generally. It is rarely the fault of the show but more my tastes . However, something about this show I really really liked. The story is grizzly and gripping and manages to throw you. My only criticism would be that I'm really not sure whether to like the main characters or not. This would usually be a massive criticism but for some reason the characters in and around the main three, along with a good story make this more than watchable and I would go back for more.… Expand
  16. Enkindled
    Jul 25, 2018
    8
    First, I did not read the book. So, I am just judging the TV series, without making comparisons with the book. So, if you intend to see the TV series, without reading, this review is for you. First things first, (1) the photography is beautiful. The setup if extremely well done, the whole scenery is amazing and pretty accurate. (2) The music is also neat, it matches the moment perfectly.First, I did not read the book. So, I am just judging the TV series, without making comparisons with the book. So, if you intend to see the TV series, without reading, this review is for you. First things first, (1) the photography is beautiful. The setup if extremely well done, the whole scenery is amazing and pretty accurate. (2) The music is also neat, it matches the moment perfectly. (3) I think that the characters are well done for one precise reason: they are extremely flawed. This really helps the whole story, because they are not geniuses/badass etc. For me, when the characters are perfect geniuses (like most police/detective shows) the shows lose points. This doesn't happen here. (4) The story envelopes you because it's very good. My only complaint is that there are moments where the characters are complete idiots. And as it was said in other reviews, there are some aspects of the story that are not really explained, and you feel a little lost. But I don't think it is that frequent or that important. I also think they took to hard on Roosevelt being that badass. I know that, overall, he is a historic beloved man, but he actually looks to Jim Gordon in this shows (no kidding). Nevertheless, it is a great story, great characters with many plot twists. It is a show you don't want to miss.… Expand
  17. Darkcrixox
    May 5, 2018
    10
    A good series, with good characters and a good plot that keeps you looking until the last episode, recommended to see in a marathon.
  18. Lucas565
    Jul 1, 2021
    10
    Uma das melhores séries que existem eu recomendo ela é maravilhosa mesmo muito boa
  19. hejtyjaa
    Nov 1, 2018
    5
    Holy moly, how can you f*ck up everything in like 1 episode? It had potential, but after all i don't remember any of characters, the plot or even who was playing in it. Wasted money.
  20. gamaof3218
    Jul 1, 2020
    10
    I'm intrigued after watching a few reruns of the first season. So looking forward to season 2
  21. geewah
    Jan 6, 2021
    7
    A well written series that doesn't break any new ground but does enough to keep you interested.

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
27
#27 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
61

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Jan 30, 2018
    70
    The Alienist might go very, very wrong in future episodes, and it’s already clear how the series might be more interesting if it took the plot of the novel as a suggestion instead of a road map. But there are enough pleasures around its edges to keep me watching.
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  2. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Allison Shoemaker
    Jan 24, 2018
    60
    Something of a missed opportunity. To entertain someone is a fine achievement, but to coax them down dark hallways, to lead them willingly into unpleasant corners, to make them wonder about the monsters lurking inside of others and themselves—that’s something else entirely. Not every show needs that kind of depth, but when you’re delving into the crevices of humanity, you’d better leave something for your audience to find.
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  3. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Jan 23, 2018
    80
    The production design and costumes often speak more eloquently than any of the characters, and work overtime to communicate subtext that feels a lot more fresh than most of the text. Despite the apparent dependence on CGI, which is true of nearly everything these days, the images are still overwhelmingly tactile. The direction by Jakob Verbruggen is consistently superb, with flourishes that can sincerely be called virtuoso. And the totality of the thing can’t fail to impress.
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