If you're after something to fill the Killing Eve-shaped hole in your life, look no further than Ragdoll, which conveniently has the same producers behind it. The scarily compelling crime thriller, which aired on the BBC last year, sees detectives attempt to solve the murders of six people - and it has a rather chilling twist that makes it all the more watchable.
Adapted from Daniel Cole's debut novel of the same name, the series is a sort of creepier Killing Eve, with the bodies of the six victims dismembered and sewn into the shape of one grotesque body and suspended from the ceiling in a block of London flats – nicknamed the "Ragdoll". If you're squeamish, it's not the series for you, but if you enjoy a twisty cat-and-mouse chase, you'll certainly find one here.
With the crime thriller now available to binge on Channel 4, here's everything you need to know about Ragdoll before you watch it, including the plot, cast and how to tune in.
What is Ragdoll about?
The chilling six-part series kicks off with a dramatic courtroom scene. DS Nathan Rose (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) breaks down when a serial killer, Mark Hooper (Sammy Hayman), who he tirelessly investigated is allowed to walk free. Why? Because the evidence Rose obtained was deemed inadmissible. DS Rose publicly assaults Hooper and is later admitted to a psychiatric unit for PTSD.
The series then picks up two years later at a grisly crime scene at a London tower block. Six people have been murdered, dismembered and gruesomely sewn together to form one large “ragdoll”. On the case are the recently reinstated DS Rose, his best friend and boss Emily Baxter (Thalissa Teixeira), and the team’s newest recruit: chirpy young American DC Lake Edmunds (Lucy Hale).
Eerily, there's a major twist in that the head stitched onto the body belongs to Mark Hooper and, even more chillingly, the corpse’s finger points directly towards DS Rose’s flat. When the detectives receive a list of six names on the killer’s hit list, the final name is DS Rose himself and the question is, can he catch the killer, before he gets him?
What to read next
The series takes us on a real rollercoaster ride, with DS Rose’s time in the psychiatric facility holding key information about the killer’s identity, though institutionalisation and trauma have left his memory hazy. Across six episodes, we watch an intense cat-and-mouse game as the force tries to outsmart a killer who always seems one step ahead.
Who's in the cast of Ragdoll?
The cast of Ragdoll includes:
- Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Killing Eve) as DS Nathan Rose
- Thalissa Teixeira (Trigonometry) as DI Emily Baxter
- Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars) as DC Lake Edmunds
- Michael Smiley (Luther) as DS Finlay
- Ali Cook (The Anomaly) as DCI Terrence Simmons
- Natasha Little (The Night Manager) as Andrea Wyld
- Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Mary Poppins Returns) as Joel Shepton
- Angus Wright (The Crown) as Judge Wingate
- Amita Dhiri (This Life) as Deputy Commissioner Vanita
- Phil Davis (Vera Drake) as Mayor Ray Turnbull
- Camilla Beeput (Save Me) as Alyssa
- Douggie McMeekin (Chernobyl) as Eric Turner
- Samantha Spiro (Sex Education) as Joy
- Sam Troughton (Chernobyl) as Thomas Massey / The Ragdoll Killer
Is Ragdoll any good?
Yes - if you're a Killing Eve fan, it's a must-watch for several reasons. The plot feels genuinely original while our lead detectives are entirely believable as we get a real insight into their personal lives, unlike in many crime thrillers. There's also an element of dark humour, which is what we all know made Killing Eve the success it was.
How can I watch Ragdoll?
You can stream all episodes of Ragdoll now on Channel 4.
What other crime thrillers can I watch now?
One of the best crime thrillers on the BBC is Kin. The series enters us into a violent gangland feud between a close-knit criminal family, The Kinsellas, headed by Frank (Aidan Gillen) and a vast global-network – the Cunningham Cartel. You can stream all episodes of Kin now on BBC iPlayer. We'd also recommend The Tower, which stars Sarah Whelan as Detective Sarah Collins, who investigates the dark side of policing. The drama kicks off at a southeast London tower block, where a Metropolitan police officer and 15-year-old refugee have plummeted to their deaths - and the quest to find out what happened is compelling, to say the least. You can watch The Tower now on ITVX.
