Netflix’s Detective Hole: The Perfect Blend Of Reacher & True Detective

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Netflix’s latest crime thriller is based on a popular book series and feels like a great mix of the best parts of ‘Reacher’ and ‘True Detective’.

Though Reacher and True Detective offer very different kinds of crime thrillers, they both feature detectives who aren’t traditional heroes. True Detective leans heavily into this anti-hero theme, but Reacher also shows its main character, played by Alan Ritchson, frequently bending the rules and operating outside the law to achieve what he believes is right.

The lead character in Netflix’s new crime thriller is a lot like the ones in shows such as Reacher and True Detective, so fans of those series should really enjoy it.

Netflix’s Adaptation Of Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole Books Looks Incredible

It’s still too early to say how good Netflix’s adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole will be, but the first preview looks fantastic. Visually, it’s very similar to other well-made, dark detective series like Reacher and True Detective.

Check out the teaser below:

Harry Hole Is A Flawed Anti-Hero Detective Like Jack Reacher & Rust Cohle

The show’s trailer confirms it will closely follow the complex characterization of the detective from the original books. Like detectives such as Rust Cohle from True Detective, Harry Hole battles with alcohol while possessing exceptional detective skills. He’s also unpredictable, similar to Reacher, and frequently uses forceful methods to crack cases.

The trailer for ‘Detective Hole’ suggests the character’s struggles with addiction and his troubled nature come from past trauma and feelings of guilt, much like Rust Cohle in the first season of ‘True Detective’. Similar to Jack Reacher, Harry Hole frequently bends or breaks the rules to make sure criminals are brought to justice, as the books have always shown.

Considering the similarities between the new series Detective Hole and popular crime shows like True Detective and Reacher, Netflix seems to have created a strong competitor to HBO and Prime Video’s thrillers.

Netflix’s Detective Hole Is Adopting Prime Video’s Winning Reacher Adaptation Formula

Unlike many popular crime dramas like Bosch and Cross, Netflix’s Detective Hole, based on Jo Nesbø’s novels, is taking a different approach: each season will cover a single book. Similar to Reacher, the show isn’t following the books’ original timeline, but instead tells the story of one book per season. The first season is adapted from the fifth book in the series, The Devil’s Star.

If the show is a success, Netflix might continue this pattern and adapt another book for its second season.

Jo Nesbø’s popular Detective Hole series has more than 10 books, giving Netflix plenty of material for a long-running show – potentially as long as hits like True Detective and Reacher. While it’s too early to say if it will be as good as those shows, it definitely has the potential to become a top-tier crime thriller.

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2026-02-01 00:08