Good production. Most actors are great. Maybe a little slow (had to watch most of it at 1,5x).

It's the storyline that too often swings dangerously between brillant and mediocre. Between the imperative of telling a solid story and the desire of captivating the largest set possible of target viewers.

Indeed for a police drama taking place in a small town the plot feels unrealistically complex and refined. Is it believable that out of 20 characters (more or less, didn't actually count..) involved in a multiple murder case, 18 live around each other and are linked via familial or affective bonds?

And then - done with the detective story - you get even deeper and deeper drama with these people by digging out old deaths, misdeeds, traumas, guilts, etc. Everything cool and masterfully fitted into the big picture... or not?

It reminded me of Taylor Sheridan's writing (i.e. Yellowstone). While Sheridan bestows copiously big mind-blowing events (violence, millions of $, power, primeval behaviours, etc...) here Ingelsby treats us with the infinitely fertile psicology of the characters and their traditional small town lives (bigotry, jealousies, addiction, child-care, aging, etc..).

In both cases the storylines are filled with these carefully designed incredible twists and events. In both cases they achieved mostly positive responses from the audience. And in both cases the storylines feel artificial and fake: too many details that don't work properly, too many upheavals for even the best of actors to result consistent characters.

Make no mistake: if you're looking for a good recent police drama then search no more. But if you're looking for the very best, either as a detective story, as a drama or as both, then you will be disappointed.