While Netflix is busy pumping out more series than any one person could watch (probably), some of the best shows are on Amazon Prime Video. Trouble is, navigating the service’s labyrinthine menus can make finding the right series a pain. We’re here to help. Below are our favorite Amazon series—all included with your Prime subscription.
For more viewing picks, read WIRED’s guide to the best movies on Amazon Prime, the best movies on HBO’s Max, and the best movies on Netflix.
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The Girlfriend
When working-class Cherry Laine (Olivia Cooke) meets wealthy Danny Sanderson (Laurie Davidson), sparks fly—until she meets his mother, Laura (Robin Wright). Overbearing and with an unhealthy level of control over her son’s life, Laura is set on destroying anyone who comes between them. Or maybe ... Laura is a caring mother, alert to Cherry’s suspicious behavior, and desperate to save her son from a con artist—or worse. In this twisty psychological thriller, based on a novel by Michelle Frances, you can never quite tell who to trust, which is almost the best part, second only to the sensational chemistry between Wright and Cooke as they alternately try to charm, outwit, or destroy each other. Exploring themes of class, power, and control, The Girlfriend is six episodes of brilliantly tense drama.
Butterfly
Years ago, David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim) and Juno Lund (Piper Perabo) formed the private intelligence organization Caddis, reshaping global security from the shadows. Then, Lund ripped the operation out from under Jung—and took his daughter Rebecca (Reina Hardesty) with it, raising her to become an unstoppable assassin. Reunited in the aftermath of a hit on a Russian ambassador in Seoul, David and Rebecca find themselves on the run across South Korea, unsure if they can even trust each other, and with Caddis hot on their heels. A blend of next-level action choreography and family drama exploring themes of abandonment, Butterfly is an explosive twist on bring-your-kid-to-work day.
Ballard
A spin-off from Bosch, one of Prime’s biggest hits, Ballard is another creation of crime author Michael Connelly, seeing detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q, Designated Survivor) stepping up as head of a newly formed cold-case unit. Left with no budget and no official support, Ballard hastily assembles a team of volunteers that includes her retired former partner Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch) and disillusioned former cop Zamira Parker (Courtney Taylor). They soon find that diving into forgotten cases can mean unearthing secrets powerful people want to keep buried. A blend of crime-of-the-week cases and season-long mysteries make Ballard both a cozy procedural and a riveting longer-form drama, buoyed by a fantastic cast—including Titus Welliver reprising his role as Connellyverse staple Harry Bosch.
The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy
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