The Borgias Season 1

If you want a crime drama that treats its mystery as more than a puzzle, The Borgias Season 1 is available on and right now. The show says what it needs to say in a single season, no filler. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Jeremy Irons's performance alone is worth the time investment. Available now — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

The Borgias Season 1 is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. At its heart, The Borgias Season 1 understands what makes crime drama work — character first, plot second. Pope Innocent VIII dies. Rodrigo Borgia wins election as Pope Alexander VI by bribing enough of the cardinals to vote for him in conclave. Alexander "packs" the College of Cardinals with 13 new members, including his son Cesare. Jeremy Irons and David Oakes lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2011. What makes The Borgias Season 1 hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. The hit rate here is high enough that skipping ahead never feels like an option.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find The Borgias Season 1 proves them wrong. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch if your schedule allows. Jeremy Irons carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.