Enjoyed The Marked Heart? Here Are 8 Shows You Will Also Like

‘The Marked Heart,’ AKA ‘Pálpito,’ is a Colombian crime thriller series on Netflix created by Leonardo Padrón. It revolves around Simón, whose world turns upside down when his wife Valeria is killed so that her heart can be used to save a powerful millionaire’s wife, Camila. Zacarías is prepared to do everything to protect Camila’s life, which leads to the murder. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, Simón sets out to find the people responsible for his loss. Things get all the more complicated when sparks fly between Simón and Camila. However, their lives will never be the same once they learn the truth about each other.

The dramatic narrative with unexpected plot twists keeps viewers on their toes. If you enjoyed the Columbian show’s take on the organ trafficking and revenge genre, as well as its focus on character-based storytelling, you must be looking for more such shows to binge on. In that case, we have compiled a list of similar recommendations you will enjoy.

8. Lupin (2021- )

‘Lupin’ is a French mystery thriller series that centers on Assane Diop, a skilled burglar who is the sole child of a Senegalese immigrant who came to France in search of a better life for his kid. His father hangs himself in his jail cell out of humiliation after being falsely accused by his boss, the wealthy and powerful Hubert Pellegrini, of stealing a pricey diamond necklace, leaving the adolescent Assane an orphan. Twenty-five years later, the young man is motivated by a book his father had given him on his birthday about the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin.

Assane decides to exact revenge on the Pellegrini family by utilizing his charm and expertise in theft, deception, and disguise to bring Hubert’s crimes to light. Though the storylines of the two series are a bit different, the central theme of both series is based on exacting revenge from a wealthy family wherein we find similarities between Simón and Assane, who set out to uncover the truth behind the demise of their loved ones.

7. Who Killed Sara (2021- )

‘Who Killed Sara’ is a classic murder mystery show with a stylish flair injected into it. The Mexican series follows Alex on his quest for revenge from the powerful Lazcano family for his sister’s death. Not just that, after being wrongly framed for her murder and tricked by the Lazcanos, he has spent the last 18 years in prison.

Hell-bent on getting even, Alex launches an attack on the Lazcanos only to realize that his suspicion was wrong and that he does not know which family member is responsible for his sister’s death. He wants revenge for his sister’s murder, like Simón, who wishes to find his wife’s murderer and seek justice from the wealthy family who took his wife’s heart.

6. My Name (2021- )

‘My Name’ is a South Korean crime thriller series starring Han So-hee, Park Hee-soon, and Ahn Bo-hyun, directed by Kim Jin-min. After seeing her father killed, Yoon Ji-woo seeks out the name of the murderer and embarks on a dark road of revenge and retribution. She is well aware that the killer is connected to her father’s work with Dongcheon, the most significant drug trafficking organization in South Korea.

Ji-woo discovers the shocking truth of her father’s passing as she transforms into a murderer herself, blinded by vengeance. Apart from both the series sharing themes of murder and revenge surrounding an evil organization, the discovery of truth that goes beyond what the protagonists expected makes ‘My Name’ a perfect show to binge if you are craving some good old murder-revenge plot.

5. Revenge (2011-2015)

In the drama series ‘Revenge,’ a young woman named Emily Thorne relocates to the Hamptons and buys a beach house next to the Grayson family’s property. She is actually Amanda Clarke, whose father was murdered by them after being falsely accused of treason when she was a little child. As an adult, she goes back to the Hamptons to get revenge on people who wronged her and her father.

Victoria Grayson, the family matriarch and the person who both loved and betrayed Amanda’s father, is her main target. The show’s narrative revolves around the protagonist’s plan to eliminate everyone who played a role in her father’s imprisonment and death. The premise of both the shows and the motives of the protagonists, Amanda and Simón, are the same- to seek revenge on a wealthy family responsible for the death of their loved ones.

4. Harvested Alive: 10 Years of Investigation (2017)

This documentary series follows Zhiyuan Wang, a doctor who spent ten years investigating how Chinese physicians kill innocents. His sources include Chinese medical professionals, judges, lawmakers, military leaders, top government officials, news outlets, and hospital websites.

Wang’s study shows an unbelievable truth: under the direction of the previous Chinese president Jiang Zemin, China’s hospitals, judges, and military collaborated to ruthlessly kill many Falun Gong practitioners by harvesting their organs. Though the genres of both shows are pretty different, the premise of organ trafficking and the reality of it is explored in the series, where the protagonists work towards uncovering the truth.

3. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985-1989): Episode A Stolen Heart (1988)

Between 1955 to 1965, Alfred Hitchcock hosted, produced, and developed the mystery-thriller television anthology series ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents,’ which aired on CBS and NBC. Great tales from The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1965) have been modernized with colorized versions of the original introductory segments.

‘A Stolen Heart’ of the anthology series follows an elderly, wealthy guy needing a heart transplant. He spends $2 million to be first in line. Dr. Burke, the lead doctor, is indignant and insists that another patient, a dying girl (or a dead woman), receive priority treatment. In the meantime, the donor’s heart is kidnapped and held for ransom. There are quite a few similarities between the two shows, a stolen heart, a dying girl, and a mystery.

2. LA Heat (1996-1999): Episode 211 Kidney (1999)

‘LA Heat’ follows Chase McDonald and August Brooks, two Los Angeles robbery/homicide detectives who attempt to solve crimes across Los Angeles. Although the detectives are as different in their working methods, they work well together to maintain the safety of L.A.’s streets. In the ‘211 Kidney’ episode, the detectives and their colleague Maria go undercover as a prostitute to uncover a violent illicit organ dealer who pays prostitutes to bring him his victims.

The detectives work together to bust the whole scheme of illegal organ trafficking. Though ‘LA Heat’ and ‘The Marked Heart’ have similarities based on busting illegal organ trafficking, ‘LA Heat’ is an excellent binge-worthy murder-mystery-thriller series with classic twists and turns.

1. Rugal (2020)

‘Rugal’ is a South Korean action series that follows Kang Gi-beom, an elite police officer who is trying to take down Argos, one of the most prominent criminal organizations in South Korea. Kang’s wife is murdered by killers hired by Argos as punishment for his efforts, and Kang is blinded and falsely accused of the crime. Later, the NIS enlists Kang to join the ‘Rugal’ task team, whose members possess nanotechnology that grants them superhuman skills.

Kang embarks on a mission to clear his reputation and bring those accountable for the death of his wife to justice after acquiring two artificial eyes to improve and restore his sight. Like Simón, Kang is set on a mission to overthrow and expose an elitist organization involved in illegal activities. Both protagonists lose their significant other, for whom they must go to extreme lengths to overthrow the organizations.