Jesse Stone Movies in Order

October 1, 2022 - The Web is a bit mixed up about this

I'm a Robert B. Parker (1932-2010) fan. I didn't really read him until I saw the Robert Urich (1946-2002) Spenser series on TV, but then I read everything. Except for the nine Jesse Stone novels, and I'm in the process of correcting that.

But I have watched all nine of the Jesse Stone TV movies. Several times, in fact. I like to binge watch them, in order, every couple of years. Although the movies usually stand on their own, it's much better to watch them in order, from first to last. 

The problem is that it is difficult to determine the proper order by looking it up on the Web. There are contradictions in various versions of the list, and even IMDB gets it wrong. Part of the confusion stems from the published release date, which is usually taken as gospel with respect to order.

Here is the list in the proper watching order. I haven't bothered to include the release date because that only confuses things. Why can you trust my list? Just a few minutes ago I finished my recent binge, and I took notes. I paid attention only to the story line.

  1. Night Passage
  2. Stone Cold
  3. Death in Paradise
  4. Sea Change
  5. Thin Ice
  6. No Remorse
  7. Innocents Lost
  8. Benefit of the Doubt
  9. Lost in Paradise

If searching for these at IMDB, preface each title with "Jesse Stone: " or you might not get the result you expect.

Lost in Paradise was released in 2015. According to IMDB, another movie is in development, with no stated plot and no projected release date.

All these movies are excellent. The ratings at IMDB range from 7.0 to 7.2, but I think that's low. Perhaps my favorite aspect of these productions is the excellent casting, including Tom Selleck (excellent), William Devane (spectacular), Kathy Baker, Viola Davis, Stephen McHattie, William Sadler (excellent), Kohl Sudduth, Saul Rubinek, Gillian Anderson (the voice of Jenn), John Beale, Jeremy Ackerman, Gloria Reuben, Joe (Irish Setter "Reggie"), and Ned (Irish Setter "Steve"). Even the casting of actors for just one stint includes high-quality pros.

So enjoy, but enjoy in order!

Tags: Entertainment, Jesse Stone, Movies, Robert B. Parker, Spenser, Tom Selleck, TV