While Scarpetta is technically about Dr. Kay Scarpetta (Nicole Kidman) investigating the case of a potential returned serial killer, the bigger story involves the dynamics of Kay’s family and how this case plays into her past, present, and — now, once again — former career. Kay was adamant to find the killer, desperate to prevent him from killing again and to protect her reputation. But was it really about the latter? Kay knows she got the right guy the first time around. But she has also been harboring a huge secret.
The back half of Scarpetta leans more heavily into the co-dependent, unhealthy, and even downright toxic relationships among everyone in the family. Dorothy (Jamie Lee Curtis) is deeply in love with Pete (Bobby Cannavale), apparently the first time she’s ever had such genuine feelings for a man. But Janet’s (Janet Montgomery) declaration that anyone with eyes can see that Pete has always been in love with Kay gets Dorothy in her own head. This realization takes her to a breaking point that Curtis portrays wonderfully.
Speaking of Janet, the relationship with Lucy (Ariana DeBose) comes to a head when Janet begins to recognize (as much as an AI can) that Lucy’s isolating with her digital companion is unhealthy. Lucy doesn’t have a choice by the end, because the decision to cut off access to her deceased wife’s digital likeness is taken out of her hands. The fallout with Kay, who finally accepts that she has been enabling her niece, finally pushes Lucy over the edge. Lucy opting to join what can only be described as a cult proves that the young hacker has a long way to go in dealing with her grief.
Then there’s Kay and Benton (Simon Baker), who have an odd marriage built on a bed of lies with cracks that are finally beginning to show. Benton is watching Kay run in circles to solve mysteries he already has the answers to, raising questions about his obligations as an FBI agent versus his obligations as a husband. The dynamic of their conflicting yet intertwined jobs is finally explored here. But most notably, the reveal of his dark, sociopathic tendencies is a huge shock. The entire storyline involving Benton takes a turn that’s more confusing than intriguing, seemingly leading to nothing more than a broken man and the reality that they all have secrets.
Everything unravels for Kay in the final four episodes of Amazon’s most exciting thriller book adaptation this year, as it becomes clear that Pete’s feelings for Kay may be stronger than she realizes, despite how horribly she treats him at times. Knowing the big secret and what he did in the heat of the moment to save her 20 years ago further shows his steadfast dedication to the woman he affectionately refers to as “Doc.” If there were any doubts that Pete was in love with Kay, these four episodes obliterate them.
As for the actual case at the heart of the season, these final four episodes take it into weird, nonsensical territory. We know the newest victim worked for a biotech company that is testing 3D-printed organs, and that she was secretly meeting with the Russians to sell technology secrets. The way the case ties to the original serial killer is completely out of left field. The detail that all the victims have skin grafts is sort of explained by the reveal of the killer in the end, but it’s yet another example of a plot angle that’s resolved in an unsatisfying way.
I’m still left with so many questions. There’s a lot about Benton that’s still unclear. Dr. Reddy remains a mystery, as does Maggie’s (Stephanie Faracy) sudden flip, when she has an abrupt change of heart and wants to join Kay in her fight. There’s Bill Boltz (Mike Vogel), whose story hasn’t even begun to be told and doesn’t really fit as anything other than an unresolved subplot. Let’s not forget that the man who was originally blamed for the serial killer’s crimes is merely an afterthought, a footnote in the season.
The end of Season 1 arrived so quickly. The story, which Kidman called “more terrifying than The Others,” came together in such an odd way that it felt disjointed — unfinished, even. Scarpetta came out of the gate with a two-season order, a necessary bit of information because the Season 1 finale wasn’t really a finale at all. It was more like a penultimate episode.
The end of Season 1 reveals the new killer’s identity, but even more jarring is Kay’s reaction to finally taking them down. And, of course, the ending cliffhanger as a mystery person approaches her door in the middle of her rage sessions (could it be anyone but Pete? It’s likely Pete). I was left wanting more. The season answered the big looming question, but it also left so many things only haphazardly resolved.
Scarpetta is about the finality of death, and the philosophical and existential questions about letting go and saying goodbye versus artificially extending life to try and avoid that pain. But these themes weren’t handled nearly as well as they have been in other shows, like Black Mirror, which has also notably explored similar territory. Plus, these ideas are only tangentially connected to the rest of the story.
There was too much going on in these episodes, too many side stories teased and not fully addressed. Things didn’t come together neatly in the way they should for a show like this one. Scarpetta is the kind of show you’ll want to go back and watch a second time to get a better understanding of details you missed. The good news? You’ll still come out of it wanting more in Season 2. All I can hope for is that Season 2 rights these wrongs and wraps up the story the way it deserves to end.
Scarpetta
- Release Date
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March 11, 2026
- Network
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Prime Video
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