Low Winter Sun

:

Season 1
  • Network: AMC
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 11, 2013
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 82 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 82
  3. Negative: 11 out of 82
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User Reviews

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  1. SirShadowCorvus
    Sep 20, 2013
    8
    The art of this series is the tension of will they succeed or fail at getting away with the murder. The complexity of the storyline has been steadily reducing as the plot boils away the options Frank has to maintain his grip on the investigation and all the distractions.
  2. Zeffan
    Sep 29, 2013
    8
    I've always been an AMC fan. It seems like that I enjoy each AMC's show on TV and that including AMC's latest new crime drama Low Winter Sun. Before I went to watch Low Winter Sun, I never expected anything of it, so that I enjoy every last drop of Low Winter Sun. I find that this show is very intriguing with its character-driven story. The casts are gripping too. All in all, if you enjoyI've always been an AMC fan. It seems like that I enjoy each AMC's show on TV and that including AMC's latest new crime drama Low Winter Sun. Before I went to watch Low Winter Sun, I never expected anything of it, so that I enjoy every last drop of Low Winter Sun. I find that this show is very intriguing with its character-driven story. The casts are gripping too. All in all, if you enjoy most of AMC's shows like Breaking Bad, The Killing, and The Walking Dead, there is no reason to skip this newest fine crime drama from AMC.… Expand
  3. Slick_Fingarz
    Oct 5, 2013
    9
    It's picking up steam and pulling out of the station, I would say that it's doing a good job, remember Breaking Bad's first season, or for that matter Walking Dead's this will get better if it gets a chance too.
  4. jgreen7756
    Aug 25, 2013
    10
    I just caught this show for because of Mark Strong and I think its a keeper. I wanted to see how he was used, and am really impressed. His character is complex and intense, and I'm sure everything you could ever want to see in a conflicted ,flawed man will be celebrated by this fine actor. The show is wonderfully dark, and the chemistry between him and Lennie James is riveting. If viewersI just caught this show for because of Mark Strong and I think its a keeper. I wanted to see how he was used, and am really impressed. His character is complex and intense, and I'm sure everything you could ever want to see in a conflicted ,flawed man will be celebrated by this fine actor. The show is wonderfully dark, and the chemistry between him and Lennie James is riveting. If viewers need fast moving scenes, and quick resolutions, this won't be your show...itsa "NOIRLIKE" show for people who want complexity and to be involved in whats going on behind the scenes, with subplots and twists. So here's to its success!… Expand
  5. Bohanga
    Oct 16, 2013
    10
    Have been very impressed with this show since it came out. Very impressed with Mark Strong and the whole cast. They have done an excellent job with the writing and the interweaving story. There is such a conflict between right and wrong that it has been quite exciting watching each character struggle with their actions. The rotten and collapsed side of Detroit is still amazing andHave been very impressed with this show since it came out. Very impressed with Mark Strong and the whole cast. They have done an excellent job with the writing and the interweaving story. There is such a conflict between right and wrong that it has been quite exciting watching each character struggle with their actions. The rotten and collapsed side of Detroit is still amazing and shocking to me, however above it all, people keep going. The whole Detroit backdrop gives the series a unique feel and look which I find quite engaging and overall adds to the success of the show.… Expand
  6. caughtinadream
    Sep 6, 2014
    10
    This is going to be my first review here, but there is a good reason why I pick "Low Winter Sun" for that...
    The series provides a lot of really interesting characters (Frank Agnew, his now drug-addicted friend who was supposed to be a cop too...), but also the sceneries where those characters walk/drive along or meet show the city of Detroit, a city that is obviously going to the ground    This is going to be my first review here, but there is a good reason why I pick "Low Winter Sun" for that...
    The series provides a lot of really interesting characters (Frank Agnew, his now drug-addicted friend who was supposed to be a cop too...), but also the sceneries where those characters walk/drive along or meet show the city of Detroit, a city that is obviously going to the ground in many corners - but all that together with a story that gets told with exactly the right tempo took my breath away many many times, and its a pity that this series does not go on after only 10 episodes, cause it really deserves so much more than this.

    If you are a fan of series like The Wire...: you´ll love this one and its atmosphere!! And I hope Mark Strong will be seen again in (at least) a new series soon!    … Expand
  7. miguelcourage
    Aug 12, 2013
    9
    Superb acting by Lennie James and Mark Strong and intriguing plot. Visually stunning.The art direction is something special. Will be interesting to see the season unfold.
  8. Vpopov81
    Oct 3, 2013
    10
    I am so sick of empty headed people jumping on the bandwagon bashing this show for the simple reason that it followed breaking bad. This is a really great show with an amazing cast. I am a huge fan of Mark Strong and now also of the detective who plays Joe Geddis. THis is a top notch show with tremendous cast, how on earth could this get a 59% review? I had to rate it a 10 just tyo tryI am so sick of empty headed people jumping on the bandwagon bashing this show for the simple reason that it followed breaking bad. This is a really great show with an amazing cast. I am a huge fan of Mark Strong and now also of the detective who plays Joe Geddis. THis is a top notch show with tremendous cast, how on earth could this get a 59% review? I had to rate it a 10 just tyo try and rebalance the ratings so this show gets a fair overall score. Great show cant wait to see wahrt happens… Expand
  9. rbrunhub24
    Aug 12, 2013
    8
    A lot of critics and viewers alike seem to coming down with a case of Anti-hero Fatigue as of late; and a lot of that sentiment seems to have bled into reviews of Low Winter Sun. While I agree that the tone is at times a bit one-way--it can be a bit too dreary--this show should be judged based on its own merits as an engaging drama, and not on its part in a growing movement in televisionA lot of critics and viewers alike seem to coming down with a case of Anti-hero Fatigue as of late; and a lot of that sentiment seems to have bled into reviews of Low Winter Sun. While I agree that the tone is at times a bit one-way--it can be a bit too dreary--this show should be judged based on its own merits as an engaging drama, and not on its part in a growing movement in television culture. The acting of Mark Strong and Lennie James alone should make it worth most people's while. But on top of that, the story clips along nicely and makes me want to stick around to see how things develop.… Expand
  10. Discoflash
    Sep 16, 2013
    9
    If you're like me and you've never seen the British version then you'll find this to be an interesting cop drama unlike anything you've ever seen. So far there aren't a lot of characters I find myself rooting for which is refreshing to me. It's incredibly dark and gritty. Give it a shot.
  11. pietroriillo
    Sep 19, 2013
    8
    Ok, we still love Breaking Bad, but I think that Low Winter Sun will be able to excite us. I hope so, because I already miss Breaking Bad.
    This is an interesting story. Maybe we have already seen many similar stories like this, but the personages are so peculiar and it's a pleasure to see them.
    I like this series... I will see it until last episode!
  12. chill63
    Sep 8, 2013
    10
    This show is awesome. Great writing and solid acting. Its slowly developing and getting better and i am liking the new layers each episode. it may not be to everyones taste but it works like a novel maybe and not a comic book.
  13. fa1601
    Aug 23, 2013
    9
    Cuando una serie o película tratan o deja a entrever a U.S.A, un poco país tercermundista, como mostrar Una Detroit en decadencia, Los críticos siempre tratan de destruir el proyecto con sus criticas negativas! La serie Low Winter Sun para mi esta muy buena.
  14. MeganJF
    Aug 21, 2013
    8
    (same review in imdb)

    I'm doing this review because I feel most people either have chosen not to watch this show or have made a quick judgement. There are so many bad reviews And I would just hate it if this show gets cancelled. Dark, gritty, and intriguing. This is everything I love and more. Slow developing character and a slow burning plot with developments in each episode. Yes I    (same review in imdb)

    I'm doing this review because I feel most people either have chosen not to watch this show or have made a quick judgement. There are so many bad reviews And I would just hate it if this show gets cancelled.

    Dark, gritty, and intriguing. This is everything I love and more. Slow developing character and a slow burning plot with developments in each episode. Yes I am a huge Breaking Bad fan and am sad to see it go but honestly, with this show around I won't even be sad when it ends(breaking bad that is).

    If You watch any the following DRAMAS that I do than you should give this series a try: The Americans, Hannibal, Breaking Bad, American Horror Story, Dexter, Rectify, Shameless, House Of Cards, there's a few others I can't think of at the moment.    … Expand
  15. MerleDixon
    Aug 11, 2013
    6
    Really nice Pilot episode, and the acting was really solid, especially from Mark Strong and Lennie James. I can see this series turning out really nice.
  16. WyoBear
    Aug 26, 2013
    3
    Who would care to watch a show that fails so poorly in the development of the characters? If feels like the show started in the middle of the season.
    The storyline has action and drama but who cares since we have not been allowed to know who these people are. Do they really expect to work backward with the character development?
    Everything that makes shows like Homeland, Breaking Bad,    Who would care to watch a show that fails so poorly in the development of the characters? If feels like the show started in the middle of the season.
    The storyline has action and drama but who cares since we have not been allowed to know who these people are. Do they really expect to work backward with the character development?
    Everything that makes shows like Homeland, Breaking Bad, and Dexter great is missing from Low Winter Sun. The name of the show is cool but the show itself falls flat it's a waste of my time.    … Expand
  17. SimpleMethod
    Aug 13, 2013
    5
    The characters are paper thin and the pilot bored me. I'll still give it a shot, but for now this doesn't seem like a show I'll be tuning into on a regular basis.
  18. DanReed
    Sep 15, 2013
    0
    It's just boring and uninteresting, I couldn't even last an episode. Just another Cop drama that has piss poor acting and bad writing. It seems like AMC isn't having much luck with creating any new dramas as of late.
  19. booradley
    Oct 7, 2013
    2
    People who watch ‘Low Winter Sun’ fall into one of two categories: those who enjoy the show because they like Mark Strong, and those who like Mark Strong but don’t enjoy the show. It starts well. The first episode opens in a dark room lit with candles (I have no idea why), an exotic leitmotif (which works despite its incongruity) and a close up of a weeping Frank Agnew staring at thePeople who watch ‘Low Winter Sun’ fall into one of two categories: those who enjoy the show because they like Mark Strong, and those who like Mark Strong but don’t enjoy the show. It starts well. The first episode opens in a dark room lit with candles (I have no idea why), an exotic leitmotif (which works despite its incongruity) and a close up of a weeping Frank Agnew staring at the camera. It’s a powerful scene that provokes instant sympathy for the protagonist, and justifies what he’s about to do. Unfortunately, in the episodes that follow, LWS conscientiously unravels both the sympathy and the heady atmosphere it set up in the first two minutes.

    This show is giving viewers what it THINKS they want (a white middle-class antihero with no hair and some personal problems, a glimpse at a criminal underworld, stuff about drugs) without truly understanding what it was that made shows like Breaking Bad so appealing. LWS is too dark, too joyless, and MUCH too sordid. There is an excess of drugs, alcohol, prostitutes and (bizarrely) toilets. People talk about toilets, they use toilets, they shove people’s heads INTO toilets AFTER they have used them and the prostitutes FILM themselves using toilets. The whole fictional Detroit scene LWS sets up is so dark, so dirty, that it left me wondering why any of these people would stay in those jobs in that city. We were promised a theme of redemption, but I haven’t been able to find it.

    The story is both overwrought and underdeveloped, with an awkward surplus of Serious Acting to compensate for the deficiencies of the plot. I wasn’t interested at all in the B-story with Damon and Maya, David Costabile is wasted here, and while I could happily watch Athena Karkanis reading from the phonebook, even she can’t lend the story some much needed beauty and moral relief from the relentless thematic and visual darkness of the show. I’d love to see Mark Strong in a sympathetic leading role. This isn’t it.    … Expand
  20. Tss5078
    Sep 14, 2013
    5
    I needed a show to watch after Breaking Bad and the easiest thing to do is simply not change the channel, and that's how I discovered AMC's newest drama, Low Winter Sun. The show is an adaptation of the novel, Low Winter Sun by Simon Donald and if it sounds familiar to you, that because it has already been turned into a movie, back in 2006. While the show has a great time slot and a starI needed a show to watch after Breaking Bad and the easiest thing to do is simply not change the channel, and that's how I discovered AMC's newest drama, Low Winter Sun. The show is an adaptation of the novel, Low Winter Sun by Simon Donald and if it sounds familiar to you, that because it has already been turned into a movie, back in 2006. While the show has a great time slot and a star who is already familiar with the role he's playing, the ratings for the show have been low and it's because the show has a lot of bark, but it really doesn't have any bite.

    Set in the bankrupt city of Detroit, Low Winter Sun, tells the story of two police detectives, who murdered a third. The dead man, Det. McCann was dirty and was putting the whole department at risk and they did what they had to do. The murder of a cop in Detroit is big news and the Mayor wants it solved by the two best homicide detectives they have, who also happen to be the killers themselves. The men are being watched by internal affairs and the mayor, so they have to make it look like they are really trying to solve the case, but a third party keeps getting in the way. This party who unintentionally keeps popping up, is the mob affiliated group that had McCann on their payroll. Their activities threaten the investigation which could ultimately lead back to the two detectives.

    The story makes for a good movie, but if this show is somehow renewed, which direction does it go it? Much like the Killing, this show is centered on one murder, but here the two main characters are the killers. Either they get caught and the series has to start a new in season two or the same story will just keep repeating itself until nobody cares anymore.

    The lead in the show is Mark Strong, who also played the lead in the 2006 film. The role calls for a smart, yet emotional character with a scared past, and to me the man just doesn't fit the role. Strong is a big tough guy, who is seemingly emotionless, and while he appears to be a smart cop, he just really doesn't fit or appeal to me as the lead detective.

    His partner is played by Lennie James, better know as Robert Hawkins in Jericho. This guy is one of the best law enforcement actor they could have gotten. James has been in a ton of things, always playing some type of law enforcer. He is experience and really terrific in everything he does. If it wasn't for him, I don't know if I'd be watching this show right now.

    The cast is rounded out by Sprauge Grayden who has gained some notoriety from the Paranormal Activity films. She is the missing link, caught in the middle between the mob aspect and the cops, having connections to both sides. She's really playing both sides and could ultimately hold the key to what is going to happen, as the first season comes to a close.

    Overall, Low Winter Sun isn't bad, but not great either. The story is strong and would make a good movie plot, but it seems like there aren't many places to go after they tell the initial story. The intensity they advertise in the commercials has yet to appear, and the show really doesn't have a way of getting people hooked on the story. I've been watching it because I'm a fan of Lennie James and it's on after Breaking Bad. If it wasn't for the time slot, I probably wouldn't have continued after the first episode and I suspect that others feel the same way, as the show has cancelled written all over it.    … Expand
  21. bob516
    Sep 1, 2013
    4
    I've watched every episode so far, feels like I have watched 5 or 6 already, when it has really only been three. Maybe seeing a glimmer of hope I will finally find something interesting about these characters or situations, but I am not optimistic.
  22. Jhwarfield
    Sep 6, 2013
    5
    These may be the darkest days in Detroit history, though it often feels the worst is yet to come. Abandoned neighborhoods are the back drop for this crooked cop mystery. Let's hope better days are ahead for Low Winter Sun.
  23. Type4101
    Sep 16, 2013
    5
    This show focuses too much on using "grim and grimy" as a method of storytelling. The producers even use a bluish-grey film filter to wash out any color (fans of the now-cancelled "the killing" are familiar with this technique). Grim depression is fine, but unsympathetic characters make the grim experience feel more tedious than it should. Everything is grey.
  24. Nechaev
    Sep 14, 2013
    4
    As cold and turgid as a bowl of unheated turnip soup. The characters lack depth and the narrative is unrelentingly dour. Whether these cop murderers are found out is of little interest to this viewer.
  25. Kunrya
    Oct 8, 2013
    7
    Mark Strong and Lennie James are great together, but whenever they're not on screen the show meanders and drags. I hope it gets picked up for a second season just to see if it can work out its flaws.
  26. norman_6
    Sep 20, 2013
    9
    This is a show is your typical "shades of gray" police drama that would not be worth investing in if it wasn't for the excellent acting by both Lennie James and Mark Strong. With the exception of a truly terrible pilot episode, this series has some well-crafted episodes that remind me more of The Wire than Chris Mundy's earlier show Cold Case. Some critics bemoan the bleak backdrop andThis is a show is your typical "shades of gray" police drama that would not be worth investing in if it wasn't for the excellent acting by both Lennie James and Mark Strong. With the exception of a truly terrible pilot episode, this series has some well-crafted episodes that remind me more of The Wire than Chris Mundy's earlier show Cold Case. Some critics bemoan the bleak backdrop and that might be a valid criticism if it wasn't for the fact that Detroit actually looks that bleak. Surely there is some some value in the environment being a representation of the internal struggles the characters and the sometimes shaky foundations of our social contract with one another, particularly when that city's institutions have failed them. In any case, this is an excellent show and AMC would behoove themselves to see that it get a second season.… Expand
  27. merrrillman
    Oct 29, 2013
    9
    I really, really liked this series. i don't agree with the negative reviews. its not in the same class as the wire but better than most of the formulaic corny cop shows. worth watching!
  28. Barraoc
    Dec 31, 2013
    8
    Excellent acting and a solid, interesting story; I'm looking forward to season two. I didn't know it was based on a British show but I'll definitely check that out too.
  29. sepehrgool
    Apr 7, 2017
    8
    Low winter sun is inspired by the former AMC Series (The Killing) and HBO's Wire. So the story is followed by mini series that created in 2006 and Two Cops (Mark Strong and Lennie James) killed the dirty cops who killed and raped his girlfriend. So after the killed him, they try to cover what they did to the dirty cop. I don't why the series canceled but it could be replaced to The Killing
  30. Chillyfinger
    Oct 16, 2017
    10
    Starts slow and may turn off viewers who are expecting a cliche cops and robbers tale. Expect, instead a tragic tale straight out of Shakespeare. In the last 60 seconds, the long train ride hits the wall in the most memorable scene I’ve seen on the small screen.
  31. asurvivor41
    May 7, 2018
    0
    It was a good movie with lots of twist and turns by excellent actors but I was disappointed why the drug dealer didn't get caught and th stupid plot to use the homeless dude to fall for the murder of a cop. His testimony had lots of holes and should have been followed by aN FBI inquiry coz no Governor or Mayor buys that piece of crap. Sad ending when corrupt police dept walks.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Most Discussed TV Season of 2013
67
#67 Most Shared TV Season of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 27
  3. Negative: 1 out of 27
  1. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Oliver Jones
    Aug 16, 2013
    50
    The gutted-out city is perhaps the show's most compelling character. [26 Aug 2013, p.38]
  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Aug 12, 2013
    80
    Not since HBO’s The Wire left the air five years ago has a television series combined urban decay and moral decrepitude in such stark--and yet compulsively watchable--terms.
    Read full review
  3. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Aug 12, 2013
    70
    While scenes with a crime crew drag, in part because it's not always clear what's going on with them, anytime the focus shifts to crooked cops Frank Agnew (Mark Strong) and Joe Geddes (Lennie James), Low Winter Sun proves to be a gripping drama with a vibe most reminiscent of "The Wire."
    Read full review
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