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Crime drama series are a guilty pleasure for many TV lovers. AMC+’s new Ragdoll series is the latest addition with a macabre and twisted story of a heinous serial killer. Set in London, the main characters not only try to save the people on the murderer’s kill list but deal with their personal demons.

Ragdoll promises gore, tension, murder, and drama with some comedy. There are plenty more crime series to get hooked on that evoke the same chilling fear of dread.

'Ragdoll' crime drama episode still with characters looking at dead body.
Main characters of ‘Ragdoll’ in episode still | Luke Varley via AMC

‘The Sinner’ focuses on main characters trauma and repressed emotions

The crime drama The Sinner has developed a following for its riveting anthology storylines. Its first season was based on Petra Hammesfahr’s 1999 novel. It stars actor Bill Pullman as a recurring central character Detective Harry Ambrose. The Sinner takes viewers into the minds of unexpected killers and why they committed their crimes.

Every season of the crime drama has a different storyline. Concerning Ragdoll, The Sinner also explores the trauma of its main characters and its dire effect. “We were very attentive to the things that seemed to really work and were in the DNA of the show, and that was really delving into the psychology of our characters, looking at how trauma affects people and affects relationships, and how the compartmentalization of that trauma affects people later in life,” said showrunner Derek Simonds for ET Online.

The Sinner is available on Netflix.

‘Hannibal’ is television’s No.1 gory horror series

One of the top crime dramas to watch on the same level as Ragdoll is the acclaimed television adaption Hannibal. The 2013 series is a reimagination of the famed horror character Hannibal Lecter by novelist Thomas Harris and the movie version. Hannibal centers around the stressful, dark, and deeply embedded relationship between Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) and FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy).

Graham investigates a series of terrible murders in Minnesota. As the case takes a toll on Graham, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter is brought in to supervise. The characters in the series are unaware of Hannibal’s cannibalistic tendencies. While initially planning to control the FBI from within, Hannibal becomes fascinated by Graham’s emotional psyche.

Hannibal is the definition of complex mental sanity, emotions, and grotesque murder. The series developed a fandom, but according to Entertainment Weekly, “that shiny fandom sheen, however, shouldn’t distract from the fact that this is a truly terrifying show featuring eviscerated bodies, Colombian neckties, and human totem poles at every turn.”

Hannibal is available on Hulu.

‘The Alienest’ is a time period crime drama just as chilling as ‘Ragdoll’

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‘Ragdoll’: Episode 1 Recap – a Heinous Killer With Ties to the Lead Character

Like Ragdoll, the period crime drama The Alienist was adapted from the 1994 novel of the same name by Caleb Carr. The first season takes place in 1986 New York City. The poor neighborhoods are plagued by a heinous killer targeting boy prostitutes. Needing a deeper understanding of the psyche, criminal psychiatrist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl) investigates the case.

Alongside newspaper illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans) and police secretary Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning), Kreizler looks for clues to the culprit. It is a race against time to find the killer before he strikes again. But, the main characters of The Alienist face the disgruntlement of the brute and corrupt police force.

The Alienist series is available on Netflix.

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