Showtime's Patrick Melrose is specially designed for Benedict Cumberbatch fans

Decider

The five-part series is a "Benedict Cumberbatch thirst trap," says Lea Palmieri. "Unlike previous roles that found him disappearing into very specific real people (The Fifth Estate, The Imitation Game), or such defined characters as Sherlock, or his recent on-screen appearance as Dr. Strange, Melrose is one of the more modern characters we’ve seen him step into, as the show kicks off in the 1980s. This allows for Cumberbatch to put a lot on display: his comedic talents, his body, his American accent, his full range of emotional work, and yes, those very blue eyes. Oh, and his butt. That’s there too. Let’s state again here, before we get a bit superficial, that his acting here is tremendous and probably the best reason to watch the show. Cumberbatch is putting in work, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was recognized with awards or nominations for it."

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• Patrick Melrose is a five-part exercise in prestige misery, built around Cumberbatch's showy performance
• Patrick Melrose is both a mash note and a lavish footnote to its source material
• Its simple structure helps it become a truly engaging miniseries
• It's darkly entertaining, and the most remarkably faithful adaptation of a series of books in recent memory
• With Patrick Melrose, Cumberbatch is able to cross the last role off his bucket list