How To Watch Jesse Stone Movies In Order (Release & Chronological)

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Summary The Jesse Stone movies, led by Tom Selleck, follow a former L.A. homicide detective solving crimes in a small Massachusetts town, with each installment offering familiar crime drama elements and satisfying conclusions.
While the recommended viewing order is release order, some viewers may prefer to watch the films in chronological order for a more linear storytelling experience, starting with Jesse Stone: Night Passage and ending with Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise.
Now that the Jesse Stone franchise consists of nine feature films, viewers who are new to the series might be wondering how to watch movies in both release and chronological order. While some detective series’ installments work as one-off or standalone viewing experiences, successfully watching the adaptations of Robert B. Parker’s novels benefits from a more intentional approach. With eight films from CBS (2005–12) and another movie from the Hallmark Channel (2015), the Jesse Stone series boasts a lot of characters and lore.
Magnum P.I. original series star Tom Selleck helms all nine films in the franchise. In Stone Cold, the first Jesse Stone movie, Selleck’s titular character is a former Los Angeles homicide detective who relocates to small-town Massachusetts after being fired from the force for his habitual use of alcohol. Full of genre tropes, the made-for-TV crime dramas offer up familiar plot beats and satisfying conclusions, both of which speak to its success as a long-running, dependable franchise.
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How To Watch Jesse Stone Movies In Release Order
Set in the fictional Paradise, Massachusetts, the Jesse Stone movies follow the titular big-city transplant as he solves small-town murders. Even so, the stakes are anything but slight. While Stone Cold sees Jesse piecing together a string of serial murders, other installments force the police chief to confront Boston mobsters, arrogant fellow officers, and cold cases that could mar the town’s reputation. One of the best ways to watch the Jesse Stone movies is as CBS (and, later, Hallmark) intended.
For fans looking to follow Jesse Stone’s journey, a release-order viewing is as follows:
Stone Cold (February 20, 2005)
Jesse Stone: Night Passage (January 15, 2006)
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (April 30, 2006)
Jesse Stone: Sea Change (May 22, 2007)
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (March 1, 2009)
Jesse Stone: No Remorse (May 9, 2010)
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (May 22, 2011)
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (May 20, 2012)
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise (October 18, 2015)
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How To Watch Jesse Stone Movies In Chronological Order
Of course, release order is just one way to watch the Jesse Stone films. Some viewers prefer to watch the Jesse Stone movies in chronological order to avoid jumping around in time too much. For example, the 2005 film Stone Cold sets up Jesse Stone’s story as a New England-based police chief, but it isn’t necessarily the one viewers need to watch first. Despite being broadcast first by CBS, Stone Cold takes place after 2006’s Jesse Stone: Night Passage.
For fans looking to follow a more accurate timeline of Jesse Stone’s story, a chronological viewing order is as follows:
Jesse Stone: Night Passage
Stone Cold
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
Should You Watch Jesse Stone: Night Passage Before Stone Cold?
Parker’s Night Passage is also the first novel in the Jesse Stone series – both in terms of release and chronology. Given that Jesse is an archetypal character who’s reminiscent of hard-boiled noir detectives, his backstory isn’t all that sprawling. While working as an LAPD homicide detective, he’s caught drinking on the job. While Stone Cold provides context, Night Passage starts with Jesse’s post-firing departure. A methodical, well-directed prequel, Night Passage is grounded by Selleck’s compelling performance, making it the stronger film 0 and, at times, a better way to kick off a Jesse Stone movie series viewing.