Sweetpea, a six-episode dark thriller starring Ella Purnell, is highlighted as an underrated gem in the crime genre ahead of its second season, due in November. Created by Kirstie Swain and based on the novel by C.J. Skuse, the series follows Rhiannon Lewis, a downtrodden young woman whose bottled-up rage over bullying, family strain and workplace disrespect eventually erupts into murder. Its blend of dark comedy and morally complex storytelling has drawn praise for subverting typical crime-drama expectations about suspects and motive.

The show charts Rhiannon's decline after her father's death, as her sister moves to sell the family home through the estate agency of Rhiannon's former school bully, while her boss overlooks her for promotion. These accumulated humiliations push her towards violence, and the series invites viewers to sympathise with her even as her actions escalate. Critics point to Purnell's performance, a marked departure from her role in Fallout, as showcasing her range in portraying a character who shifts between a meek office worker and a calculating killer, with the finale setting up new tension between Rhiannon and the detective who suspects her.