The Sinner Renewed for Season 4

The Sinner is keeping its mystery going. On Monday, USA announced (via The Hollywood Reporter) that it will be renewing the quasi-anthology drama series for an upcoming fourth season. Bill Pullman is set to reprise his role as Detective Harry Ambrose, who has been at the center of investigating each of the cases from the previous three seasons. Also set to return are showrunner Derek Simonds, as well as executive producers Jessica Biel, Michelle Purple, and Charlie Gogolak.

To those who have been keeping a close eye on the USA Network, this is a little surprising, as the channel recently canceled several of its scripted series. In recent months, Dare Me, Treadstone, and The Purge have all been given the axe, but it sounds like The Sinner will still be going strong.

"The Sinner has struck a chord with audiences with its signature 'whydunit'' style," Chris McCumber, president of USA Network and SYFY, said in a statement. "In season four, we're excited to dig even deeper into the psyche of Bill Pullman's beloved Detective Ambrose character, while introducing our audience to a compelling, completely new mystery."

Season 1 of The Sinner revolved around Cora Tannetti (Biel), a mother who stabbed a man in broad daylight, but did not remember committing the crime. Season 2 followed the case of Julian Walker (Elisha Henig), a young boy who poisoned his parents. Season 3, which wrapped up this past March, followed Jamie Burns (Matt Bomer), who needed Ambrose's help after a mysterious accident.

"It's really the whole point of the season for me as a writer, looking at platonic, non-erotic relationships between men that have this real intimate intensity to them," Simonds said in an interview with GoldDerby earlier this year. "We either have a bro culture posturing or it's immediately gay and threatening and feminized. There are these two poles and we don't really see the opportunity for closeness and tenderness between two guys. I do hope it starts conversations about toxic masculinity and how our views about masculinity are keeping these kinds of intimate connections between men from being possible."

"With the iconography of the detective from the film noir days," Simonds added. "The detective is always this hyper-masculine, tough guy who doesn't really express his emotions and he's brooding. It's having his superpower be not this crazy intellect and Sherlock Holmes style talent but rather his empathy, his emotional empathy with the criminals that he encounters."

In addition to The Sinner, USA Network's scripted series include Queen of the South, Briarpatch, and the currently-airing Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story. It also has ordered a limited series about Evel Knievel, which is set to star Milo Ventimiglia.

What do you think of The Sinner getting a fourth season? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!