There are many TV shows and movies that own their success to Netflix, even those that don’t start out on the streaming platform. That is the case with a three-season crime drama that was massively overlooked by the time it aired its final season on Starz in 2024. Now, Netflix is coming to the rescue and the Cape Cod set series is now charting at number four in the streamer’s most popular shows.
In 2020, many people had nothing better to do than sit at home and watch TV. This saw a boom in streaming platforms and TV viewing figures and resulted in many shows getting a little more attention than they would have at any other time. This included Hightown, which premiered on Starz to strong reviews. Created by Rebecca Cutter, produced by the mighty Jerry Bruckheimer, and starring Monica Raymund, the show was immediately renewed for a second season, which aired in 2021, and a year later it was renewed for its third and final season, which finally premiered in January 2024. Whether it was the delays caused by actors and writers’ strikes, or simply that, with more choice available, audiences just decided there were other crime dramas to hold their attention, Hightown’s belated return did not get the same level of viewership as its predecessors. The show was canceled after Season 3, and soon after all three seasons were removed from the platform.
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The synopsis for the series reads:
“Jackie Quiñones, a hard-partying National Marine Fisheries Service agent, has her life thrown into disarray when she gets tasked with investigating serious crimes in her popular beach community. As if battling criminals isn’t hard enough, Jackie walks the tightrope of sobriety as she tries to stay above a pool of secrets, betrayal and shame from her past. She becomes at odds with Sgt. Ray Abruzzo, an abrasive but effective member of the Cape Cod Interagency Narcotics Unit, until he becomes disgraced and is taken off the force as they both spiral from the stress of their investigations.”
‘Hightown’ Is Worthy of Your Attention
With just 25 episodes, Hightown is a series that is a perfect bingewatch on Netflix, and that is probably why the show has proved an instant hit since debuting on July 23. Another reason for the show’s new popularity is that, thanks to Starz removing it from their platform last year, many people would never have even heard of it until it appeared in their suggested lists.
The first season gained a strong 80% approval rating from critics, with many of the reviews heaping praise on Raymund’s performance as Quinones. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian said, “The show has such a gift in Raymund. Her scenes seem almost to come from a different endeavor entirely.” Kylie Hemmert of ComingSoon backed this up, adding, “Hightown grabs you from the very first scene, and the introduction of Raymund’s free-wheeling, booze-addled, and coke-addicted Jackie seals the deal.”
Audiences were not quite as impressed with the series overall, but its 62% Rotten Tomatoes audience score is perhaps doing it a disservice. Many of the reviews, even those that sit just on the wrong side of positive, still have plenty of praise for the stars and plot of the first season. Season 2 massively improved on its score (rising to 80%) and Season 3 brought the series to a close with a similar result (74%).
Hightown was a series that was perhaps lost a little in the surge of interest in platforms like Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video, which means that its addition to Netflix this month is finally giving it a chance to shine on a bigger stage. Catch it while you can.
Source: FlixPatrol/Rotten Tomatoes
Hightown
- Release Date
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2020 – 2023
- Network
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Starz
- Showrunner
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Rebecca Cutter
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