Good Behavior is an American drama-thriller television series created by Chad Hodge and Blake Crouch, based on Crouch’s novella series of the same name. Airing on TNT from 2016 to 2017, the show stars Michelle Dockery in a stunning transformation from her Downton Abbey persona, alongside Juan Diego Botto. Together, they lead a dark, emotionally charged story of crime, love, and redemption.

The series follows Letty Raines (Michelle Dockery), a thief, con artist, and recovering addict trying to rebuild her life after being released from prison. She’s intelligent, manipulative, and self-destructive — a woman who knows exactly how to deceive others but not how to save herself. Letty wants to regain custody of her young son, Jacob, and prove that she can be a stable mother, but her criminal instincts and chaotic impulses constantly pull her back into danger.

Her life changes when she accidentally overhears a hitman, Javier Pereira (Juan Diego Botto), being hired to kill a man’s wife. Trying to stop the murder, Letty becomes entangled with Javier — and what begins as a dangerous alliance quickly transforms into an intense, unconventional love story. Their chemistry is electric yet haunted; both are broken souls who find in each other a reflection of what they fear most: vulnerability.

As they travel across the country, pulling off scams, hiding from the law, and trying to stay one step ahead of their pasts, Good Behavior evolves into a thrilling blend of crime drama and emotional intimacy. Each episode balances tension with tenderness, showing how two people on opposite sides of morality can form a fragile, redemptive bond.

Michelle Dockery’s performance is fearless — raw, sensual, and layered with pain and wit. Juan Diego Botto brings quiet magnetism to Javier, portraying a killer burdened by conscience and loneliness. Together, they create one of television’s most complex and unconventional romantic pairings.

Visually, the series captures the contradictions of Letty’s world — seedy motels and neon lights contrasted with moments of serenity and hope. The cinematography mirrors her unstable psyche: at times gritty and chaotic, at times dreamlike and reflective. The writing, meanwhile, shifts effortlessly between suspense, dark humor, and heartbreaking honesty.

Thematically, Good Behavior explores addiction, guilt, love, and the longing for redemption. It asks whether people who have done terrible things can ever truly change — and whether love itself can be a form of salvation or just another addiction. Letty’s constant struggle between her worst impulses and her best intentions gives the series its emotional heartbeat.

Although it ran for only two seasons, Good Behavior earned critical acclaim for its originality, emotional depth, and strong performances. It ended on an open but poignant note, with Letty still fighting for her son and for the version of herself she might yet become.