It’s good to wear modern clothes for a change. Aidan Turner may be best known for the stellar array of costumes he wears in period dramas. There’s Poldark, a post-American Revolutionary War tale about a guy rebuilding his life. In Leonardo, he was the creative king of Renaissance Italy, playing Leonardo da Vinci—ah, the attire. Further back, he played Kili the dwarf in The Hobbit films, often don up in ornate armor, sword fully ready.

Things are different in The Suspect, Turner’s new limited series, which just dropped on AMC+ and Sundance Now. The well-known Irish actor actually wears slacks. But that’s just a minor detail in Turner’s otherwise ambitious psychological drama, based on the bestselling novel by crime writer Michael Robotham.
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The Suspect chronicles the sudden travails of Doctor Joe O’Loughlin (Turner). Joe seems to have the perfect life—a devoted wife, a loving daughter, successful practice as a clinical psychologist, a robust media profile, and a sweet publishing deal. He’s even a hero—he rescued a young, troubled patient about to jump from the tenth floor of the hospital where Joe works.

Life takes an ominous when a young woman is found in a shallow grave in a West London cemetery. A seasoned police officer (Shaun Parkes of Small Axe and Lost in Space) and his young partner (Anjli Mohindra of The Lazarus Project) investigate, raising questions: was the young woman murdered, or did she commit suicide? Doctor Joe, being a successful author, is suddenly sought after for his opinion and curiously seems all too willing to offer help with profiling and his expertise with a younger detective.

Why? Well, Doctor Joe is now known for taking risks and breaking rules, but does he have more to hide? Joe is also dealing with the emotional fallout of a recent health diagnosis about a debilitating illness. Maybe that’s why he’s eager to help. Or is it something else? That’s what The Suspect sets up from the get-go. Basically—what’s going on with Doctor Joe. As the investigation into Catherine’s death quickens, audiences may wonder if Joe’s work as a clinical psychologist somehow helped him develop a criminal mindset. Maybe something worse.

“Many things about the project felt like a no-brainer to me in terms of coming on board,” Turner said. “Initially, when I read the scripts, I just loved the character. I couldn’t figure out his ambiguity. He’s making decisions that seem irrational. But then… is he covering up for something else? He seems like he’s telling the truth. But then things are revealed, and we think he’s not.

“It was that back and forth—between is he a good guy or a bad guy—that made the script great to read,” Turner added. “I really love that ambiguity. It’s the kind of TV I like to watch. If I wasn’t in this, I’d be watching it.”

A Rare Psychological Drama

The Sundance Now Original series also stars Camilla Beeput (Save Me, Peep Show), Adam James (Vigil, Doctor Foster), Sian Clifford (Quiz, Fleabag), and Bobby Schofield (Time, Anthony). About taking on the role, Turner knew he was in good hands working with ITV, the British public broadcast television network also behind the series.

“I knew they could pull it off,” he said. “They have a good pedigree of these genre shows—a lot of those shows I really like. They have strong directors, and I was aware of the cast members even though I hadn’t worked with them before. Plus, the shoot was in London, and I live in London. I thought this is too good to not do. But more than anything. I love the story. The scripts kept me guessing. Joe just seems like this complicated, flawed, real person. I wanted to jump in his boots and have a go at it.”

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Being a psychological drama, it’s fitting to ask Turner what the series attempts to say about people going through immense life challenges.

“That was one of the things we all talked about in the early days,” he said. “I’m a huge fan of true crime and even The Staircase. We were thinking that it’s about… what is that makes somebody look and sound guilty? What does that look like? In The Suspect, I love that the audience will be trying to figure out some of Joe’s choices. Like, ‘why would Joe do this?’ And does that make him guilty? Also, there was this idea of, ‘what does a murderer sound like?’ We’re judging these things all the time while watching Joe. It makes you ask, ‘how should an innocent person sound when they’re interrogated?’ Sometimes, innocent people don’t sound very innocent. They make mistakes, but does that then make them guilty?”

Turner also noted that swimming around those psychological waters was key before filming launched. “The show certainly keeps audiences guessing. We knew it was fiction, but on the same note, we tried to have it represent real life.”

The Suspect Heats Up

Sundance TV

As The Suspect unravels, more is at stake for Turner’s Doctor Joe. Ultimately, fans of the book will not be disappointed with how the series tackles the original source material. And by the time viewers experience the latter episodes, another creative device emerges: understanding empathy and compassion.

“There’s a real air of compassion in the show,” Turner noted, pointing out that by the major reveals occur, audiences may question why Dr. Joe would take some of the actions he’s taking. One character revelation, in fact, sparks Dr. Joe’s empathy even further.

Ultimately, Dr. Joe is a psychologist. It’s in his bones. He wants to help.

“We definitely feel empathy as an audience,” Turner said of some of the show’s characters. “We’re right there with Joe, and that compassion, and understanding—and not even at the 11th hour—is unique. I love him for that. And I think those final scenes stand out. It’s all of Joe’s faults, flaws, mistakes, and sometimes the lies that come to a head. But that’s what really makes the character so well-rounded.”

All five episodes of The Suspect premiere Thursday, November 3, on AMC+ and Sundance.