Crime drama shows with no bad episodes: These 5 crime dramas hardly have one episode with poor ratings

Crime dramas, whether it's a psychological series or a thriller, can hook you to the story from the get-go. When a crime drama is good, it raises important questions and ties them all together at the end. Sometimes it also keeps the audience guessing about who among all the characters might be the culprit.

In this list of crime dramas, we have put 5 of the shows of the genre, with hardly any poorly rated episodes. These dramas depict intriguing stories that sometimes bring forth the moral dilemmas of human beings while also showcasing a crisp storyline with no room for error.

Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.

5 crime dramas hardly have one episode with poor ratings

5) Dept. Q

Matthew Goode in Dept. Q | Image via YouTube/Netflix

The recent Netflix series, Dept. Q has also become one of the best crime dramas. Based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s book series, the show narrates the story of how detective Carl Morck’s new cold case team successfully finds Prosecutor Merritt Lingard after four years of her disappearance.

With an unlikely team, Morck, who is also struggling with PTSD due to a shooting that occurred at a crime scene, takes on the case of Merritt to bring her back alive. The series has nine episodes and has an 88% Rotten Tomatoes rating. This is another of the crime dramas that should definitely be on your watchlist.

4) Breaking Bad

Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad | Image via Sony Pictures Television

A list of crime dramas without the mention of Walter White would be incomplete. The best crime drama, which premiered in the late 2000s, narrates the story of Bryan Cranston’s Walter White, a genius chemistry teacher spending his life teaching in an average high school.

His life takes a drastic turn when he learns about his cancer, which would kill him in a few years. Walter then creates his own drug empire to earn money to make his family’s life comfortable when he is not around. However, as the series moves forward, he finds himself getting into the depths of his criminal activities and liking it.

The series is regarded as one of the best dramas in the crime genre, with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and should definitely be on everyone’s watchlist.

3) The Chestnut Man

The Chestnut Man | Image via YouTube/Netflix

This Danish crime drama series is critically acclaimed for its pacing and performances across the series. The miniseries narrates the story of Detective Naia Thulin’s case, where she finds a young girl murdered with a Chestnut figurine found in the location.

The series connects several cases with the help of a fingerprint found in the figurine, making it one of the twisted cases that Thulin and her new partner have to solve. With just six episodes and a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, the show takes us to the grim and harsh winters of Copenhagen, where, in the quietness of the community, a heinous crime occurred.

2) The Wire

With 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, The Wire is among the best crime dramas. It follows the story of the law enforcement employees as they deal with numerous problems in the city of Baltimore. From illegal drug trades, problems in the education sector, to problems in the media and government agencies, the series illustrates the challenges law enforcement deals with in each of these sectors.

Starring Dominic West among numerous others, the crime drama is still regarded as one of the cult classics in the genre.

1) Adolescence

Adolescence won several big awards at the Emmys 2025, making it one of the biggest shows of the year. It follows the story of 13-year-old Jamie, who is taken into custody on suspicion of killing a young girl named Katie. At the beginning of the series, Jamie appears as the wrongly accused character in the murder case.

However, as the show moves on, the audience figures out how deeply he is involved and how his family deals with the fact that their son could be a murderer. While detailing the investigation into the murder case, the series also captures the psychological aspects of the characters, making it a series worth watching.

The British series has a score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and should be your next watch if you haven’t already binge-watched it.

Apart from these crime dramas, several other series, such as The Sopranos, Mindhunter, Ozark, and Line of Duty, are among the numerous others that do not have many poorly rated episodes.