Tom Hiddleston's Gothic Apple TV Series Is Perfect For Period Drama Fans

If you're looking for a new bingeable TV series, there's a forgotten Apple TV+ limited series that should be next on your list, especially if you're a fan of period drama. Released in 2022 and based on Sarah Perry's bestselling novel of the same name, "The Essex Serpent" is a six-episode gothic period drama mini-series that follows a young widow as she investigates reports of a mysterious serpent in a sleepy Essex village.

Starring Hollywood heavyweights Clare Danes ("Romeo + Juliet") and Tom Hiddleston ("Thor"), "The Essex Serpent" is a riveting and sometimes unsettling series that explores themes of science, faith, fear (and, of course, romance) in late-Victorian England.

This forgotten Tom Hiddleston mini-series is one of the best shows on Apple TV+ and should be your next watch. It boasts a Rotten Tomatoes score of 76% (certified "Fresh"), and a Metacritic score of 69, with Empire describing it as "gorgeously shot, cleverly crafted, and brimming with intrigue." 

Set in 1893, "The Essex Serpent" follows Cora Seaborne (Danes), who, after the death of her abusive, wealthy husband, moves from the bustle of London, with her maid and son, to the seemingly quiet village of Aldwinter in Essex.

Cora quickly finds herself intrigued by reports of a mysterious serpent in the marshes nearby and begins investigating the alleged sightings. However, when tragedy strikes the village, locals blame Cora for attracting it, believing it's supernatural in nature. Meanwhile, Cora has faith the beast exists, but believes there must be a more scientific answer to what it is.

Trying to keep the villagers grounded and balancing the line between faith and science is Reverend Ransome (Hiddleston), who establishes a surprisingly close bond with Cora through their debates on the topic. Is the serpent real or a myth? You'll have to watch the series for yourself to find out.

"The Essex Serpent" is set in the later years of the Victorian era, at a time when there was still a lot of tension and anxiety around science and religion. Though Charles Darwin's groundbreaking "On the Origin of Species" had been published more than three decades earlier, its ideas remained controversial.

"The Essex Serpent" touches on these themes, with Cora embodying the post-Darwinism intellectual mood and her relationship with Ransome exploring the debate around superstition, faith, science, and progress. So, if you enjoy a TV series rooted in history that poses some existential questions, this one is well worth watching. 

If the romantic aspect of period dramas is more your thing, "The Essex Serpent" offers that, too. If you're looking for raunchy, "Bridgerton"-style historical drama, you won't find it here. Cora and Reverend Ransome's romance is a slow-burning one, built on emotional intimacy, but forbidden due to Ransome's duty to the church — and the fact that he's already married. Cora also has another contender for her heart, her late husband's doctor, Luke Garrett (played by "Sense 8"'s Frank Dillane). But what good period drama doesn't feature some sort of love triangle?