Hulu’s Furious Avoids the Biggest Crime Drama Trap, According To The Cast

Scoot McNairy, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, and Jake Lacy explain how Liz Meriwether finds humanity in Furious’ darkest corners.

Katie Doll is a Tomatometer-approved critic, host, and MTV Movies & TV Writer for CBR. She covers film and television through reviews, features, and interviews, drawing on her love for strong storytelling.

Since joining CBR in 2021, Katie has interviewed talent such as Pedro Pascal, Danai Gurira, and Christina Ricci (among others). Known for her passion for apocalyptic and genre media, Katie is a local Walking Dead expert and also dives deep into Game of Thrones , A Song of Ice and Fire , and The Last of Us .

The crime genre is not an easy one to write. A persistent complaint among movie-goers and television-watchers these days is that crime is too romanticized for drama. Ryan Murphy's true crime anthology series, Monster , has been a much discussed perpetrator of this, as has the fictional thriller You .

To avoid those pitfalls and tell a more nuanced story, Elizabeth “Liz” Meriwether created Furious .

Led by Emmy Rossum, the series follows FBI agent Alice Black as she pursues a female serial killer targeting powerful men who have exploited girls and young women.

In an interview with CBR’s Katie Doll, co-stars Scoot McNairy, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, and Jake Lacy explained that the show resists telling viewers how to feel. By leaving room for moral ambiguity, it avoids sensationalizing the crimes it depicts .

Scoot McNairy: "This is ultimately a fictional story. Yes, there are parallels to things happening in the real world, but the story Liz put together is fictional. It explores these ideas and these gray areas without ever really telling you exactly what to think or whether your conclusions are right or wrong. I think that's one of the things that makes the show so interesting.

"Liz really walks that line and threads the needle with these characters. You'll like someone, then you'll hate them. Someone will do something that feels completely unredeemable, and then three episodes later you'll find yourself empathizing with them again. That's what makes it such a compelling crime thriller. It constantly pulls you in different directions."

Bernstine agreed with McNairy, praising Meriwether’s thoughtful writing and sensitive handling of difficult subjects. The series deals with murder, child abuse, sexual violence, domestic violence and substance abuse. Bernstine also noted that Furious ’ natural humor helps the show balance its darkest material.

Quincy Tyler Bernstine: "More broadly, I'm so glad Liz was at the helm because it really is a delicate balance between sensationalism and entertainment. She's incredibly good at taking difficult subject matter and creating stories that approach it with respect, for the material, for the characters, and for the audience. Her sense of humor and her sense of quirkiness run throughout the show, but they're always paired with an honesty that gets to the heart of these issues, even when they're very dark."

In light of the conversation on Furious ' delicacy over its most vulnerable topics, CBR turned to Lacy to talk about his controversial character . Lacy portrays Marshall, Alice's nice-presenting ex-boyfriend who abused her behind closed doors, but has won the favor of most of their friends and colleagues post-break-up.

The actor doesn't excuse his character's past, but chose to look beneath the gossip as well, which he's done for similar characters in the past.

Jake Lacy: "I always start by asking, 'What's this person's biggest fear?' I think we all have some central fear, whether we can articulate it or not, about ourselves, how we're perceived, what we're getting or not getting out of life. Once I can identify that fear, I can begin to relate to the character and understand the choices they've made, even if they ultimately regret them."

In recent years, Lacy has become known for playing performative nice guys who use superficial emotional sensitivity to mask darker secrets or intentions. Two examples of his filmography include All Her Fault 's Peter and The White Lotus ' Shane . But Lacy thinks Marshall is performative as a coping mechanism.

Lacy: "For Marshall, I don't think the performative aspect of his personality is about manipulating people. It's about getting through the day. It's him thinking, 'I have to be this good guy. Maybe I'm not, but this is what it takes for me to move forward in life.' He believes that's the solution. Of course, it isn't, because underneath all of that there's anger, pain, and need that's constantly simmering beneath the surface.

Viewers will have to tune in each Monday to see how Marshall's story plays out on Furious , and whether he'll continue to be a thorn in Alice's side. In the first three episodes, he already appears to be a ticking time bomb ready to blow Alice's entire operation. That is, if she wants allies to help her solve the serial killer case .