Jon Bernthal’s Detective Series Is Officially Streaming on YouTube for Free

Is Jon Bernthal’s television run better than his movie career? In 2026, the actor has had one of his best years on the big screen. He has starred in two of the year’s highest-grossing blockbusters: The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. However, Bernthal’s TV resume (so far) looks much better, featuring shows like The Walking Dead, The Punisher, CSI: Miami, How I Met Your Mother, His & Hers, and Law & Order: SVU. He also starred in Mob City, an excellent show that rarely pops up in conversations.

Created by Frank Darabont for TNT, Mob City has an 81% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for several awards, including a Satellite Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film. The crime thriller series is based on John Buntin’s book L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City. Since it has six episodes, it’s easy to consume in one sitting. You can currently watch it for free on YouTube.

‘Mob City’ is Like an Offspring of ‘Bugsy’ and ‘The Untouchables’

Mob City revisits the tense conflict between members of the Los Angeles Police Department and brash, cigar-chomping mobsters led by Bugsy Siegel and Mickey Cohen. Although most of the events take place in 1947, there are brief flashbacks to the 1920s that provide background information. During this period, half of the LAPD was reportedly run by mob factions. The system also had several loopholes that the criminals frequently exploited. Jon Bernthal played LAPD Detective Joe Teague, a former US Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant and Guadalcanal Campaign war hero.

While watching the show, you’ll be reminded of the critically-acclaimed gangster movies Bugsy and The Untouchables. Edward Burns portrayed Bugsy Siegel as perfectly as Warren Beatty’s portrayal in the 1990s Oscar-nominated movie. This hot-tempered, business-savvy, and mischievous playboy has several love interests. And as was the case on the big screen, L.A.’s noir period is brilliantly recreated here, with flashy cars all over the streets and gorgeous movie stars roaming around. Bernthal’s Detective Joe Teague has a relentlessness similar to that of Kevin Costner’s Elliot Ness in the ‘80s film about the hunt for Al Capone.

Mob City reminds us that this was never a world for those who love peace. Characters had to be tough to survive the odds. They had to be the hedonistic and greedy kind, with a fondness for cash and intimacy. They had to be willing to partake in any rendezvous, even if it was a steamy love affair with a taken vixen. The camerawork is great, too. In old noirs of this kind, filmmakers generally focused on a vulnerable character, and, sure enough, something bad would happen. Here, one shot easily flows into another, with destruction all caught on the fly, to maintain the air of volatility.

You’ll find yourself charmed by Joe’s wholesome air, but you’ll also be frustrated by his occasional naivete. However, bravery is one thing he has going for him. As the carefree character moves through the city, the show’s mood becomes darker, shifting from glitz and melodrama to bleak noir (a transition that is clearly a Darabont hallmark).

‘Mob City’ Is ‘The Walking Dead’ Reanimated… Kinda

Shane and Rick walking in the forest in The Walking Dead, Shane bloody and Rick looking at him from behind.

Most mobsters and law enforcement officers in Mob City could be described as “the walking dead.” They are about to get whacked… they just don’t know it yet. Interestingly, the series was actually born from AMC’s hit zombie TV series, The Walking Dead.

No, it’s not a secret spin-off. Here’s what happened. In July 2011, Frank Darabont was abruptly fired as The Walking Dead showrunner midway through filming Season 2 (via Variety). That decision followed Darabont’s clash with AMC over budget disputes and on-set behavior. The firing created major tension between the network and several cast members. Jeffrey DeMunn, Darabont’s longtime friend and collaborator, requested to be released from his contract. Jon Bernthal also maintained full loyalty to the controversial showrunner.

After exiting the show, Darabont developed Mob City for TNT and recruited several actors that he had worked with on The Walking Dead. They included Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey DeMunn, Andrew Rothenberg, and Daniel Roebuck. Darabont took several members of the crew with him, including production designer Gregory Melton, writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, executive producer Denise Huth, and costume designer Giovanna Melton.

Darabont and his talent agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), sued AMC for withheld profits and wrongful termination. The Mob City creator ended up the winner, with his former employer agreeing to pay him and CAA a total of $200 million (per Forbes). Now that’s an amount Bugsy Siegel would be jealous of.