‘Shardlake’ Review: Where Buddy Comedy Meets Tudor Crime (and it Works)

With modern crime novels like Just murders in the building And A murder at the end of the world Sometimes it’s nice to see a show get back to basics by harnessing the puzzle-solving power of technology. And when I say “go back,” I mean “travel back in time to Tudor England,” where Hulu is based Shardlake take place.

Based on the novels by CJ Sansom, Shardlake is an old-school crime thriller (in the truest sense of the word). There’s no phone in sight or any mention of DNA samples, but they’re still cracking hard-boiled cases – with plenty of atmosphere and historical intrigue to boot. And while the conspiracies and dangers sometimes drag on, the series really shines when it focuses on the unconventional pair of detectives: Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes) and Jack Barak (Anthony Boyle).

what is Shardlake around?

Shardlake implicates us in the religious reforms that took place in England in 1536. King Henry VIII has rejected the Roman Catholic Church and wants to close the monasteries that continue to oppose him. When his emissary Robin Singleton shows up beheaded in the monastery of Saint Donatus, there can only be one explanation: betrayal of the king.

Still, the law must conduct a thorough investigation into Singleton’s death and present evidence against any possible murderers before the crown can permanently ban Saint Donatus. Enter lawyer Matthew Shardlake, Thomas Cromwell’s (Sean Bean) preferred detective. Clever and with a instinct for the truth, Shardlake is ready to face the supposedly corrupt monks of Saint Donatus. But once he arrives at the monastery (and bodies start piling up again), he will uncover a secret within a secret – one that may shake the foundations of his faith in crown and country.

As Shardlake begins the detective work, the series offers some wonderfully atmospheric images. Saint Donatus becomes a menacing labyrinth of religious iconography, whose surrounding swamps are as dangerous as the potential murderer lurking within its walls. Religion also remains a driving factor throughout, as Shardlake observes the different ways in which the monks engage with their faith and overcome the scorn of members of the Church of England. But it’s Shardlake’s contentious relationship with Cromwell’s renegade henchman Jack Barak that’s really convincing Shardlake Tick.

Arthur Hughes and Anthony Boyle do Shardlake a surprising buddy comedy.

Arthur Hughes and Jack Barak in Shardlake.
Photo credit: Adrienn Szabo / Disney+

From the moment Barak arrives on the scene, it’s clear that Shardlake wants nothing to do with him. Barak is everything he isn’t: a conventionally attractive womanizer who always wears the most distracting suspenders. Shardlake, meanwhile, has a physical disability that ridicules him, making him an outcast in Tudor society.

The two also argue about how to solve Singleton’s murder. Barak believes all Papists are degenerates and would like to tear down Saint Donatus as quickly as possible, but Shardlake sticks to the letter of the law. If he found out that the monks were not responsible for Singleton’s death, he would not distort the truth.

Thanks to Hughes’ level-headed, analytical performance and Boyle’s hot-headed demeanor, Shardlake and Barak become the most unlikely collaborators – and the funniest. It’s lovely to see them making fun of each other, or enjoying a break in the case. Other aspects of their relationship go less well, such as an agreed-upon love triangle with convent maid Alice (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis) or most of the segments in which they are apart. But that just speaks to the power of their dynamic.

Four episodes long, Shardlake never really drags – but it’s definitely a more dynamic, driving crime thriller when Shardlake and Barak share the screen.

Shardlake is now streaming on Hulu.