The Criminal series represents the creativity of Netflix TV shows, with the anthology series set exclusively in a police station where characters are interrogated. The show has multiple iterations, ranging from UK, Germany, and France. While the episode counts are a handful at most, they certainly leave a lasting impact.

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Viewers have rated the episodes on sites like IMDb and there is a general consensus based on these rankings over which stories are the best. Since the cases are standalone, they can be viewed out of order. It’s best to check them out based on quality, so it’s worth looking into what the highest-rated episodes across the shows are.

France Season 1 Episode 3 - Jérôme (7.6)

Interrogation of Jerome in Criminal France

Jérôme is a sales manager who is brought in due to his presence at a scene of a violent hate crime that resulted in a gay man’s death. Jérôme’s interrogation shifts from the belief that he was the one who attacked the man into the revelation that he was actually romantically involved with him.

The episode certainly contains the twists and turns of the Criminal series, what with Jérôme starting out as an unlikeable person into surprisingly being painted as a sympathetic man. However, the conclusion of the story isn’t all too satisfying because of the ambiguity behind Jérôme’s fate and the lack of a concrete villainous character

UK Season 2 Episode 1 - Julia (7.7)

Julia cries in interrogation in Criminal UK

Julia is brought into questioning to find details of her ex-husband’s involvement in murders he’s seemingly committed. While interrogator Vanessa doesn’t realize it, Julia ends up accidentally revealing herself as the true killer, leaving the rest of the characters to ponder if they should let the interview go on or do something about it.

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This episode is unique for delivering the twist early on, with the main conflict over how the team can keep the charade up of treating Julia sympathetically to get an inadvertent confession out of her. It’s certainly an interesting hook for viewers to see things through, although the episode is stretched out a bit longer than the premise required.

UK Season 2 Episode 3 - Danielle (8.1)

Danielle laughs during interrogation in Criminal UK

Unlike every other suspect, Danielle is a completely defiant and remorseless person who holds no regrets for destroying the life of a man. Claiming to be the head of an online group that finds sexual predators, Danielle slowly realizes that her vigilante efforts do more harm than good and the team tries to implicate her legally for her actions.

The episode does a good job of defying common tropes found in crime shows by focusing on the breaking of ethical and moral boundaries over the general idea of law. In Danielle, the show brings a character that displays the dangers of people diving too much into the idea of being social justice warriors.

Germany Season 1 Episode 1 - Jochen (8.1)

Jochen looks annoyed interrogation in Criminal Germany

The inspectors call in to question Jochen, a real estate developer who was the last person to see a deceased man alive whose house he worked on almost three decades ago. As Jochen’s testimony keeps getting disproved, he zeroes in on the truth behind the disappearance of the man and the identity of the deceased.

The episode has the tendency to meander about the heart of the matter but the shocking revelation at the end is completely worth the wait. Jochen sharply progresses from a rather uninteresting to the complete opposite, as he brings in big-time reveals that change the context of the case entirely.

UK Season 1 Episode 1 - Edgar (8.2)

Edgar looks somber in Criminal UK

The team is in a race against time to get a confession out of a doctor who’s suspected of assaulting and killing his stepdaughter. Through clever tactics and intimidation, the interrogators crack Edgar’s unwillingness to talk and uncover the truth.

David Tennant is largely considered to be the best Doctor in the Doctor Who series, but even the show’s most ardent fans will see him in a different light here. Half of the episode features Edgar repeating “no comment” in a variety of ways, yet this only makes things interesting for the way he eventually starts cracking under pressure.

Germany Season 1 Episode 3 - Claudia (8.4)

Claudia smokes in interrogation in Criminal Germany

The team brings in Claudia, a person convicted alongside her former serial killer lover, who knows the location of the body of one of his victims. The episode looks into Claudia’s psyche and why she became a killer’s accomplice, with the inspectors using knowledge of the location of Claudia’s daughter as leverage against her.

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While the story doesn’t go so far as to encourage viewers to empathize with Claudia, it does offer keen insight into what kind of person she is. It’s interesting to see the parallels between an expectant mother who interviews Claudia, and how the latter envies her over the prospect of raising her child while she gave hers up.

UK Season 2 Episode 4 - Sandeep (8.8)

Sandeep looks angry in Criminal UK

Sandeep is a convicted killer whom the team calls in to ask about the whereabouts of a missing person. While Sandeep claims he doesn’t know the details of this particular case, he tries to cut a deal to solve a higher-profile crime. Over the course of the interrogation, Sandeep’s claims result in even bigger consequences that he couldn’t have seen coming either.

Kunal Nayyar gives a fascinating performance in this episode, appearing in it after The Big Bang Theory ended. The story has a see-saw quality, in that it tips in Sandeep’s favor at times and in the inspectors’ at others. What starts off as one case turns into three more as all of them come together through Sandeep’s involvement.

UK Season 2 Episode 2 - Alex (9.1)

Alex looks worried in interrogation in Criminal UK

The inspectors hold Alex for questioning, a man accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague. The interrogators treat him with contempt without proof but are convinced of his guilt and seek a confession. On his part, Alex remains adamant about his innocence but his claims otherwise keep landing him in deeper trouble.

Kit Harrington is known to play one of the best Game of Thrones characters as Jon Show, but his performance here might be even better. His character initially comes across as an arrogant jerk, but the story eventually places him in a humane light that ultimately shows the impact of considering a person guilty without due process.

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