J.K. Rowling’s ‘C.B. Strike’ Is A Fun, Frothy Crime Thriller That Doesn’t Break The Rules

C.B. Strike is not a groundbreaking bit of drama. It’s a fairly by-the-book, paint-by-numbers homage to the classic British crime thriller. Tom Burke stars as Cormoran Strike — Yes! That’s the character’s name! — a gruff PI who lost his leg as a war hero, and Holliday Grainger is Robin Ellacott, Strike’s temp assistant who soon rediscovers her lust for life helping him solve the cases. There are flashy clues, glamorous locations, and the prerequisite shots of characters walking through the foggy streets of latter-day London.

Overall, it’s a fine bit of TV. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, though Burke and Grainger are both electric in their roles (which should be expected since both have been on the cusp of stardom for about a decade). It’s decidedly okay, and yet, I couldn’t stop watching it.

There is something intoxicating and easy about C.B. Strike. It doesn’t challenge the viewer with winking subtext or a scavenger hunt of Easter Eggs. It’s a simple, almost-too-old-fashioned crime drama. Was I irked by the dehumanizing use of nudity in the first episode? Yes. Do I find the whole Robin/Strike “will they, won’t they?” arc a bit archaic? Absolutely. Could I take a fictional London where the misanthropic Strike is connected to rock stars and supermodels by birth? Just barely. (It was an issue I had with the books, and I had it here as well.) Still, I was hooked.

Watching C.B. Strike is like putting on your oldest pair of pajamas, the ones you should throw out because there are holes in them, and having a hot toddy on a cold night. It’s familiar and it knows it. It’s a comforting show precisely because it is so entrenched in the stereotypes of the tried and true crime drama.

I understand that people are attracted to crime dramas for many reasons. For some, there’s an intoxicating catharsis in looking evil straight in the eye. There’s also the simple, lurid fun in escaping to a narrative where danger is lurking around every corner. But I maintain that the real allure of the detective drama is order. The world we live in is chaotic and upsetting. So often it seems like life is spinning out of control and there’s no one actually in charge. The allure of the “detective” character is that he or she is the one who finds the patterns that brings order to all that chaos. The detective is a stabilizing force, offering justice where there hitherto has been none.

C.B. Strike‘s classic approach to the genre kind is charming in that it doesn’t mess with the original model. Its pulpy vibe is the design of its original author, Robert Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter creator is a crackling storyteller with a penchant for larger-than-real-life characters and an ear for outrageous monikers. Those skills come to the forefront in her Strike novels, which, like C.B. Strike the show, come across as fairly accomplished pulp fiction storytelling. They’re not great literature, but they keep you reading, nonetheless. And I know it may be gauche to say so, but there’s a place for stalwart storytelling that helps you escape from your own thoughts.

C.B. Strike is a frothy crime thriller that benefits from a high production value. The cinematography sometimes looks soft and velvety, like a smoke-filled room. The actors, again, are great. The story itself is a vivacious yarn. It’s not going to make the watercooler chat, but it could be your next favorite bedtime binge.

Stream C.B. Strike on Max Go