Long Bright River is now streaming on Peacock.
Peacock’s Long Bright River is a solid but unspectacular entry in the crime drama genre. Adapted from Liz Moore’s novel, the series follows familiar beats of addiction, loss, and the thin line between personal and professional obligations. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it does deliver a few compelling twists, anchored by a strong performance from Amanda Seyfried.
Seyfried stars as Mickey Fitzpatrick, a Philadelphia cop patrolling Kensington, a neighborhood ravaged by the opioid crisis. When a string of murdered women shakes the community, Mickey’s investigation turns personal—her estranged sister Kacey (Ashleigh Cummings), a struggling addict, has disappeared, and she fears she may be one of the victims. The personal stakes elevate the case beyond a standard whodunit, adding emotional weight to Mickey’s pursuit of the truth.
At its best, Long Bright River is a slow-burning mystery that keeps viewers engaged with strong character work and well-placed twists. Seyfried brings depth to Mickey, portraying her as both relentless and emotionally frayed. Her performance is undoubtedly the highlight, balancing grit with vulnerability. The show also does well in capturing the bleak realities of addiction and systemic failures in a way that feels authentic rather than exploitative.
That said, the series doesn’t quite escape the trappings of the genre. While the premise is intriguing, much of the storytelling feels safe, and many of the procedural elements are standard fare. The pacing, stretched over eight episodes, can feel sluggish, making some plot developments feel drawn out rather than thrilling. And while the show does deliver a few surprises, it ultimately plays things a little too straight to stand out among more inventive crime dramas.
Still, Long Bright River is a well-crafted, watchable series that succeeds in keeping viewers invested, largely thanks to Seyfried’s lead performance and the emotional undercurrent of Mickey’s search for her sister. It may not be groundbreaking, but for those who enjoy methodical, character-driven crime dramas, it’s worth a watch.
I give Long Bright River a B.
TV and City 