mystery shows – From grief-soaked detective work in Mare of Easttown to the sci-fi dread of Severance, these mystery series earn their endings—whether they land on one killer reveal or keep feeding fresh questions episode after episode.
When a mystery show drags, it can feel like the questions are winning. But these seven series move with purpose—drawing you in with a premise you can’t ignore, then following through with reveals that actually stick.
In Mare of Easttown (2021). Detective Sergeant Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) is trying to prove herself again in the small Pennsylvania town of Easttown. Her personal tragedy hangs over everything, and she’s still grappling with an unsolved missing-person case. Then the murder of local teenage girl Erin McMenamin (Cailee Spaeny) shatters the routine. Mare takes the case on with determination, working alongside her new partner, Colin Zabel (Evan Peters). The central question—who killed Erin—drives the investigation. but the series also uses that mystery to expose a horrifying undercurrent of gendered violence in Easttown. It’s intense and heartbreaking. and it delivers an ultimate killer reveal that feels earned. leaving you with both the shock of the answer and the weight of what it’s saying.
Only Murders in the Building (2021–Present) takes a different route: cozy, funny, and still sharp enough to keep you guessing. The show follows three lonely residents in the iconic New York City building called the Arconia—Charles-Haden Savage (Steven Martin). Oliver Putnam (Martin Short). and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez). Their obsession is the same true-crime podcast. and it’s that shared fascination that pulls them into action after Arconia resident Tim Kono (Julian Cihi) is murdered. The police believe Tim’s death was a suicide, but Charles, Oliver, and Mabel decide to investigate on their own. They start their own podcast and, against all odds, find themselves making progress and even gaining success along the way. With a compelling murder mystery each season—plus plenty of comedy—it balances cozy comfort with real momentum.
How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020) turns the screws from the very beginning. It follows Annalise Keating (Viola Davis). a brilliant and tough criminal defense lawyer who teaches at a prestigious Philadelphia law school and runs her own firm. Each semester, she picks a group of first-year students to intern for her. The catch arrives immediately: at the same time Annalise chooses five of her students. the body of a female student is found. The first season’s main timeline is also cut with flash-forwards to the murder of Annalise’s husband. Sam (Tom Verica). For a long time. details about Sam’s death stay elusive—until the series shows Annalise’s interns trying to bury the body and cover it up. Across the show’s run. each season builds toward a central murder mystery reveal halfway through. and the payoff is consistently shocking.
Pushing Daisies (2007–2009) keeps things whimsical on the surface, but the body count doesn’t play. In a fairytale-esque version of the world, Ned (Lee Pace)—a pie maker—keeps a massive secret. He can bring the dead back to life with a single touch, though there are rules that come with it. Alongside running a pie shop. Ned helps Private Investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) solve murder cases by temporarily waking the victims and asking them who killed them. Each episode leans into hilariously over-the-top murders. including people drowned in a vat of taffy and killed by an explosive pop-up book. But the emotional center is Ned’s love story with his childhood sweetheart, Chuck (Anna Friel). They lose touch. then reconnect after her death when he brings her back to life—risking everything to keep her around.
Severance (2022–Present) delivers mystery through dread rather than comfort. In a dystopian near-future where nearly everything is controlled by Lumon Industries. Mark Scout (Adam Scott) is a grieving widower who has undergone the “severance” procedure—separating his brain into a work self and an outside self. Mark has no idea what he does for work, and his “innie” has never known a life outside of it. With two seasons so far. Severance has already paid off multiple central mysteries in ways that feel both brilliant and horrifying. while still leaving space for future storylines. As the corruption of Lumon Industries unfolds. the depth of the company’s plans is revealed slowly. turning the series into a mind-bending thriller that keeps landing—there isn’t a bad episode.
Midnight Mass (2021) blends horror with slow-burning questions. Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) returns to Crockett Island—the tiny island where he grew up—after spending four years in prison for killing someone by driving drunk. He mainly wants to keep his head down. stay focused on his sobriety. and reconnect with his first love. Erin Greene (Kate Siegel). But a mysterious new priest named Father Paul (Hamish Linklater) arrives and begins performing impossible miracles. The mystery of Father Paul lingers, building toward a shocking and disturbing reveal. It’s terrifying and twisty, but it also stays introspective, tackling powerful themes without wasting time.
And then there’s The Leftovers (2014–2017). which proves not every mystery needs to be wrapped up in one neat answer to feel complete. The show makes use of its three short seasons to tell a full story. building toward one of the most beautiful series finales of all time. It follows the years after a mysterious event called the Departure. when 2% of the world’s population disappears without a trace. Each season feels distinct. taking
characters through that aftermath while keeping the Sudden Departure mysteries alive—and even willing to leave some questions unanswered. At the start. Police Chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) tries to keep peace in Mapleton. New York. on the three-year anniversary of the Departure. His biggest concern is The Guilty Remnant, a cult with one goal: to stop people from ever moving on. As the series continues. it digs deeper into speculative elements and keeps hovering between
reality and the impossible—pushing both Kevin and viewers to wonder what might be at play.
Across all seven shows, the difference isn’t just the presence of mystery. It’s the commitment to finishing what they start—whether the answer is who did it, what’s really going on, or what the truth costs.
mystery TV shows Mare of Easttown Only Murders in the Building How to Get Away with Murder Pushing Daisies Severance Midnight Mass The Leftovers
Never watched Mare of Easttown but sounds like the kind of show that’ll ruin your whole weekend.
Severance being in here makes me think they’re just trying to sell Apple TV subscriptions lol. I feel like mystery shows always give the answer too late anyway.
Mare Sheehan totally gets judged from the start, like people in small towns don’t mind their business. Also the “gendered violence” part… that’s heavy. I thought it was gonna be more like a light crime show until the missing person stuff kept stacking.
Seven mystery shows that are amazing from start to finish… okay but what if I hate slow burns? Like does it literally answer everything or is it another “just enough” ending? Mare of Easttown, I’m pretty sure I heard Erin’s killer was, like, the partner or something? Idk, I saw clips on TikTok and then forgot the actual plot.