'Great Expectations' Might Be TV's Next Great Dark Hit: REVIEW

"Great Expectations" appears destined to be a hit.

The Hulu/FX limited series is based on the classic novel from Charles Dickens, which I have never read, and follows a young orphan named Pip.

For seemingly no particularly clear cut reason, Pip is handpicked by a wealthy female benefactor named Miss Havisham to become a gentleman.

The preview for the highly-anticipated series painted a very dark and sinister picture of what was coming.

After crushing an early chunk of the series Wednesday night, there's no doubt at all "Great Expectations" is going to be a very dark and VERY fun ride.

Does "Great Expectations" live up to the hype?

Cutting a great trailer or a few solid short previews is one thing. That happens all the time and isn't particularly hard.

Plenty of shows have released awesome previews and then fallen flat. Viewers always have to be a bit wary when it comes to buying in off just a trailer.

Well, I'm happy to report "Great Expectations" is every bit as intriguing as we all thought it would be. Let's remember, FX is the network that gave viewers "Justified" and "Sons of Anarchy." The network knows how to do dark content, and the series is about as sinister as it gets.

When viewers meet Pip, he's a little orphan living with his older sister and her blacksmith husband. He clearly knows this life isn't for him and is preparing to make a run for it.

That's when he runs into a pair of escaped prisoners - choosing to help one who claims to be Christian.

Shortly after, he's snatched up and sent away to the city for regular visits in return for money to his family.

That's where viewers meet Miss Havisham. To call her character unsettling would be one hell of an understatement.

Olivia Colman will make your skin crawl whenever she's on the screen, which isn't much in the premiere. She becomes much more prominent in the second episode. It's clear that she knows a lot more about the situation Pip has found himself in than she's letting on.

There's also a significant time jump relatively early on, which indicates Pip has been with Havisham for several years.

"Great Expectations" has tons of potential. (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWtggtFKUfI)

Dark content can easily work.

As someone who never read the book, I have no idea where "Great Expectations" is going. What I do know is dark content that's engaging is hard to beat.

Look no further than "True Detective" for proof of that fact. Simply being a dark series definitely doesn't turn fans away.

In fact, it can grab viewers and draw them in.

If the early chunk of the series is similar to whatever comes next, it's going to be a very fun show. Unsettling and uncomfortable times? Without a doubt, but definitely worth at least giving a shot.