Doing everything right. .... The characters are vivid, unpredictable in a human way and perfectly played. The five-part series feels original, not quite like anything we’ve seen before. Created by the Booker Prize-winning Jamaican novelist Marlon James, it registers as authentic to its place and people, while being true to the noir tradition — tropical Raymond Chandler.

Terrific. .... “Get Millie Black” devotes time to all of its characters’ stories, which heightens its portrayal of why Black is so determined to bring bad people to justice at all costs.

James’ writing is overwhelmingly smart and surprising. Coupled with stellar performances, especially from Lawrance and McQueen, Get Millie Black is as far from the bog-standard police procedural as Jamaica’s Kingston is from London.

Get Millie Black is fascinating not only because of its Jamaican setting but Lawrance’s performance as someone trying to figure out her place as much as she’s trying to figure out the case at hand.

James, who based Millie on his mother, Detective Inspector Shirley Dillon-James, presents a deeply engaging world of characters driven by their unbridled impulses and haunted by ghosts they can’t exorcise.

Lawrance's fierceness and dedication transpire in her portrayal of the protagonist, and her scenes with McQueen are the show's highlight. Yet, the series does miss a beat when it comes to the true crime formula.

Though a fairly conventional cop show, the Kingston setting is a refreshing change visually and culturally.