Will Forte's new Netflix crime series, Bodkin, looks like a hit: Here's what you need to know

Bodkin is one of the biggest new Netflix shows coming in May 2024. It's not going to beat Bridgerton season 3, but it will likely be bigger than every other Netflix original released during the month.

The series is set in Ireland and follows Will Forte's character, Gilbert, a true crime podcaster, who arrives in a small town to investigate a years-old disappearance. While innocent on the surface, there are secrets here that would rather stay buried.

We don't have a lot of information to go off yet, but I've been doing this for a long time. I'll be shocked if Bodkin isn't the second-most popular Netflix show of the month when it drops in May. It has all the makings of a buzzy Netflix series.

Crime/murder? Check. Great cast? Check. Weird vibes, comedy elements, and an intriguing setting? Check, check, and check. You'll see what I mean when I get to the trailer, but it just looks -- checks notes -- good.

Creator Jez Scharf, who explored the idea of a story about true crime podcasters, TUDUM that he's intrigued by absurdity as a writer and wanted to display that in the series.

"My personal interest as a writer is always in absurdity, really — in the idea that life is broadly absurd. Things that are sad are often funny, and vice versa. I think, having spent a lot of time in Ireland, there’s a certain acceptance of that kind of tone there."

Sign me up for this kind of series every day of the week! Let's get into the important details about the show and what viewers need to know before watching.

Release date

Bodkin isn't available to stream on Netflix yet! Bodkin premieres on Netflix on Thursday, May 9. The series will be released at midnight ( PT), which is 3 a.m. ET.

That's 8 a.m. GMT, so if you live in Ireland, your binge-watch starts in the morning. If this show is as good as it appears to be in the trailer, you'll probably watch all eight episodes in one sitting.

Cast

Netflix announced the main cast of Bodkin recently. Check out the list of stars and who they're playing:

• Will Forte as Gilbert
• Siobhán Cullen as Dove
• Robyn Cara as Emmy
• Chris Walley as Sean O’Shea
• David Wilmot as Seamus

We don't know the full cast of the series yet, but based on the trailer, there are a lot more than five important characters in the series!

Trailer and synopsis

Netflix recently shared the synopsis for Bodkin. The synopsis reads:

"Bodkin is a darkly comedic thriller about a motley crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic, coastal Irish town. But once they start pulling at threads, they discover a story much bigger and weirder than they could have ever imagined."

If you're keeping track at home, Bodkin is a deeply satirical, dark comedy about podcasters visiting an Irish town to solve three murders? It doesn't get much better than this, Netflix viewers.

And, here's a look at the official trailer for Bodkin!

The trailer begins with a door being slammed in the faces of the podcasters. We meet our three podcasters: Gilbert, Emmy, and Dove, who are new to the small town of Bodkin. We also learn the central mystery: three people disappeared during the Samhain festival years ago, but no one seems to be interested in finding out what happened to them. That's what our podcasters are trying to get to the bottom of with a lot of resistance from the locals.

There's a lot going on in the trailer. You just have to watch it to see all of the potential for criminal mischief.

Most importantly, the trailer ends with Will Forte's character saying, "I came to Bodkin expecting a simple cold case. What if the cold case isn't cold?"

Boom goes the dynamite. What a trailer! We've all seen new trailers for Stranger Things or Outer Banks, if you're me, and been excited to watch the series after, but it doesn't get much better Bodkin. This trailer is awesome!

Netflix shares behind-the-scenes look at Bodkin

Heading into the series premiere, Netflix also shared a behind-the-scenes look at the new series from the cast and creative team of Bodkin. You'll see all five stars share what you need to know about the new series, along with creator Jez Scharf.

In the featurette, Scharf says something very interesting about stories and people, which appears to be the heart of Bodkin.

"Stories are never as simple as they seem. People are never as simple as they seem. At every turn, you expectation is slightly pulled from under you."

Think you know where Bodkin is going? You don't! That's what it sounds like anyway.

Is Bodkin based on a true story?

No, Bodkin isn't based on a true story, although it really seems like it is! That's by design, according to Scharf. He mentioned to TUDUM that he wanted the series to feel like a true crime series, but he also specifically avoided details about real crimes to make sure the series was not based on or referencing anything that actually happened in real life.

"The mystery itself, we worked very hard to find something that is in no way adjacent to a real true crime story. The fictionality of it was very deliberate."

I love this take! Obviously, there are some true crime stories that do need to be told to honor victims, shed light on failing institutions, and other reasons. In general, we've definitely missed the mark with true crime, as a society, failed victims and their families, and given in to our morbid curiosity when it comes to these things.

Look no further than Netflix's Baby Reindeer, which is based on Richard Gadd's experience with a stalker. Gadd, who also stars in the series, has asked fans not to try to find out the identity of the person whom his stalker was based on in the series, but there are still people trying to find and, most importantly, share that information.

Anyway, Bodkin is not based on a true story. The town is not a real place. You can, however, visit the filming locations for the series. It was filmed in Wicklow, West Cork, Dublin, and other locations in Ireland. We'll share more about the filming locations after we see the series.

Watch Bodkin on Netflix on Thursday, May 9!