Image credit: Cinemax, Gran Via Productions, RTÉ, BBC, Universal Pictures, MRC, AMC, CTV
Here are some of the somewhat underrated shows offering a unique blend of darkness, crime, and complex characters just like "Dexter."
1. "Banshee" (2013–2016) A master thief takes the identity of a small-town sheriff. Why? To reunite with his former lover and partner-in-crime. The catch is, she's now a married mom. I know, soap opera meets action thriller, right? As the new sheriff, Lucas Hood finds himself enforcing the law by day and breaking it by night.
Think heist scenes and violent standoffs, but with that same moral ambiguity we all love.
2. "Rectify" (2013–2016) This is a slow burn, so have some patience. Daniel Holden spends 19 years on death row for the rape and murder of his girlfriend — except new DNA evidence suggests he might be innocent. He returns to his small Georgia town and tries to adjust to life outside prison, all while dealing with people who still think he's guilty.
3. "The Fall" (2013–2016) Gillian Anderson is a British detective sent to Belfast to catch a serial killer.
Spoiler: The killer, played by Jamie Dornan, is a grief counselor with a loving family. He strangles women but is also emotionally invested in his clients' healing — talk about compartmentalizing! Anderson's character is dead set on finding him, and the whole thing becomes a game of cat-and-mouse, or should I say, cat-and-psycho?
4. "Top of the Lake" (2013–2017) A 12-year-old girl attempts suicide but turns out to be five months pregnant. Detective Robin Griffin is on the case, trying to find out who the father is. But she's also dealing with her past demons, including an old lover and an unsolved case of her own.
This one takes place in a remote mountain town in New Zealand, adding a creepy, isolated vibe to the whole ordeal.
5. "Quarry" (2016) Based on a series of novels, this one's about Mac Conway, a Vietnam vet who comes back to Memphis and can't catch a break. Unemployed and suffering from PTSD, he's recruited by a network of contract killers.
Imagine Dexter's need to kill, but for money. Each episode has him sent on different assignments, often battling his conscience and the law. Plus, the show is set in the 70s, so expect vintage flair and political undertones.
6. "Happy Valley" (2014–) This British series follows Catherine Cawood, a police sergeant in a small, gritty English town. She's still dealing with the suicide of her daughter when she gets wrapped up in a kidnapping case. Plot twist? The man she believes drove her daughter to death is involved.
It's like a British Dexter with a gender swap, minus the serial killings but plus a whole lot of emotional heft.
7. "Hannibal" (2013–2015) Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a psychiatrist and secret cannibalistic serial killer. He forms a complex relationship with an FBI profiler, Will Graham, who's eerily good at understanding the minds of murderers.
The suspense is thick as molasses as you watch them dance around the truth of who Hannibal really is. Plus, the culinary scenes are to die for — literally.
8. "Ozark" (2017–2021) This one got big on Netflix, but it's still flying under some radars. Marty Byrde, a financial planner, moves his family to the Ozarks to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel. Simple, right? Wrong. Between dodging FBI agents and dealing with local criminals, Marty's always got one foot in the grave.
It's tense, it's dark, and it's got that "how's he gonna get out of this one" vibe every episode.
9. "The Killing" (2011–2014) Remember when your mom told you not to talk to strangers? Well, this is why. A Seattle teen is found dead, and the show follows the two detectives trying to solve her murder.
This isn't your typical "solve it in one episode" procedural; it's an extended investigation that dives deep into the lives affected by the crime. You've got grieving parents, political figures in hot water, and, naturally, dark secrets galore.
10. "Orphan Black" (2013–2017) Sci-fi meets crime thriller. Sarah Manning witnesses a woman who looks just like her jump in front of a train. She assumes her identity only to find out they're clones. Oh, but it doesn't stop there — there are more clones, and they're being targeted for assassination. It's not just a "who-done-it," it's a "which me did it?"
