Prime Video’s Anti-Reacher Crime Thriller Breaks the Genre’s First Rule With a Sympathetic Killer

A different kind of villain

Bishop stars Joel Kinnaman as Detective Bishop Graves, a troubled cop pursuing a serial killer who targets San Francisco’s wealthy elite. The killer gradually attracts public support, partly because of the harm attributed to those elites.

That setup differs from Reacher, where the villains are generally portrayed as sadistic and without redeeming qualities. The action series lets viewers enjoy seeing its antagonists face violent consequences.

Turning the formula around

Bishop’s killer is presented not as someone driven by cruelty, but as a figure whose campaign wins public backing. That challenges a familiar crime-thriller pattern in which audiences can easily side with law enforcement against clearly evil offenders.

The show could still reveal the killer to be a hypocrite, as crime dramas often do. Until then, its premise offers a contrast with Reacher and other shows built around plainly wicked villains.

A high-profile ensemble

The cast includes John Malkovich as Bishop’s father and Jennifer Jason Leigh as his mother. Jordana Brewster also has a supporting role. Jennifer Beals, Bronson Pinchot, Harry Treadaway, Rob Yang and John Larroquette are also part of the cast. The article describes the ensemble as one of Prime Video’s starriest recent efforts.

Cast alone may not suffice

A strong cast has not guaranteed success for every thriller. Prime Video’s Scarpetta adaptation, which starred Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis and others, drew critical scorn over its twists and inconsistent tone.

Bishop’s unusual premise and ensemble may attract viewers, but the show still has to deliver. The comparison with Scarpetta underscores that a notable cast is not enough on its own.