Scarpetta
Season 1 Premiere:
Mar 11, 2026
Metascore
Mixed or Average
54
User score
Mixed or Average
4.0
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Metascore
Mixed or Average
25% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
67% Mixed
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
8% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Mar 10, 2026
90
An engrossing depiction of horrific femicide, dysfunctional families and the lies that can change perceptions. Gliding seamlessly between the present and the past, the show follows Dr. Kay Scarpetta (a fantastic Nicole Kidman). .... “Scarpetta” is excellent storytelling. Even as the narrative grows more complicated, the show manages to keep the audience grounded in the crimes and Kay’s methodology.
Mar 10, 2026
70
Although Kidman’s performance and the show as a whole falter a bit in the final episodes, McEwen never does. Family and colleague interactions and clever dialogue engage more than the crime-solving aspects of “Scarpetta,” partly because gratuitous shots of nude female corpses cheapen that aspect of the show. But action-oriented scenes have their merits.
User score
Mixed or Average
31% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
19% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
50% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
Mar 14, 2026
10
Fans of the books should comment on the books. The series is fantastic, Kidman is exceptional as Scarpetta, and the pace and desire to keep watching really pull you in. Anyone rating it so low must be a fan of another writer.
Mar 13, 2026
8
I wasn't sure of the casting choices when announced, but overall I'd say they did a decent job especially with Dr. Scarpetta. I'm not familiar with the later books so a lot of the "present time" storyline and status quo didn't make sense at first but didn't take away from enjoying the series. The pacing and dual past/present storytelling reminds me of American Horror Story, so it wasn't as confusing or hard to keep up with as some people have stated as I'm used to that kind of production. The only things I didn't enjoy was the added focus on Dorothy, and that Pete and Benton didn't quite match their personas and descriptions from the books. There's of course some changes from the books and you can't please everyone, so it's not a "perfect" adaptation, but it's definitely an enjoyable watch whether you're a fan of the books or just coming into the world of Kay Scarpetta through the show.
Mar 10, 2026
60
A pretty good version of something we've seen before, but still: nothing exactly new.
Mar 14, 2026
50
Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis star in a miscast, misshapen, misbegotten crime series that ends as a crime against the great Patricia Cornwall novels that spawned it.
Mar 10, 2026
50
The show cuts between the two tracks metronomically, giving them roughly equal time, and there is a lot of evidence to keep track of; cellphone checkers may find themselves lost pretty quickly. What you can’t miss, however, is how the contemporary story has been conceived as histrionic soap opera. .... The early timeline, by contrast, is rational and reasonably absorbing, a straightforward (if grisly) procedural mystery that is not insultingly silly by the standards of serial-killer drama.
Mar 10, 2026
40
Overstuffed. .... A treat amid all the narrative disarray is watching Mr. Parrish and Amanda Righetti (the younger Dorothy) mirror the mannerisms and vocal tics of their older selves. Unlike so much here, their technique is both subtle and effective.
Mar 11, 2026
20
The direction and cinematography is often eerie and atmospheric, and again, the performances are really good for the most part. The way that the characters speak to each other, though, is so egregiously distracting and genuinely dumb that it makes the entire enterprise just feel absurd.
Mar 15, 2026
7
Well where to start. The Prime catch line on the show kinda says it all tbh. It is very redundant and shows a real misunderstanding of the source material. First this is an absolute disgusting failure of a book to TV show. I assume Cornwell just sold the rights and went into a corner to count her cash. Good for her tbh. Butttttttttttt take away the source material and maybe put a muzzle on Curtis 50% of the show, then it is an absolute joy of a thing to watch!!!! I love this about the show....they took the only guidance that Cornwell would have given and made this about the family and that is 100% on target. Finally, this cannot be a woke show!!!!! This is just how she wrote her books and I am absolutely in love with that part of the transition!! So can you enjoy a book to TV transition?? Absolutely not!!! It is so piss poor. Can you avoid a 2026 woke disaster?? Absolutely!! This is just the most base part of Cornwell's writing. Can you enjoy the this mess? Yes it is a great family mess of a show and that is where the love of Kay Skarpetta really shines when you get into the meat of her series. I loveeeeee this show and hate this show in equal amounts!! I will stream at least 3 more times!!
Mar 15, 2026
4
I am a faithful reader of the Scarpetta books. I know books adapted to tv or movies are changed to a certain degree. However, I feel like this adaptation is a disservice to faithful readers of the series. I have spent years reading about these characters and in doing so, have a certain expectation of who these characters are. I'm feeling a little sad that Patricia Cornwell has let this character be changed as much as she has. Kay Scarpetta is a moral and ethical person. Is she flawed? Of course! We all are. But to change the very fiber of characters that we fundamentally know from reading about them for years is hurtful. I feel like the only characters true to the books are Dorothy and to a point, Marino. Lucy, Benton and Scarpetta wouldn't be able to do their jobs as emotionally flawed as they are on this adaptation. I'm not saying it's not a good show. I think anyone who watches and hasn't read the books will like it. I'm just having a hard time with changing the moral fiber of characters I have spent the last 36 years with. Regardless if you're a reader or not, books have a profound effect on us. You spend a lot of time with these characters and you feel like you know them and have a certain regard for them. Yes, it's fiction. But part of our lives nonetheless. I certainly will continue reading about Kay Scarpetta. I just can't reconcile the Kay Scarpetta from the books to the TV character.
Mar 18, 2026
3
Wanted to like this more - I like Bobby and Nicole as actors - Jamie Lee Curtis is just bad. Never read the books, but like these type of dark crime mystery/crime dramas - but so much wokeness - This really could be so much better, but it just gets in its own way
Mar 14, 2026
1
Disappointing. The constant yelling and arguing in Dr Scarpetta's dysfunctional family is loud and endless. I remember her niece Lucy as a teenage PITA in the books; she hasn't improved much as an adult. Jamie Lee Curtis, whom I normally love, is totally miscast as Scarpetta's eccentric and obnoxious sister. And the two of them are at each other's throat nonstop.
The constant back and forth between Scarpetta young and Scarpetta in the present is confusing. To be frank, the first episode almost gave me a headache. Since the next episode would probably succeed, I'm crossing this off my watchlist.
