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C.B. Strike

C.B. Strike

2017–Ongoing6 seasonsRenewedSeason 7 upcoming20 episodes~60 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

A war veteran turned private detective operates out of a tiny office in London’s Denmark Street. Although wounded both physically and psychologically, his unique insight and background as a military police investigator prove crucial in solving complex crimes that have baffled the police. Based on the bestselling novels written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch C.B. Strike?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists C.B. Strike streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about C.B. Strike?

C.B. Strike earns 5 badges, led by Universally Loved and Standout acting.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is C.B. Strike worth watching?

C.B. Strike's Midcredits score is the 86th percentile of all shows, from 35K ratings across 4 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

86th percentile

Better received than 86% of shows

85th percentile among Crime84th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)71st
Approval (how many liked it)96th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

75 /100

71st percentile of all shows

73rd percentile among Crime69th percentile among 2010s

Critics 59 · Audience 77

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

92% liked it

96th percentile of all shows

94th percentile among Crime96th percentile among 2010s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Critics 83% · Audience 89%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Reach

How many have seen it

95th percentile

35K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Crime95th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 16% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-burn British crime drama centered on the evolving partnership between a gruff, wounded detective and his bright, determined assistant.

Fans praised

  • Lead chemistry between Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger
  • Complex, twisty mysteries rooted in realistic detective work
  • Atmospheric, gritty London setting and cinematography

Detractors panned

  • Plodding pacing and dull, overlong episodes
  • Overly complicated plots with rushed, unsatisfying resolutions
  • Relationship drama overshadows the detective work

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Lead duo praised for natural, compelling chemistry; some detractors find Robin's performance overbearing

AtmosphereDivisive82

Gritty, lived-in London with strong sense of place and mood

CharactersDivisive72

Complex, evolving leads with rich backstories; detractors call Robin's character increasingly perfect and Strike a cliché

TensionDivisive70

Intrigue and suspense built through complex investigation; detractors find no real suspense

Emotional impactDivisive70

Character-driven pathos and catharsis; detractors find melodrama unconvincing

Plot and storyDivisive68

Intricate, layered mysteries with many suspects; detractors find plots convoluted, holes, and resolutions rushed

OriginalityDivisive60

Fresh take on the down-on-his-luck PI but relies on familiar tropes; detractors call it formulaic

PacingDivisive50

Deliberate, slow-burn pace praised by fans for depth; detractors find it tedious and overlong

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 13 points higher than under-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Episodes

6 seasons

The Ink Black Heart · 2024 · 4 episodes · 6.1 average across 4 rated episodes

  • S6E1

    Episode 1

    Dec 16, 202459 minTMDB rating 6.1
  • S6E2

    Episode 2

    Dec 17, 202458 minTMDB rating 6.1
  • S6E3

    Episode 3

    Dec 23, 202457 minTMDB rating 6.1
  • S6E4

    Episode 4

    Dec 24, 202456 minTMDB rating 6.3FinaleSeason best

Watch experience

What is C.B. Strike like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and charged — a slow-burn watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe series treats its investigations and character dynamics with earnest seriousness, never undercutting the tension with irony, though it allows warmth in the central partnership.
The rideSustained tension with melancholic undertones; emotional weight accumulates toward season finales.
StructureThough each case has its own structure, the series as a whole follows a conventional linear progression per episode, typical of a case-plus-arc hybrid.
Episode formatEach season is a single, self-contained case, but a serialized arc of the leads' personal lives and relationships runs across all seasons.
Season formatEach season adapts one novel, presenting a new case with the same core cast and a continuing personal arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe intricate cases and the slow-burn emotional arc between Strike and Robin leave a lingering mix of intellectual satisfaction and emotional depth.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Mystery
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% (this title) · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

8% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeEach season presents a complex case that Strike and Robin investigate, with the audience invited to piece together clues alongside them — a classic investigative mystery.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfLoyaltyBonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7% (this title)
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% (this title) · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Loyalty · 7% of showsJustice · 14% of showsTrauma · 5% of shows
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores the deepening loyalty and partnership between Strike and Robin as they pursue justice for victims while navigating their own traumatic pasts.
StanceThe series observes its characters and cases with a steady, unglamorous eye, focusing on the personal costs and small victories of detective work.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRuralRealistic
Orchestral modernJazzSupportive music · original score · Adrian Johnston
Settingmodern London, from gritty streets to countryside estates
MusicThe score is atmospheric and understated, blending orchestral tension with occasional jazz touches to evoke London's mood.

Content guide

Is C.B. Strike okay for kids?

TV-MA

C.B. Strike is rated TV-MA. As of August 18, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (64/100), sexual content at mild (33/100), language at intense (71/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (67/100) and frightening material at intense (63/100). Its drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 50% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18+
  • Germany12
  • France18
  • Brazil18
  • Austria16
  • Czechia18+
  • FinlandK16
  • Hungary18
  • IndiaU/A 16+
  • MexicoD
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • Poland18
  • RO18
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeM18
  • Spain18
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 72% of all showsHeavier than 50% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 49%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 19%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 58%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (8 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language and violence. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does C.B. Strike have?

MovieCove's classifier found 7 depicted content warnings in C.B. Strike: Child abuse (moderate), Kidnapping or confinement (moderate), Sexual violence (moderate), Suicide (moderate), Torture (moderate), Gun violence (mild), War atrocities (mild). 6 more are mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory: Addiction or relapse, Animal cruelty, Death of a parent, Domestic violence, Drug overdose, Self-harm. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

ModerateChild abuseKidnapping or confinementSexual violenceSuicideTorture
MildGun violenceWar atrocities
MentionedAddiction or relapseAnimal crueltyDeath of a parentDomestic violenceDrug overdoseSelf-harm

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in C.B. Strike?

Cast

Tom Burke
as Cormoran Strike
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Holliday Grainger
as Robin Ellacott
Kerr Logan
as Matthew Cunliffe
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jack Greenlees
as Sam Barclay
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ruth Sheen
as Pat Chauncey
Caitlin Innes Edwards
as Ilsa Herbert
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Natasha O'Keeffe
as Charlotte Campbell
Christina Cole
as Izzy Chiswell
Killian Scott
as DI Eric Wardle
Sarah Sweeney
as Lucy
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

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