The holiday break gave me a chance to catch up on a few shows (though not many, since streaming television never takes a holiday and insists on keeping us moving, moving, moving ahead). One of those was Sweetpea, the Ella Purnell (Fallout, Yellowjackets)-led series on Starz that premiered in fall 2024 and has already been renewed for a second season.
It’s easy to see why. The show has echoes of Dexter and Carrie and centers on Rhiannon (Purnell), a twentysomething receptionist at a newspaper in a small British town. Relentlessly bullied in high school to the point of pulling out her hair and wearing a wig, Rhiannon is burdened by the lasting effects of her trauma. After her father and dog die on the same day, the simmering rage buried beneath her meek, quiet demeanor finally erupts. She murders a drunken jerk relieving himself in public—unaware he’s urinating on a woman—and discovers a dark, cathartic release.
This marks Rhiannon’s awakening. The murder fuels a newfound confidence, which she channels into seeking a promotion at work (by reporting on her own victim) and taking risks in her love life. The twist? Julia (Nicôle Lecky), the high school mean girl who tormented her the most, reappears as a real estate agent hired by Rhiannon’s sister to sell their family home—against Rhiannon’s wishes—after their father’s death. The encounter is, unsurprisingly, triggering. And so, Rhiannon kills again to cope.
Meanwhile, a police investigation into the murders unfolds. Among the detectives is Marina (Leah Harvey), another marginalized, overlooked woman. Marina’s suspicions about Rhiannon are dismissed, but she clings to the case with quiet determination. Her dogged pursuit builds tension, culminating when Julia goes missing.
The subject matter is dark, but the tone skews quirky goth, and Purnell shines with that haunting yet vulnerable quality—think Christina Ricci meets AJ Michalka. She’s phenomenal, but it helps that she’s working with sharp material. Kirstie Swain adapts the series from CJ Skuse’s novel, while director Ella Jones expertly brings it to life. Purnell crafts a sympathetic, underdog serial killer—at least until Rhiannon isn’t so sympathetic anymore.
Sweetpea expertly navigates the messy intersections of trauma, rage, and empowerment, presenting a protagonist who is both monstrous and relatable as she enacts not only her own dark fantasies of taking down bullies but perhaps ours as well. Despite its grim subject matter, the series is delivered in a light, briskly paced package, making it surprisingly digestible for a show centered on a serial killer.
It’s genuinely entertaining, and because it’s only six episodes, it can easily be watched in the first month of the Starz’s current $1.99 introductory price.