Need a binge? These thrillers are free on The Roku Channel
Need a binge? These thrillers are free on The Roku Channel
From murder mysteries to alien invasions, these four shows have multiple seasons and plenty of twists to keep you watching.
I watch a lot of TV, but there are still great shows I haven’t seen. Usually they’re older ones I missed, or (less often) newer ones on my list I just haven’t gotten to. Free streamers like The Roku Channel are perfect for catching up on complete shows that have had their full run. That means I don’t have to wait for new eps to drop, and I get a full series arc to get lost in. That’s the theme of this list: thriller shows with multiple seasons, plenty of episodes, and binge-worthy arcs. So, here are my picks for the best thriller binges on The Roku Channel.
Best binge-worthy thriller shows streaming on The Roku Channel
Best supernatural binge: ‘Haven’
You’d be forgiven for streaming the first few episodes of “Haven” and thinking it’s basically a crime show. But if you keep watching, I promise you’ll be pulled into something way stranger. FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) arrives in a small town in Maine, and quickly has to help locals affected by what they call “the Troubles” — strange, dark supernatural problems that often turn violent. And the deeper she goes to figure out what’s happening, the clearer it becomes that she has a powerful connection to the town.
The show is very loosely based on a Stephen King story, so you get a bit of his small-town weirdness that permeates his books (“Needful Things” was my favorite version of that). And what makes it a great binge is that the “supernatural issue of the week” very slowly builds into a larger mythology involving the town, Audrey, the origin of “the Troubles,” and how all three are connected. Plus, you get a serialized romance between Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant), who works as a detective with the Haven Police Department. With five seasons and a proper final season that ties things up, “Haven” is a satisfying binge in almost every way.
Haven
FBI agent Audrey Parker arrives in the small town of Haven, Maine to solve a murder and soon discovers the town’s many secrets—which also hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of her lost past.
Best dystopian sc-fi binge: ‘Colony’
If the idea of aliens taking over a near-future Los Angeles is a turn-off because you’re not into aliens, well, give “Colony” a shot anyway. It plays far more like an occupation thriller than an alien invasion, especially since you’re not entirely sure who or what the aliens are and what they’re doing. For Will Bowman (Josh Holloway), a former FBI agent trying to protect his family, and his wife Katie (Sarah Wayne Callies), it’s far more about survival in a walled-off city full of checkpoints, surveillance, and curfews.
The moral ambiguity of the characters is interesting, especially as Katie gets pulled into the resistance. But the real binge-propulsion is the mystery of what the heck is really going on. Each season you get a little more info about who’s really in charge, what the aliens are doing to humanity, and what’s happening out in the rest of the world. Now, fair warning: “Colony” was cancelled after three seasons on a pretty big cliffhanger, so don’t expect a bow to tie things up. Despite that, I still think it’s an excellent watch and much smarter than the premise sounds like.
Colony
In the near future a family must make difficult decisions as they balance staying together with trying to survive. They live in Los Angeles, which has been occupied by a force of outside intruders. While some people have chosen to collaborate with the authorities and benefit from the new order, others have rebelled — and suffer the consequences.
Best murder-mystery binge: ‘Broadchurch’
If you’re looking for a slow-burn crime drama absolutely dripping in atmosphere, with incredible performances to boot, you have to watch “Broadchurch.” My wife and I ripped through this series. It stars David Tennant and Olivia Colman, who are investigating the death of a young boy in a small seaside community. And the deeper you go, the darker things get. Everyone’s a suspect, everyone’s got a secret, and the grief that boils underneath the surface is palpable and hard to shake.
If you start Season 1, prepare to binge because you won’t stop. Yes, there’s the mystery, but it’s the characters that really pull you in. Olivia Colman’s Ellie Miller undergoes an absolutely devastating transformation the deeper the investigation goes, while her relationship with David Tennant’s Alec Hardy is everything you want it to be — complicated, dramatic, and surprising. Season 1 is the pinnacle of the show for me, but there are two more seasons after that that explore the fallout of the murder. For a free show, this is one of the best out there.
Broadchurch
The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
Best crime-thriller binge: ‘Ransom’
The whole fun of “Ransom” is watching someone NOT break down a door with a big gun. Instead, Eric Beaumont (Luke Roberts) — a hostage negotiator who deals with kidnapping cases — uses his brain, his emotional intelligence, and psychology to talk people down. That means you’re getting a more patient, smarter show than the usual crime thriller tropes.
The binge factor here is the psychological puzzles in each episode. The kidnappers may say they want one thing, but it’s up to Eric to figure out what’s really motivating them. He’s got to put the pieces together, often turning the episode in a totally different direction from what you thought was happening. And each case pretty much wraps up by the episode’s end, and it’s super satisfying to get the answer. There are three seasons here, and while it’s not quite as serialized as some of the other shows on this list, it’s a fun, episodic ride worth taking.
Ransom
Eric Beaumont’s crisis negotiator team is brought in to save lives and resolve the most difficult kidnap and ransom cases when no one else can.
More thriller TV shows to binge on The Roku Channel
‘Numb3rs’
Numb3rs
Inspired by actual cases and experiences, Numb3rs depicts the confluence of police work and mathematics in solving crime as an FBI agent recruits his mathematical genius brother to help solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles from a very different perspective.
‘FBI: International’
FBI: International
Follows the elite agents of the FBI’s International Fly Team headquartered in Budapest as they travel the world with the mission of protecting Americans wherever they may be.
‘Grimm’
Grimm
After Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he’s descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as “Grimms,” he increasingly finds his responsibilities as a detective at odds with his new responsibilities as a Grimm.
‘How to Get Away with Murder’
How to Get Away with Murder
A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor. They become entangled in a murder plot and will shake the entire university and change the course of their lives.