If you thought British crime drama had peaked with Broadchurch, The Fall, or The Killing, think again. Netflix has just dropped what fans are already calling the most gripping detective thriller of the year — and it’s darker, twistier, and more emotionally intense than anything we’ve seen from the genre in years.
Set in the shadowed, rain-slicked hills of England’s Peak District, this series plunges headfirst into a world of hidden crimes, buried trauma, and personal redemption — all anchored by two of the most compelling lead performances British TV has seen in a decade.
Welcome to Cooper and Fry — where every clue reveals a deeper secret, and every episode peels back another layer of psychological depth.
A Pair of Detectives You’ll Obsess Over
The series stars Robert James-Collier (Downton Abbey) as Detective Ben Cooper, a quiet, principled investigator with deep roots in the local community and secrets he’s desperate to keep hidden. Opposite him is Mandip Gill (Doctor Who) as Detective Diane Fry, a tough, no-nonsense city transfer with a haunted past and a burning desire to outrun it.
Their chemistry is immediate — and volatile.
“They’re not partners. They’re pressure points,” one reviewer wrote. “And every conversation feels like it could crack something open.”
While Cooper works by instinct and empathy, Fry follows procedure and control. They clash. They break. They slowly, painfully learn to trust each other — all while solving a string of grisly, deeply personal crimes that stretch across a landscape as treacherous as the human psyche.
The Setting: Beautifully Bleak, Dangerously Quiet
Shot on location in the stunning yet ominous Peak District, the show uses its remote, windswept backdrop not just for atmosphere — but as a character of its own.
The hills hide things. The rain never really stops. And the locals? Let’s just say they’re not quick to talk to outsiders.
Each episode reveals new parts of this community, from crumbling cottages and forgotten caves to glittering holiday homes masking domestic nightmares.
“It’s like Broadchurch and Happy Valley had a love child and raised it in the fog,” a fan posted on Reddit. “I’m obsessed.”
A Case That Hits Too Close to Home
The central mystery begins with the discovery of a young woman’s body near an abandoned quarry — her face covered, her hands bound with ribbon. As more victims are uncovered, connections begin to form between the deaths… and between the detectives’ personal lives.
For Cooper, the case echoes a family tragedy he’s spent years suppressing. For Fry, it forces her to confront trauma from her time on the force in Birmingham — and a reason she left the city behind.
“This isn’t just about solving crimes,” says showrunner Emily Marsh. “It’s about how the people solving them are falling apart inside.”
Indeed, as the series unfolds, viewers are treated not just to shocking twists and forensic reveals, but to devastating emotional truths. These aren’t just detectives — they’re deeply flawed, deeply real people trying to survive a system that asks them to carry everyone else’s darkness while ignoring their own.
A Slow-Burn Thriller That Delivers Big
While some crime shows sprint from clue to clue, Cooper and Fry dares to simmer. It builds tension slowly, steadily — until it explodes.
The series masterfully balances atmospheric suspense with emotional storytelling, earning comparisons to The Killing for its haunting tone and Line of Duty for its layered plotting.
And yes — that final twist in Episode 8? You won’t see it coming. But once it hits, it reframes everything that came before it.
“I had to rewatch the whole thing after that ending,” one viewer tweeted. “It was right in front of us the whole time.”
Early Praise and Fan Reactions
Critics and audiences alike are already praising the series as Netflix’s next big crime obsession.
“Mandip Gill is absolutely riveting,” wrote The Guardian. “She carries a quiet fury that’s magnetic.”
“Robert James-Collier is a revelation,” said The Independent. “Forget Downton Abbey. This is the performance of his career.”
Fans have taken to social media with the kind of praise usually reserved for cult hits:
“I finished it and just sat there. I couldn’t move.”
“This show didn’t just entertain me. It unraveled me.”
A Second Season?
While Netflix hasn’t officially confirmed a second season, the final moments of the finale leave a tantalizing thread open — one that fans are already desperate to see pulled.
Insiders say scripts for Season 2 are already in development, with the potential to expand into a wider criminal network hinted at in the final two episodes.
Cooper and Fry is streaming now — and it’s not just a mystery. It’s a masterclass in mood, tension, and slow-burning heartbreak.
If you thought you knew suspense… think again.
