New Netflix show just set a record — but it’s not a good one

Netflix’s Ripley has a talented cast and has gotten some favorable reviews from critics – but its newest record isn’t something to brag about.

The black and white series is based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, telling the story of a down-on-his luck con artist hired by a wealthy family to bring back their rebellious son… But things don’t go as planned.

Dexerto’s review called it a “compelling character study of a very bad man.” While the series is intriguing, it has fallen short of success, and its new record is not something to gloat about.

According to What’s On Netflix, Ripley only received “2.3M CVEs over its first four days and the worst opening for a limited series released on a Thursday.” Netflix’s CVE’s are “complete viewing equivalents,” dividing total hours viewed by the series or movie’s runtime.

Compared to other Netflix series, Ripley fell flat and was at the bottom of the list compared to other hits like Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story and Griselda. Even the Australian coming-of-age series, Boy Swallows Universe, did better at 3.6M CVEs.

Despite the low numbers, Ripley has still managed to dominate the Netflix charts holding its own in the Top 10 with 16,900,000 hours viewed. It’s unclear if the numbers will lead to less interest from Netflix to develop a Ripley Season 2. Highsmith created a total of five books, with the series storyline taking place in the first installment.

Ripley is available to stream on Netflix, and you can check out our detailed explainer about its ending, as well as more titles to watch on streaming services.