Watch ... if you’re looking for a noir-tinged procedural with feminist leanings and complex characters. “The Fall” subverts our expectations about detective shows in which women are killed to advance the plot with some of the genre’s most rich female characterization in years. But it isn’t just lead character Stella Gibson (an excellent Gillian Anderson) who is wonderfully crafted. The victims, the wife of the serial killer and various female police professionals are among the series’ highlights. Also, the choice to reveal the villain’s identity in the first episode and peel back the layers of his family life creates an atmosphere full of ominous suspense.

Skip ... if you like more energetic procedurals. “The Fall” is a show that moves at a glacial pace and is far more interested in its characters emotional landscape than in thrills. “The Fall” becomes more melodramatic in Season 2 as it veers more toward a traditional procedural.