‘The Sinner’: Could season 4 bring another mind-bending mystery?

Just when he thought he was out . . . they pulled him back in! Seems like detective Harry Ambrose’s fate is to forever continue delving waist-deep into the most disturbing crime scenes – at least until his hit TV show stops being popular. But that’s not happening any time soon, and USA Network has tweeted a tantalizing teaser for The Sinner season 4 that promises Ambrose’s alleged retirement will be anything but peaceful.

Now, if you’re not familiar with The Sinner, odds are you might be a little lost going straight into season 4 – but only a little. Each season is designed to more or less stand on its own, with Harry Ambrose investigating a different case, beginning to end, while working on his own inner demons. So what we’re saying is: you can watch the teaser for The Sinner season 4 below and not really worry about spoilers.

A new mystery begins. #TheSinner returns this October on @USA_Network. pic.twitter.com/HHB1urD6d4

— The Sinner (@TheSinnerUSA) July 23, 2021

Unclean Harry

Before Harry Ambrose even got to the point where he would attempt to retire in The Sinner season 4, the USA Network show put him through the wringer. Originally, The Sinner was only supposed to be an eight-part miniseries based on Petra Hammesfahr’s 1999 novel of the same name. However, the critical success and high ratings that welcomed the show’s debut in 2017 quickly changed the network’s mind.

Thus, The Sinner evolved into an anthology series. In season 1, we meet Harry Ambrose – perfectly played by a tortured, taciturn Bill Pullman – as he tries to figure out what has led the troubled Cora Tannetti (a fantastic Jessica Biel) to stab an apparent stranger to death. That was the plot of The Sinner book. Seasons 2 & 3 left the show’s literary roots behind and followed Ambrose’s further adventures.

The second season sees Ambrose returning to his hometown, where he gets involved in an ominous web of secrets struggling to come to light when a young boy confesses to poisoning a couple (the talented Carrie Coon plays the boy’s alleged mother). Season 3 throws Ambrose into another major conspiracy that starts unraveling due to a brutal car accident involving the mysterious Jamie Burns (played by Matt Bomer).

Retired Harry?

So you’re (somewhat) caught up now. You’re welcome. Two more things are worth mentioning though. One is that Harry Ambrose is as psychologically distraught as the people he inevitably ends up obsessing over. The other is that The Sinner has a tendency to pair Bill Pullman with a big name actor each season: Jessica Biel, Carrie Coon, Matt Bomer. That trend is getting tweaked on The Sinner season 4.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the new season will feature more of an ensemble cast, as Ambrose finds himself recruited to investigate an unexpected tragedy involving the daughter of a prominent family. Nevermind that poor Harry is meant to be recuperating from the events of the previous season. No rest for the wicked, Mr. Ambrose – and no retirement either!

So who’s in this ensemble cast anyway? First we’ve got the Muldoons – that “prominent family” – featuring Frances Fisher, Alice Kremelberg, Michael Mosley, and Neal Huff. And then we have Cindy Cheung as Stephanie Lam, and Ronin Wong as Mike Lam. We’re guessing the Lams are not as prominent as the Muldoons, but we won’t know for sure until The Sinner season 4 debuts in October.

Streaming Harry

The best news besides the fact that we have a release date for The Sinner season 4 is that all three previous seasons of the show are available on Netflix right now, as you read this article. Between the new teaser and the Sinner 101 class we just dropped on you, we figure you’re chomping at the bit to catch up on the darkest Bill Pullman vehicle you didn’t know existed. Are we right?

Of course, we don’t exactly recommend binging The Sinner. In case we haven’t made it clear: the show deals with some heavy subject matter, and you will need to decompress every few episodes. Maybe alternate with a Stranger Things binge. You’re supposed to be preparing for that fourth season as well.

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Are you excited for The Sinner season 4? What has been your favorite Harry Ambrose investigation so far? Let us know in the comments!