Hey there, I’m Jess ✨. On The Signature, I share reflections on beauty, routines, travel, wellness, culture, and everyday life. For those drawn to a calmer, more intentional way of living, I send a free newsletter each month on the 7th. You're welcome to join.
I have written frequently about tv shows and miniseries, both times focusing on streaming services other than Netflix. Yet I have nothing against the platform, it has provided me with great content, both fiction and non-fiction, for over a decade. I mean, you know I just binge watch Love is Blind as soon as it is out! And after watching another memorable show on the platform, I thought it was time to share my favourite Netflix miniseries in 2026.
Jess
The Witness (2026)
Based on Alex Hanscombe's memoir Letting Go, The Witness is based on the real-life murder of Rachel Nickell in a park in London in 1992, in plain daylight. Rachel was Alex's mother, who was just shy of turning 3 years old at the moment of the murder. The most ghastly fact is that he was present during her murder: they were playing in the park when she approached by a man and then was stabbed and sexually assaulted. Alex was by her side the whole time and the only witness to the crime.
The 3-episode miniseries shows a lot of restraint in regards to the crime scenes - which I was thankful for, as graphic scenes stay engraved permanently in my thoughts - yet it is highly critical of the police's investigation and tactics. A poignant story, where both Alex and his father André were brought on as consultants.
Jess
The Residence (2025)
If you love the game Cluedo (aka Clue) or Mafia, thriller books by Lucy Foley, the upstairs/downstairs vibes from Downton Abbey and movies like Knives Out, Netflix's The Residence might be the show for you. With 8 episodes, the Shondaland miniseries tackles a murder that happens at the White House during a state dinner for the Australian Prime Minister.
The star of the show is Uzo Aduba, known for the character Crazy Eyes on Orange is the New Black - the show that got us used to having all episodes from a single season drop at once! - or in the sequel of my favourite show In Treatment. She plays the main detective that is sharp, quirky and obsessed with birding, making her seem a bit detached from reality yet extremely focused on minute details.
What is also interesting about this show is that it shows us a White House we might not be used with on the news cycle or on movies and tv shows. It's not about politics at the West Wing or in the Oval Office but about the power dynamics between who lives in the building and who works there, from administration to administration. The show made me want to make a White House tour of all those colour rooms and levels, especially underground.
Jess
Dept. Q (2025)
I love Nordic Noir series like The Investigation or The Chestnut Man. Little did I know two things when I first stumbled into the poster for the Dept. Q show whilst scrolling on Tiktok:
- firstly, that that scruffy unattractive lead character was played by the (usually gorgeous) Matthew Goode
- secondly, that this show based in Edinburgh, Scotland was inspired by a Danish crime series written by Jussi Adler-Olsen
The aforementioned Matthew Goode plays the part of detective Carl Morck, who just suffered a terrible personal loss in the middle of a work accident. The intro is just shocking. After some time away from the force he is back, but not to investigate what happened to him and his work mates but into a make shift basement department, investigating cold cases. He is not that interested until he paired with Akram (played by Swedish actor Alexej Manvelov), a mysterious Syrian IT Manager who wants nothing to do with IT but prone to investigation and Rose, a young detective who needs a boost of confidence to pull through her personal life.
This show is only 9 episodes long. Albeit intense and filled with complexities, set in a very dark, grey and morose ambiance, we are also filled with hope. As we follow the investigation(s) and Carl's road to recovery and adjusting to his personal life, we also fall in love with complex and funny characters. And of course, we want to know what happened in both investigations, so it's quite a gripping show to watch.
Jess
Behind her Eyes (2021)
Before I watched the final episode, Behind Her Eyes was about to become one of my favourite miniseries ever. It had everything I love in a thriller: a mysterious man, an unstable marriage, a fragile-but-intriguing friendship, and a main character who’s just a bit too curious for her own good. It’s the kind of story that pulls you in slowly, then gets under your skin in all the right (and wrong) ways.
The series follows Louise (played by Simona Brown), a single mother who gets involved with her psychiatrist boss, David (played by Tom Bateman). Complication #1: David is married. Complication #2: his wife Adele (played by Eve Hewson) might be the most captivating and confusing person Louise has ever met. Somehow, Louise finds herself drawn to both of them - romantically to one, emotionally to the other - and caught in a dangerous triangle she doesn’t fully understand.
It’s beautifully shot, deliberately paced, and so thick with unease that I often found myself pausing just to breathe. For five episodes, I was fully on board, even taking notes, guessing theories, and texting people “You have to watch this.”
And then came the final episode. I won’t spoil it here, but let’s just say it divides opinions.
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