The Sinner's debut on USA Network shocked audiences everywhere for its ability to take the traditional crime drama program and flip it on its head. The seasonal anthology series follows a handful of troubled characters throughout three installments so far, who each have their dark pasts that viewers watch unravel.
Although the cast changes every season (except for Bill Pullman's Detective Harry Ambrose), the evil of their actions does not. With season 4 in the works, it is safe to assume that executive producer Jessica Biel will create more troubled characters and their wrongdoings.
Jack Novack's Sexual Advances On His Daughter's Friend (Season 2)
Detective Ambrose's childhood friend, Jack Novack, may not have been directly involved in the disappearance of his daughter Heather's friend, Marin Calhoun, but he may have done enough in the past to drive Marin to run away from Keller, New York.
In a flashback, it is revealed that Novack raped Marin while she was staying at the Novack's residence. If this isn't bad enough, this event helps piece together the true biological parents of 13-year-old Julian, who is convicted for the double murder of his "parents" Adam and Bess.
Detective Ambrose Buried Alive And Left For 8 Hours (Season 3)
While on a detective pursuit of Jamie Burns (played by Matt Bomer), a strategy to understand a murder victim goes awry. By the middle of the season, the two men agree to bury each other alive to prove what it's like to "truly feel alive."
For Jamie to confess to Detective Ambrose, he must let Jamie bury him alive to understand the mind games he was put through by his late friend Nick Haas. However, Jamie last-second removes Ambrose's air tube from the grave, after agreeing on keeping the tube for Ambrose during this process. Ambrose is finally dug up after 8 hours gasping for air.
CPR Gone Wrong On Cora's Sister (Season 1)
As a 19-year-old girl with cancer, all Phoebe Tannetti wanted to do was live her life to the fullest. When her older sister Cora, the protagonist of the season, takes her out for a fun night, it ends worse than one can ever imagine.
When they arrive at Cora's then-boyfriend J.D.'s secret hangout, located in the Beverwyck Club, Phoebe immediately clicks with a boy named Frankie Belmont. After taking a few drugs, Phoebe overdosed while having sex with Frankie. Frankie tries to revive her, only to break her sternum in front of Cora.
Vera and Dr. Jeffries Keeping Julian From Marin (Season 2)
In season 2's whirlwind of events, it is revealed that Julian was raised by Vera Walker (played by Carrie Coon from Fargo), a member of the internal community Mosswood Grove, and Mosswood Grove's psychotherapist and leader Dr. Lionel Jeffries.
After confiding in Vera about being pregnant with Julian, Marin starts to realize that he is rejecting being breastfed by her since Vera was also breastfeeding him at the same time. This results in Dr. Jeffries taking Julian away from Marin and giving the marital duties to Vera.
Jamie Burns Murders A Medium He Talks To At A Party (Season 3)
While on the run from Detective Ambrose, Jamie ends up in New York City with one of his former students Sophie. She takes Jamie to a party where they meet Kyle, a medium who feels Jamie's late friend, Nick's, presence in the room.
Distraught by this news, Jamie returns to the party later in the night to have a "private session" with Kyle. After Kyle used phrases from Nick and refused to elaborate on Jamie's actions, Jamie murders Kyle in an angry rage and returns home.
Cora Is Drugged For Months To Forget About Her Sister's Death (Season 1)
Following the aftermath of Cora's sister Phoebe passing away, Cora's ex-boyfriend J.D. started an opioid ring attached to a fake medical clinic. The licenses of the doctors were fraudulent and colleagues of Frankie's father, Dr. Patrick Belmont.
Instead of killing Cora, Dr. Belmont held her hostage in a room for two months. While never revealing his face, he injected drugs into her system every day to try and prevent her from remembering the events of the murder.
Detective Ambrose's Life And Family At Risk (Season 3)
At the end of season 3, Jamie is unstable and on a mission to kill anyone Detective Ambrose cares about. He begins by attempting to kill Ambrose's girlfriend, Sonya, followed by kidnapping his grandson, Eli, and threatening to murder him.
Even though Eli escapes from Jamie, Ambrose ends up being shot by Jamie with his own gun as they run into the woods. Fate gets the best of Jamie, but his vengeance towards Ambrose and his loved ones lasts the entire season finale.
Cora Stabs A Random Stranger On A Family Trip To A Lake (Season 1)
Cora, her husband Mason, and her toddler daughter Laine go to a local lake to have a family day. Cora at first tries to drown herself in the water, but what happens after is more sinister.
While cutting up a pear for Laine, Cora notices a flirtatious couple enjoying their time on the lake. Using a paring knife, she murders the young man by stabbing him; he is a doctor named Frankie. As mentioned previously, Frankie is connected to the death of Cora's late sister, Phoebe.
Jamie Kills His College Friend In A Fatal Car Crash (Season 3)
A tragic car accident leads to a convoluted friendship between college friends Jamie and Nick. After Nick unexpectedly shows up for dinner at Jamie's house, he feels extremely uncomfortable, especially in the presence of Jamie's pregnant wife, Leela.
After dinner, Nick drives Jamie towards a random house on a rural road to commit a possible murder on a stranger (who ends up being Detective Ambrose's girlfriend, Sonya). Jamie stops this from happening by grabbing the wheel and intentionally causing the two to crash into a tree. Nick initially survives the crash, but Jamie delays his 911 call to let him suffer from his secret past.
Julian Poisons His "Parents" While On Their Way To Niagara Falls (Season 2)
Season 2 of The Sinner opens with a double murder of a couple found dead on the floor of their motel room. The only witness that the police can speak to is Julian, who authorities soon find out is the culprit.
After discovering a rash on Julian, he confesses to Detective Ambrose that he poisoned the couple with jimson weed, and a motive is not revealed. Soon it is clear that the couple, named Adam and Bess, were never Julian's parents in the first place.