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Sterlin Harjo, Reservation dogs Glory returns with another unique and critically acclaimed series, this time starring Ethan Hawke as a down-to-earth citizen journalist (or “truth historian,” as he prefers) based on a real-life activist best known for uncovering new details about the 1921 Black Wall Street Massacre in Tulsa. Along with Keith David's Marty (and a truly impressive supporting cast), Hawke's Lee Raybon has a relentless need to explore the dark corners of his community and its history, and an unrivaled ability to find problems in the process. There are crime drama and neo-noir elements, but they're mixed with a loose, sometimes quirky tone and an interest in the history of Tulsa's diverse and interconnected communities. It's another of the highest-profile and best-reviewed shows on streaming, which of course isn't necessarily enough to warrant a renewal these days. We are still waiting for news about the second season.
You can broadcast Details this is Hulu or buy issues at Prime Video And Apple TV.
Sharp objects (2018)
Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn, Amy Adams plays Camille Preaker, a troubled reporter with substance abuse problems who has just been released from a mental hospital. I'm not sure where this is in recovery, but Camille returns to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri to investigate the murder of one girl and the apparently related disappearance of another – all under the watchful and extremely critical eye of her society mother Adora (Patricia Clarkson). The tone here is a little darker than Detailsbut there is still a sense of buried secrets and lies in a small southern(ish) town. Broadcast Sharp objects on HBO Max or buy episodes on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Awl (2024)
Slightly better tonal match for Details– at least in that it allows a little humor to creep into his world –Awl takes us to a rather unusual Irish coastal town. Will Forte plays Gilbert Power, an American podcaster who comes to investigate the unsolved case of three people who went missing during a Samhain celebration three decades ago. He is soon joined by Dove Maloney (Siobhan Cullen), a Dublin-born, London-based journalist, and aspiring journalist Emmy Sizerg (Robin Cara). It's almost a satire of the genre, nonetheless, with a gripping mystery at its core. Broadcast Awl on Netflix.
When they see us (2019)
Where Details includes peaks of true history, Ava DuVernay's docudrama focuses on the 1989 Central Park jogger case—Tricia Meili was attacked and raped in the park, leading to the conviction of five black teenagers based largely on circumstantial evidence and coerced confessions. The series follows Kevin Richardson (Asante Blackk), Antron McCray (Kail Harris), Yusef Salaam (Ethan Herisse), Corey Wise (Jharrel Jerome) and Raymond Santana (Marquis Rodriguez) from conviction to adulthood, and before the five were eventually exonerated through DNA evidence and the confession of the real assailant. This is a more serious story about the importance of revealing hidden truths, all the more relevant as the President continues to call for the death penalty for five acquitted menhaving raised this issue as recently as 2024. Broadcast When they see us on Netflix.
Fargo (2014 – 2024)
This seasonal anthology crime drama takes us mostly to the Midwest, mixing crime drama, small-town mysteries, and a healthy heap of dark humor. The quirky characters of the rotating cast are sometimes endearing, sometimes reprehensible, but they're always endearing in the style of (at least fictional) Tulsa residents. Broadcast Fargo this is Hulu or buy issues at Prime Video.
Sons of Anarchy (2008 – 2014)
Charlie Hunnam leads an impressive ensemble cast here (including Katey Sagal and Ron Perlman) in the story of an outlaw motorcycle club in the fictional Charming, California. Hunnam's Jax Teller leads the club, questioning himself and his beliefs even as he tries to keep the club together and protect his Central Valley community. Although the drama is often Shakespearean and Kali is set far from Tulsa, there is still a sense of a close-knit community that is alternately strengthened and threatened by internal conflict. Broadcast Sons of Anarchy this is Hulu or buy issues at Prime Video And Apple TV.
Reservation dogs (2021 – 2023)
I couldn't go a minute without recommending Lowdown creator Sterlin Harjo's previous, unfairly short-lived masterpiece Reservation dogs (with Taika Waititi). This film deserves huge praise for its representation of the indigenous peoples of North America (characters and cast, as well as behind the scenes), and because of this, this is a great show – a true drama that is able to provide both solid laughter and moments of heartbreak. It explores issues and emotions common to rural teens dreaming of going somewhere else, but specific to these teens from Oklahoma Res. Each of the three seasons of the series is better than the previous one. Broadcast Reservation dogs this is Hulu.
Mare from Easttown (2021)
Kate Winslet won an Emmy for her performance as the deeply troubled Mare Sheehan, a local hero as a high school basketball champion but with a reputation that is quickly losing its luster. As a police detective, she was unable to solve the case of a missing girl despite encountering a recently murdered teenage mother. Broadcast Mare from Easttown on HBO Max or buy issues at Prime Video And Apple TV.
Guardians (2019)
This criminally underrated graphic novel adaptation/sequel may be a bit of a stretch here, but bear with me: there are key connections here. The series is set in an alternate Tulsa, Oklahoma, a world where there are super-powered vigilantes who have been outlawed. The series begins dramatically with the 1921 massacre of white Tulsa residents on Black Wall Street. Regina King plays Angela Abar, a modern-day police officer whose grandparents were killed in the 1921 terrorist attacks, an event that reverberates through both our own history and the history of the characters on the show. Not only does the setting match the setting DetailsJust like the theme of history influencing the present, there is also a connection with the events of 1921: DetailsLee Raybon is loosely based on the life of folk historian Lee Roy Chapman, best known for revealing the Tulsa founder's direct organizing role in the massacre. Broadcast Guardians on HBO Max or buy issues at Prime Video And Apple TV.
Echo (2024)
While Tulsa Details has an almost small-town feel, “Echoes” takes us to Tamaha – a couple hours south, but it only has a couple hundred people and is built on Choctaw land (the show was actually filmed in Georgia, so make of that what you will). Alaqua Cox plays Maya Lopez in this Marvel miniseries, a deaf ex-criminal and Chahta who returns to her hometown and tries, with mixed results, to escape her past as enforcer Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio). A drama of crime and redemption Echo finds Maya reconnecting with her current family as well as her ancestral past, each episode beginning with a flashback that takes us from the prehistoric origins of the Nation through centuries of growth and conflict, ultimately connecting the story to Maya's own childhood.. Broadcast Echo on Disney+.
Rutherford Falls (2020 – 2022)
Writer/producer Sierra Teller Ornelas joins Ed Helms and Michael Schur here, with Helms playing Nathan Rutherford, a descendant of the guy whose statue figures prominently in the titular town. His best friend is Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), who runs the local cultural center of the (fictional) Minishonka tribe. The two are on completely different sides of the big problems that arise when the mayor wants to tear down the old statue (mostly because it's in a bad location and cars keep running over it), but still try to maintain their friendship. it's a sitcom, but like Detailsisn't afraid to have difficult conversations about Indigenous history in the Americas, fueled by a record number of Indigenous writers on staff, including Ornelas herself. Broadcast Rutherford Falls on Peacock or buy issues at Prime Video And Apple TV.
Only murders in the building (2021 – )
At first glance, Only murders looks like a tonal mismatch, but it's also Details have enough in common to merit mention here. IN MurdersThree (originally) amateur podcasters come together to solve a murder in their Upper West Side apartment building. Each subsequent season features a new murder (or murders), but in each case, our citizen journalists (Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin) are forced to dig deep into the stories of the people they investigate, both victims and suspects, uncovering hidden stories and secrets spanning decades. It's often a little sillier than our topic, but as with DetailsThe show's quirky characters are in disarray. Broadcast Only murders in the building This is Hulu.
Dark Winds (2022 –)
Heading a little west Detailssituation in Oklahoma, Dark windsadapted from the book series by Tony Hillerman, takes us back to the 1970s and the Four Corners region of the American Southwest (where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona meet). Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon and Jessica Matten lead a mostly Native American cast as three Navajo police officers brought together when a bank robbery on the Navajo Nation frontier becomes intertwined with the death of two Native men. The show combines hard-boiled crime and police procedural elements, but stands out for its exploration of the complex history and relationships between these neighboring, intertwined communities. Broadcast Dark winds on Netflix or buy issues at Prime Video And Apple TV.
