Cliff Notes – Irish TV thriller hailed one of the ‘best dramas ever’ is free to binge
- Critical Acclaim: Love/Hate, an Irish thriller series from 2010, boasts a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is praised as one of the best dramas ever.
- Plot Overview: The series, set in Dublin, explores the impact of gang violence on both perpetrators and victims within the city’s criminal underworld.
- Viewer Recommendations: Fans are actively recommending Love/Hate over other recent series, such as Keira Knightley’s Black Doves, highlighting its gripping narrative and character depth.
Irish TV thriller hailed one of the ‘best dramas ever’ is free to binge
An Irish series from 2010 has caught the attention of ITVX viewers (Picture: Bernard Walsh/RTE/PA Wire)
An Irish thriller series with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its first season has been compared to another crime drama that left fans in awe.
In December, Keira Knightley’s new series Black Doves dropped on Netflix boasting an impressive 94% rating on the review aggregation website
However, some TV viewers think that they’ve discovered a show that’s even better.
Love/Hate, the Irish series which started back in 2010 and is available to binge for free on ITVX, is still to this day regarded as ‘one of the best dramas ever’.
The programme, created by Irish TV network RTÉ, is set in Dublin and follows the gangland tension in the Irish capital’s criminal underworld.
Starring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Aoibhinn McGinnity, and Charlie Murphy, Love/Hate looks at the effects of gang violence on the perpetrators and victims.
Love/Hate is being raved about by fans (Picture: Bernard Walsh/RTE/PA)
What thrillers are available on free UK streamers?
In addition to Love/Hate, other thrillers available on free UK streamers include…
ITVX
Fearless
The Killing Kind
Out There
After the Flood
Grace
BBC iPlayer
The One That Got Away
The Jetty
Better
The Woman in the Wall
Guilt
Channel 4
The Killing
Cold Summer
Bordertown
Suspect
Arctic Circle
Channel 5
The Following
The Feud
The Drowning
Blindspot
For Her Sins
The series came to a close in 2014 after five seasons, having won several awards, including 19 Irish Film & TV Academy awards.
On X, @Snowaldinho eagerly recommended Love/Hate to a mutual follower, calling the show ‘one of the best dramas I’ve ever seen.’
Elsewhere, @DeanoRifles said that, after being told to watch the series by his followers, he was pleased to report that they were indeed correct.
‘You were [all] so right! It’s the b******s too! Bloody nice one, everyone! Highly recommend this to anyone else who hasn’t seen it.’
One of the stars of Love/Hate is The Umbrella Academy star Robert Sheehan, who played Nathan Young in the E4 sci-fi comedy drama Misfits between 2009 and 2011.
Keira Knightley’s Black Doves series has been critically acclaimed (Picture: Netflix)
Love/Hate has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its first season (Picture: Bernard Walsh/RTE)
Meanwhile, spy thriller Black Doves is similarly violent as it follows Keira’s character Helen Webb through the secretive and conspiratorial corridors of power.
Helen is the wife of the Secretary of State for Defence, but when her secret lover is killed by London’s criminal underworld, she finds out her identity as a spy is under threat.
@Fauzandr31 on X is a fan: ‘I hope more people watch Netflix’s Black Doves. It is so good! The chemistry of Keira Knightley & Ben Whishaw is just incredible.’
However, @Blueboy22M compared both shows and said he was more of a fan of Love/Hate: ‘Black Doves is rubbish… Have you watched Love/Hate –every episode is gripping.’
Some Love/Hate fans prefer the 2010 series to Black Doves (Picture: Stefania Rosini/Netflix via AP)
Fans of Black Doves are torn after it was announced that the Netflix series had been renewed for a second season despite wrapping up its story in six episodes.
‘Black Doves season two is coming, darlings,’ an announcement read, but the reaction among viewers was mixed to say the least.
‘Great acting, and intriguing build up, but ultimately disappointingly mediocre. Nonetheless I’ll watch a second season,’ Jonathan commented.
‘Please don’t,’ user @aayu joked, although superfan Louis was excited for more: ‘I felt there was unfinished business. Glad it’s coming back!’
This article was originally published on January 20 2025.
Love/Hate is streaming on ITVX. Black Doves is streaming on Netflix.
