There are few steadier hands on TV in the past decade than Bill Pullman as detective Harry Ambrose, even when it feels like the character should be doing anything other than wallowing in an Olympic-sized swimming pool of trauma.
Making a show about a troubled detective is about as original as a show about doctor who can heal everyone but themself. Even though “The Sinner” didn’t begin that way, it morphed into a best-case scenario for a series that balances the “why” of not only the crime but the person leading the investigation. There are few steadier hands on TV in the past decade than Bill Pullman as detective Harry Ambrose, even when it feels like the character should be doing anything other than wallowing in an Olympic-sized swimming pool of trauma. From a captivating first season built around a plain-daylight beach stabbing to a hypnotic Season 3 steeped in the very nature of fate and free will, “The Sinner” rarely chose the easy path. Having an enigmatic guide along the way made it a journey worth taking, however treacherous. — Steve Greene