The Irregulars on Netflix is a series produced by Drama Republic/Greg Brenman, who formerly worked for Tiger Aspect Productions in the U.K. While there, he produced many dramas, including shows like Peaky Blinders. The Irregulars is created by Tom Bidwell and is based on the works of Arthur Conan Doyle. That means Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson make an appearance in the story. However, they are not the main characters. The people at the heart of the show are younger but no less interesting. The Irregulars follows a group of friends living in a cellar off the streets of London. Watson hires them to help him solve crimes.
So...what does all this have to do with Supernatural? Well, the crimes these friends solve are supernatural in nature. They also spend a lot of time hunting down demons.... sort of. There's a twist. The main characters of The Irregulars might initially think they're looking for monsters or demons, but things aren't all they seem. It turns out that they're actually hunting down normal people who have gained supernatural abilities from an unknown and possibly sinister source. Though The Irregulars is much more of an ensemble show than Supernatural, there is also a sibling relationship at the center of it. Except in this case, it's two sisters: Beatrice and Jessica.
Bea and Jess, as they're known to their friends and the audience, provide the heart and soul of the series. Both of them play crucial roles in solving the supernatural mysteries given to The Irregulars. Bea is the leader of the group, and is always protective of her sister and her friends. Jess has abilities that come in handy when solving supernatural crimes. Her powers allow her to see the memories of people she touches and also show them their own.
Unfortunately for Jess, they also come with a downside: nightmares. She regularly has dreams where she runs into a masked figure that tries to hurt her. Luckily, she meets an ally: a man from America who has powers like hers. Jess calls him the Linen Man and he helps her escape her nightmares.
Bea and Jess are not the only intriguing characters. The other main characters of The Irregulars are Billy, Spike, and Leopold. Billy is a rather impulsive young man who is often getting into fights. Bea and Jess met him at the workhouse where they used to live and work. Spike, on the other hand, is the glue that holds the group together. He has a good sense of humor and is very friendly. Finally, there's Leopold, the newest addition to the group. He is often the brains of the operation, but he is hiding something from his new friends.
Leopold initially claims to be of a similar social class to the rest of the group. Yet he is actually a prince who finds palace life boring. During the first episode, Leopold takes a rare excursion out of the palace with his footman Daimler, who gets into a fight with Bea and Jess after Jess walks in front of their carriage. The moment Leopold sees Bea defending her sister, he falls in love. The next day, he sneaks out of the palace and introduces himself as Leo to Bea and her friends. Although he is not as tough as the rest of the characters, he is still an asset to the group due to his intelligence. This rather unconventional group of friends is hired by John Watson to help him find who is behind the kidnapping of four newborn babies.
They manage to track down the sister of one of the babies, Susan Shipley, who is unfortunately destroyed by birds before the friends can finish talking to her. The group then heads to a house where another baby might be taken and witnesses a bird carrying the baby off. This leads them to a man named Arthur Hilton, an ornithologist who can control birds. The first episode ends with the Irregulars wrapping up the case, and Arthur is sent to a mental institution. Fans of Supernatural would love this story for its supernatural elements and its mystery. Just as Sam and Dean hunt demons, the Irregulars hunt monsters who are only too human. And there might be something to love for Sherlock fans as well, and for the fans of fan-favorite relationships Destiel and Johnlock.
Of course, The Irregulars won't be for everyone. What show is? Yet with intriguing characters, a solid plot, and a supernatural take on the classic Sherlock Holmes story, it's worth a try. The show has only 8 episodes, so it would be a quick binge-watch. And fans of The Witcher might spot a familiar face in the cast. So why not give The Irregulars a chance? The show might end up being surprisingly good.