# Mr. Mercedes (2017)

> A retired detective and a young helper hunt a taunting killer who threatens to strike again.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/61631

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 30
- Episode runtime: 54 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, thriller, mystery
- Created by: David E. Kelley
- Network: Audience
- Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Harry Treadaway, Kelly Lynch, Jharrel Jerome, Mary-Louise Parker, Holland Taylor, Breeda Wool, Justine Lupe
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4354880/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: tense, bleak, suspenseful, gritty, wry

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, valuing its tense cat-and-mouse pursuit and the lead performance of Brendan Gleeson, though the overall rating is modest.

## Synopsis

Mr. Mercedes (2017-2019) is an American crime thriller series created by David E. Kelley for Audience, adapted from Stephen King's novel. Brendan Gleeson plays Bill Hodges, a retired detective haunted by an unsolved case, who is drawn back into the chase when a killer taunts him with lurid letters and emails. Harry Treadaway plays Brady Hartsfield, the unhinged predator whose messages turn each episode into a psychological game. Jharrel Jerome plays Jerome Robinson, a bright young man who joins Hodges in a private, potentially felonious crusade, while Justine Lupe's Holly Gibney adds a sharp, off-kilter presence to the investigation. Across three seasons of ten episodes each, the series is a serialized story in which the hunt moves steadily forward, with each season raising the stakes as the killer strikes again. The engine is cat and mouse pursuit: an aging ex-cop with limited resources, a sympathetic team of outsiders, and a villain who always seems one step ahead. Set in contemporary small city America, the atmosphere is gritty, tense and often bleak, with moments of wry humor between the investigators. Fans of Hannibal and Castle Rock will find resonance in its dark psychological menace and Stephen King roots, while viewers who like Columbo's retired sleuth will appreciate Hodges' stubborn persistence.

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