In Greenwald’s work as a critic, he always placed special emphasis on character building, and now that he’s on the other side of this industry, his priorities haven’t changed. San Bonifacio, the fictional Texas border town that serves as our setting, is teeming with colorful, memorable characters. You can sense that each person that enters the frame on Briarpatch has a wealth of history and personal ticks, from the main characters down to the fleeting extras. San Bonifacio instantly feels alive in the same way that famous TV towns like Twin Peaks, Pawnee, and Springfield do because such detail has been paid to its townspeople.

Dawson has always been a compelling screen presence and she’s electric here. Allegra is no-nonsense and wryly sarcastic, clearly less than thrilled to be back in her old stomping grounds. It’s also clear that her tough exterior is a product of necessity. Besides dealing with the painful loss of her sister, a tragic backstory is hinted at, and Dawson carries that weight on her shoulders even when she’s confidently strutting in a fierce white pant suit. Plus, she delivers Bogart-worthy detective dialogue just as smoothly as post-modern genre-skewering jokes.

The other clear standout is Mad Men alum Jay R. Ferguson, rescued from network sitcom hell and finally given some work worthy of his talents. He plays Jacob Spivey, a rich good ol’boy with nefarious connections and a complicated history with Allegra. From the minute he and Dawson share the screen, their chemistry crackles and pops like an M80. Ferguson is clearly having a blast here and Spivey feels like an instant career-defining role for the actor. No one will be missing Stan Rizzo once they see our man dancing around his neon-lit, opulent mansion.

Briarpatch threads the needle so deftly between quirky ensemble dramedy and pot-boiler mystery. One minute you’ll be laughing at the specificity of one of its eccentric Southern characters, the next you’ll feel the danger and seediness that’s lurking just off-screen. On top of that, the entire thing looks gorgeous. Director Ana Lily Amirpour makes you feel the hazy heat in her tight close-ups and highlights San Bonifaco’s empty storefronts with some well-timed wide shots. Also, her use of color makes the neon lights shine like diamonds.

After two episodes, everyone and anyone feels like a suspect in Felicity’s murder, and I already feel both attached, yet suspicious enough of all of these interesting characters to be looking forward to the show’s 2020 premiere. If Briarpatch can keep this tone balanced and the temperature up without getting lost in the thick of it, this could be the show everyone is talking about in 2020.