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.

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

I thought The Alienist was a pretty good murder mystery thriller that is definitely worth watching. The main cast (Daniel Bruhl, Luke Evans, Dakota Fanning) is absolutely terrific and they are what separate this show from others like it. The three of them chase serial killers in 19th century New York City. I don't understand why the reviews are so mixed, what were you expecting that you didn't get? I guess most of the negative reviews are from people who thought it was too gruesome and others who thought it was too feminist. It's neither. If you're looking for a good murder mystery then give this a try. You won't be disappointed!

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.

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.