We all 'Fall'

Season 1: The Fall
Created By: Allan Cubitt
Starring: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan

From the first scene, you know who the killer is.  This show isn't about keeping the audience guessing.  It's more Dexter and less The Killing, which turns out is a very good thing.   

Gillian Anderson plays Stella Gibson, a Detective Superintendant transferred to Belfast, Northern Ireland to solve the murder of Alice Munroe.  Alice is dead before the series starts, as is another young professional female.  Stella is the first to comment that the two murders are possibly linked, based on the style of the two killings.  While her superior, Jim Burns, is doubtful he gives her the room and resources she needs to move forward with her investigation.  It's refreshing to see a series side step the usual tropes of a woman fighting her way in a predominantly man's world.  Stella is a confident career-driven woman who easily gets what she wants (as seen when she sleeps with an officer only hours after first meeting him).  

Jamie Dornan plays Paul Spector, the killer.  The opening of episode 1 is chilling as you watch Paul stalk his next victim.  There isn't even a murder, yet you're left with an unease that is hard to shake.  As the episode progresses, you learn that Paul is married.  He has two young kids.  He's a couples counselor.  On the surface, Paul is the average blue collar worker.  While most of us have our secrets, his is grim, revolting, and fetishistic.  Paul's kills are very planned, deliberate, and organized.  He sexualizes his women, giving his homicides a darker and more disturbing twist.  

Season 1 of The Fall is engrossing as Paul pursues his next victim and Stella pursues Paul - trying to get into the head of serial killer.  Smartly written, the show moves along at a pace that allows the characters to breathe and propel the story forward through their actions and decisions.  Stella and Paul's actions are often intercut, raising the tension by showing no matter her skill level, Paul is just a step ahead.  That is, until Paul makes a grave mis-step in the final episode.  The last few moments of the final episode are engrossing as Stella and Paul talk for the first time via phone.  It ends on a cliffhanger, but a satisfying one.  It's not forced, but rather creatively planned that the conclusion would play out during a second season.  If crime dramas are your thing, (and/or your were very disappointed with The Killing) this is not to be missed.  The entire season - five episodes - is available for streaming on Netflix.