The crime-filled, gruesome scenes of Patricia Cornwell's book series, “Kay Scarpetta,” released in 1990, have been re-adapted by Prime Video in their recent series, “Scarpetta.” In the show, Dr. Scarpetta works through the murders of Gwen Hainey, Cammie Ramada, Lori Petersen, Cecile Tyler, Brenda Steppe, and Patty Lewis.

The season’s persistence in incorporating AI as a means for the characters to cope with grief and neglect distracts the audience’s attention from the composed yet bold Dr. Scarpetta, who must balance her personal relationships with a career-defining serial killer case. This juxtaposition makes the show feel divided and takes away from the more engaging mystery that should be the main focus.

Season 1 tells the story of Kay Scrapetta (Nicole Kidman), a powerful and driven forensic pathologist — the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia, to be exact — as she investigates murders reminiscent of a case that has loomed over her career for 28 years. The show cuts back and forth between 1998 and the present day, incrementally giving clues to progress the case. This format builds suspense. However, with battles regarding interpersonal relationships, the focus shifts away from the crime. Consequently, the subplots weaken the pacing and take away from the urgency of the investigation.

In what seems to be an attempt to connect with the Gen Z audience, Dr. Scarpetta’s niece Lucy (Ariana DeBose) is portrayed as a tech-savvy character who is instrumental in uncovering important details about the serial killer. In effect, the script lacks when it comes to honing in on any connection or reliability within young adult viewers, and, as a result, Lucy’s character falls flat and unimpressive.

As Lucy’s wife, Janet Watson (Janet Montgomery) dies, Lucy, in grief, utilizes AI to keep their relationship alive. However, her attachment to her wife feels more bothersome than intriguing. The writers fail to build sympathy for Lucy as she refuses to move on from the relationship, stuck talking to AI Janet, genuinely convincing herself that her wife is as good as alive. An introduction to a new idea of modern grief drags on far too long.

This sub-plot is further weakened, considering that it takes away from the main plot of the show — a forensic anthropologist’s murder investigation.

Furthermore, Dr. Scarpetta’s sister Dorothy’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) character’s eccentric and frequently emotional fits become increasingly frustrating. Screen time is wasted on her interpersonal drama, further taking away from the crime at hand.

The soundtrack is additionally incongruent with the show’s timeline. The show flashes between the ’90s and present day, and yet songs from the ’60s play through the show, such as “House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals. Typically, in shows that flash between different time periods, using adjacent music helps with the transitions. In this case, the much older music confuses the timeline.

Moreover, the casting for the flashback scenes depicts a young Dr. Scarpetta (Rosy McEwen), whose actor looks nothing like Kidman. This younger actress interacts with Simon Barker's (Benton Wesley) character, who is also unconvincing as an actor; Wesley’s attempt at the southern accent takes away from the show, as his lack of enunciation is hard to understand.

When the show does center the crime, it does not shy away from showing explicit and chilling autopsy scenes from the medical examiner. Episode 8 is arguably the season’s best with shocking plot twists, emotional vulnerability, and enticing action. For once, it successfully focuses its attention to its core plot: the murder. However, this triumph comes too late in the season to carry the show through its weaknesses.

With its gruesome, “Bones”-esque scenes filled with awkward AI scenes and intriguing mystery, “Scarpetta” lacks in picking up an audience and leaves viewers confused as to why subplots seem to be dragged in. The final episode shows the show’s potential with a shocking plot twist and a deeper focus on the mystery element. However, the overuse of AI in earlier episodes prevents the show from fully delivering the mystery at its strongest point.