The Alienist

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.

After watching the first episode I wasn't sure I would continue, but I am glad I did. Each week it gets better and now I can't wait for Monday nights to watch it. I think part of it has to do with becoming more familiar with the characters, but it's also the fact that they are getting closer to solving the mystery, (there are only two episodes left.) In this case my loyalty is paying off.

I'm writing this having only seen 5 episodes of the second season but so far the Alienist himself has had little part to play. Instead Fanning's character Sara Howard has taken to the front and, while she does well and the show is still entertaining, it brings me to the question of why is the show even called "The Alienist" anymore? I'm not mad, it's still a good show after all.

The Alienist is a psychological thriller that will keep you at the edge of seat and glued to your tv throughout the series! Each season has an unnerving murder mystery that is so smart and detailed that it'll keep you entertained and guessing to the very end. Every episode starts to reveal more and more of that mystery and it's fascinating where the story takes you. It has Jack the Ripper type feel to it. What makes this show so good is the writing and acting. The cast is just so good that they keep you very interested in what happens to their characters. Like some here have already said, it can be a little dark for some but if you can handle it it's definitely worth watching. As good as Season 1 was, I thought Season 2 was just as good.

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