As Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 nears its halfway point, the animated series peels back the curtain on D’Vana Tendi’s backstory among the Orion Syndicate in a sudden trip back home. The season’s fourth episode, titled “Something Borrowed, Something Green,” mostly takes place off the USS Cerritos as it gives Tendi a well-deserved spotlight…
After spending more than three years in development and receiving an order for three seasons before even a single episode aired, Dan Harmon’s Fox animated series Krapopolis has built up such a level of anticipation that anything less than a masterpiece would probably qualify as a disappointment. With that in mind, Krapopolis isn’t a masterpiece…
The following contains spoilers for Ahsoka Episode 5, “Part Five: Shadow Warrior,” streaming now on Disney+ Dave Filoni clearly dreamed of making this Ahsoka episode for some time. “Part Five: Shadow Warrior” makes full use of Hayden Christensen’s return as Anakin Skywalker and delivers a tsunami of Star Wars: The Clone Wars fan service by…
The award-winning 2017 horror novel The Changeling by Victor LaValle has been adapted into a television series of the same name by Apple TV+. Created by Kelly Marcel, directed by Melina Matsoukas, and with LaValle executive producing, the series leans into unsettling its audience rather than relying on cheap scares to instill a sense of…
One of the biggest boons the new wave of Star Trek programming on Paramount+ has received is the return of Patrick Stewart to reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard. The show reached its conclusion with its third season earlier this year under new showrunner Terry Matalas, receiving universal acclaim for paying…
As the second part of its two-episode Season 4 premiere, Star Trek: Lower Decks continues to lean hard into the reservoir of comical potential in the Star Trek franchise. Ominously titled “I Have No Bones, Yet I Must Scream,” the season’s sophomore episode retains the premise of the preceding episode but from a more horror-fueled…
Over a month after Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 hosted a well-received crossover episode with the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, Lower Decks Season 4 kicks things off with the two-episode season premiere. The first of these episodes is “Twovix.” As its typically cheeky title suggests, it is a lengthy riff on…
The following contains spoilers for Ahsoka Episode 4, “Part Four: Fallen Jedi,” streaming now on Disney+. Even in Ahsoka, Ahsoka Tano can’t outrun Anakin Skywalker’s shadow. It is, in many ways, as Baylan Skoll puts it before his and Ahsoka’s “Part Four: Fallen Jedi” lightsaber duel, “inevitable.” Ahsoka was introduced in Star Wars: The Clone…
There was a time when people couldn’t go into a Hot Topic or on Facebook without seeing an “If Daryl Dies, We Riot” meme. The Walking Dead has taken this meme to a whole other level by giving Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) his own spinoff and taking the Disney+ approach by outright naming the series…
The beloved manga series created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece, has been adapted into an ambitious live-action television series by Netflix, bringing the swashbuckling saga to a new medium for audiences around the world. Just as wonderfully wacky as the popular anime series can be, the live-action One Piece is more grounded than its manga…
Ever since Apple TV+ revived Charles M. Schulz’s beloved Peanuts franchise in 2019, they have captured the spirit and look of the classic comic strip and animated specials. That enduring tradition continues with Apple TV+’s latest original special, Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie, putting a well-deserved spotlight on the usual supporting character Marcie. Directed by veteran…
The most terrifying antagonist reintroduced in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 was the Gorn, the reptilian race that menaced Captain Kirk in a memorable episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. After being hinted at in the Strange New Worlds Season 2 premiere, the Gorn are back with a vengeance in the Season…
Cartoonist Nathan W. Pyle‘s beloved alien webcomic series about extraterrestrials commenting on the eccentricities of daily human life has been adapted into an animated series on Apple TV+. Titled Strange Planet, the new show pairs Pyle with veteran television and animation writer/producer Dan Harmon to bring Pyle’s work into a fresh medium while retaining much…
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds nears the end of its second season with its biggest and most ambitious creative swing yet by making the season’s penultimate episode a full-blown musical. Titled “Subspace Rhapsody,” the episode stands as one of the longest in the entire series to date, giving it room to breathe and including eight…
Four years after Prime Video’s acclaimed adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s fantasy comedy Good Omens, much of the cast and crew return to continue the story for a second season. Reuniting Michael Sheen and David Tennant as the angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, respectively, Good Omens Season 2 heightens the Heaven and Hell…
While keeping sight of important stakes, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 has been much lighter in tone than its preceding season, leaning into outright comedy on more than one occasion. This changes with the season’s eighth episode, titled “Under the Cloak of War,” a reminder of how intense and raw Strange New Worlds…
The Witcher Season 3, Part 2 saves the worst for last with three episodes that deliver a fair bit in the way of big battles but very little in the way of emotional beats, proving that Netflix’s staggered release strategy isn’t really sustainable. Or, at least, that it isn’t sustainable for shows that aren’t planned…
Right from its title, Hulu comedy-mystery series Only Murders in the Building puts some clear limits on its storytelling, and the third season shows a bit of strain as people keep getting murdered within the confines of upscale New York City apartment building the Arconia. Still, Only Murders in the Building weaves another intriguing mystery…
Right from its title, Hulu comedy-mystery series Only Murders in the Building puts some clear limits on its storytelling, and the third season shows a bit of strain as people keep getting murdered within the confines of upscale New York City apartment building the Arconia. Still, Only Murders in the Building weaves another intriguing mystery…
Right from its title, Hulu comedy-mystery series Only Murders in the Building puts some clear limits on its storytelling, and the third season shows a bit of strain as people keep getting murdered within the confines of upscale New York City apartment building the Arconia. Still, Only Murders in the Building weaves another intriguing mystery…
It’s been roughly 24 years since the first episode of Futurama hit FOX, introducing audiences to Philip J. Fry, Turanga Leela, Professor Farnsworth, Amy Wong, Hermes Conrad, Dr. Zoidberg, and, of course, Bender Bending Rodríguez. For four sci-fi slapstick-filled seasons, Futurama steadily offered some of the best parodies, character development, and pure comfort viewing. Moving…
On paper, Twisted Metal, the long-running PlayStation franchise that started in 1995, would lend itself well to a televised adaptation. Each entry more or less adheres to a basic premise: Calypso, a seemingly omnipotent villain, runs a vehicle-based battle royale in which disparate characters vie for the title of sole survivor. Their reward? Calypso will…
On paper, Twisted Metal, the long-running PlayStation franchise that started in 1995, would lend itself well to a televised adaptation. Each entry more or less adheres to a basic premise: Calypso, a seemingly omnipotent villain, runs a vehicle-based battle royale in which disparate characters vie for the title of sole survivor. Their reward? Calypso will…
On paper, Twisted Metal, the long-running PlayStation franchise that started in 1995, would lend itself well to a televised adaptation. Each entry more or less adheres to a basic premise: Calypso, a seemingly omnipotent villain, runs a vehicle-based battle royale in which disparate characters vie for the title of sole survivor. Their reward? Calypso will…
After a scattershot run of highs and lows over the past few weeks, Marvel Studio’s Secret Invasion has reached its finale, and the result is perhaps the most disappointing episode of the series. The ending doesn’t feel satisfying or conclusive. Instead of a culmination, Secret Invasion‘s finale feels like a final whimper, sinking to new…
After a scattershot run of highs and lows over the past few weeks, Marvel Studio’s Secret Invasion has reached its finale, and the result is perhaps the most disappointing episode of the series. The ending doesn’t feel satisfying or conclusive. Instead of a culmination, Secret Invasion‘s finale feels like a final whimper, sinking to new…
After a scattershot run of highs and lows over the past few weeks, Marvel Studio’s Secret Invasion has reached its finale, and the result is perhaps the most disappointing episode of the series. The ending doesn’t feel satisfying or conclusive. Instead of a culmination, Secret Invasion‘s finale feels like a final whimper, sinking to new…
One of the biggest surprises to come out of San Diego Comic-Con 2022 is that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and its animated sister series Star Trek: Lower Decks would receive a crossover episode during Strange New WorldsSeason 2. Paramount+ followed up on this announcement at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, with the early debut…
The Dragon Prince has proven to be a strong epic for all audiences, willing to blend heavier topics with a light, family-friendly tone. While the first few seasons took time to find their footing, the show has really hit its stride. At its best, it can blend the two tones while providing a strong central…
The idea of a vulgar, adult-oriented Harley Quinn animated series initially seemed like a limited premise, but over the course of three seasons, the show has proved that it has far more to offer than shock value. Harley Quinn‘s fourth season continues to deliver rewarding character development, clever world-building, and an appealing cast of offbeat…
While past episodes in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 have veered into outright comedy and gripping legal drama, its latest episode, titled “Lost in Translation,” takes on noticeable horror tones. Joining the proceedings is recurring cast member Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk though it’s Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) who takes center…
The biggest and most sweeping original series current in Apple TV+‘s growing library of television and film is Foundation. Adapting the enormously influential science fiction novel series of the same name by author Isaac Asimov, Foundation returns for its second season with even more accessibility than its inaugural outing. With the initial world-building and introduction…
After nearly two years since its first season finale, the acclaimed pro-wrestling drama series Heels is back with its second season, heightening the stakes in and out of the ring. As delightfully messy with the interpersonal dynamics of its main characters as ever, Heels escalates the various rivalries and deteriorating relationships that make up the…
Spock gets a visit from his future in-laws at the worst possible time in the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Titled “Charades,” the episode leans into the comedic possibilities of the character and gives series regular Ethan Peck a chance to mix things up in his portrayal of the iconic…
Spock gets a visit from his future in-laws at the worst possible time in the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Titled “Charades,” the episode leans into the comedic possibilities of the character and gives series regular Ethan Peck a chance to mix things up in his portrayal of the iconic…
Spock gets a visit from his future in-laws at the worst possible time in the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2. Titled “Charades,” the episode leans into the comedic possibilities of the character and gives series regular Ethan Peck a chance to mix things up in his portrayal of the iconic…
With its fourth episode, “Beloved,” Marvel’s Secret Invasion finds its most firm footing yet, with a narrative that feels purposeful and motivated. However, the precarious structure it has built in prior episodes isn’t sturdy enough to support the weight of Secret Invasion’s ambition. Strangely enough, this is far from the first time a Marvel Studios…
It’s reductive to say that Prime Video’s The Horror of Dolores Roach, starring Justina Machado, is a modern update of Sweeney Todd. Dolores Roach is that, sure, but it’s much more, interpolating sharp commentary on gentrification, incarceration, and the sense that home is a fleeting thing subject to the whims of moneyed individuals who don’t…
The early days of the Man of Tomorrow are gorgeously reimagined in the new animated series My Adventures with Superman, launching this July on Adult Swim and Max. Vibrantly realized in an anime-inspired animation style and boasting a lively voice cast, the new series is a great introduction of Superman to new audiences and a…
One of the few planets Captain Christopher Pike visits in Star Trek: The Original Series is Rigel VII, the site of a disastrous mission that left him traumatized. Pike and the Enterprise crew return to Rigel VII in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, with a new twist that strips them to their basest…
Max’s crime-thriller limited series Full Circle features so many characters with such complicated relationships that it takes a few episodes to get a handle on who they are and how they connect. Even after viewers get their bearings, writer Ed Solomon and director Steven Soderbergh continue throwing in new twists and revealing new bits of…
With its third episode, “Betrayed,” Marvel’s Secret Invasion benefits from finally finding some semblance of narrative cohesion and momentum in its primary storyline, but the show as a whole continues to feel unfocused and disparately crafted. After two episodes of Secret Invasion throwing unmotivated action at the wall to see what sticks, the series has…
Paul Wesley took on the role of Star Trek icon James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, or rather an alternate timeline version of the character in the Strange New Worlds Season 1 finale. Wesley reprises his role as Kirk in Strange New Worlds Season 2 as yet another alternate version…
Season 3 of Netflix’s The Witcher is finally here, bringing with it actor Henry Cavill’s final performance as Geralt of Rivia before he is replaced by Liam Hemsworth. Before the show’s premiere, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich assured audiences that this season will provide Cavill with a heroic sendoff and please fans of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels…
After months of speculation about the future of the series, closes out its third, and thankfully not final season, with a major showdown and its main ensemble each at personal crossroads. With scenes that not only pay off longstanding character arcs but building to a massive cliffhanger to close out the season, the Season 3…
With its second episode, Marvel’s Secret Invasion solidifies its identity as a part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe and as a series unto itself, for better or worse. While there are certainly some bright spots in this episode, it sees Secret Invasion‘s creative team doubling down on some of the biggest problems with the…
After a rousing reunion for its Season 2 premiere, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds moves to resolve its shocking cliffhanger from the Season 1 finale in this season’s second episode. Titled “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” the sophomore episode gives Rebecca Romijn her grandest showcase as Una Chin-Riley yet as the Enterprise’s Number One faces a…
It’s been a few years since poor Kong got sucker punched by Godzilla. However, fans can go straight back into the MonsterVerse thanks to Netflix’s Skull Island animated series. It’s an eight-episode exploration of this mysterious lost world and the introduction of a new cast of characters. Surprisingly, while it does add something more to…
The seeds for ‘ upcoming fourth season are prominently planted in the third season’s penultimate episode, which also deals with the fallout from Bruno Mannheim’s defeat. Titled “Injustice,” the episode finally provides the long-awaited debut of the show’s version of Lex Luthor, played by Michael Cudlitz, who is poised to have a major role in…
The Walking Dead: Dead City‘s premiere episode, “Old Acquaintances,” starts with a binocular shot of New York City, the unmistakable Empire State Building being consumed by vegetation along with the surrounding buildings. It’s an almost serene vision of a silent, faraway place. But this is The Walking Dead‘s latest spinoff series, Dead City, and just…
