Finch (Apple TV+ film) — Tom Hanks and a robot and a dog find themselves in a post-apocalyptic world. That’s probably enough to sell you on this movie, right? Prepare yourself, too, to have this Amblin Entertainment project kick you right in the feels because this trio is an unlikely family who’s discovering what it really (according to the synopsis) “means to be alive.” Surrender because you basically have no choice.
Narcos: Mexico: Season 3 (Netflix series) — Drug lord extraordinaire Félix Gallardo warned Agent Walt Breslin that he’d freed a circus of animals within the drug war, and he wasn’t joking. The cartels are poppin’ while the show does a hell of a wrap-up job on the dramatization of a real-life saga (and the Pablo Escobar-centered beginnings of Narcos). Fortunately, the spirit of Pablo is still around, sort-of, given that actor Wagner Moura has returned to direct, and Breslin and the fledgling DEA sure have their work cut out for them with hydra heads springing up everywhere.
Dexter (Sunday, Showtime 9:00pm) — The most beloved serial killer of all time (sorry, Hannibal fans), is back with a brand new life. The old life, however, is coming for him, and he’s way out of his element and out of practice. The new season is a bloody good time for all and works hard to erase the sins of the lumberjack past. There’s a lot of outside forces at work, and it’s going to be a trip to see how Dexter can survive having to tend to something else beyond his inner war. That’s the real hurricane, and it’s a much more fitting storm this time around.
Big Mouth: Season 5 (Netflix series) — The hormone monsters are back for another round with an all-star voice cast that includes Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, Jason Mantzoukas, Maya Rudolph, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Rannells, Jordan Peele, and Richard Kind. Oh, and Kumail Nanjiani will be starring as himself, somehow, while shirtless. Settle in as hate spirals and a hate worm and all kinds of other amorphous creatures take over eighth grade. Man, middle school was the worst, right?
Here’s some regularly scheduled programming:
SNL (Saturday, NBC 10:29pm) — Host Kieran Culkin and musical guest Ed Sheeran, who’s apparently been cleared from COVID quarantine.
Succession (Sunday, HBO 9:00pm) — Following all of that FBI business, there’s a lot to map up and a major investor who’s seriously worried. As such, Logan and Kendall must find some semblance of a meeting of the minds.
Fear The Walking Dead (Sunday, CBS 9:00pm) — Sarah’s looking for Wendell, which runs counter to everyone else’s advice, so of course, she ends up in a dangerous situation with a mystery surivivor.
Yellowstone (Paramount Netflix & Pop TV 9:00pm) — Taylor Sheridan’s incredibly successful, Kevin Costner-starring rancher drama heads into Season 4 with two new episodes. The action picks up with the continued coordinated attack upon the Duttons while no one knows who should be on the hook, all while Rip’s making good on a promise, and the franchise looks toward a prequel spinoff with 6666 as the working title.
Insecure (Sunday, HBO 10:00pm) — An ex-boyfriend to Issa is navigating through a dilemma while also sorting out responsibilities and dealing with an influential female presence.
The Walking Dead: The World Beyond (Sunday, AMC 10:00pm) — A surprising message greets the group as they are seeking answers.
American Rust (Sunday, Showtime 10:00) — Jeff Daniels can swing between being comedic and dramatic, and here, he’s still a complicated cop working to save his blue-collar town from violent crime.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (Sunday, HBO 10:30pm) — Larry’s looking for help from Cheryl while hoping to save his brand-new creative venture, and things don’t look good.
Last Week Tonight (Sunday, HBO 11:00) — John Oliver, baby.
Here’s some more streaming goodness, including a ton of Halloween content.
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (Amazon Prime film) — Claire Foy stars alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, who (as usual) is a whole lot of Cumberbatch while portraying an eccentric artist who’s into creating psychedelic cat photos. The only thing missing in this equation would be psychedelic dog photos.
Arcane: Season 1 (Netflix series) — Anime fans will rejoice at this first batch of episodes that details the tenuous balance between two city-states, the ritzy Piltover and the gritty Zaun. There’s a conflict between hextech (which allows people to control magic) and the shimmer drug that creates monsters. There’s family rivalry and complicated relationships among the famous champions of League of Legends, along with powerful and suspenseful storytelling.
Dickinson: Season 3 (Apple TV+ series) — Hailee Stanfield’s playing the rebellious poet for a final batch of episodes (right as she makes picks up the arrow in Hawkeye, too) while the Civil War lurks on the horizon. This actually turns out to be the most prolific period of Emily Dickinson’s writing career, all while chaos swirls in a historical sense as well as a familial one. Can art make a real difference, not only for the future but for the present as well? It’s a question that this show still hopes to answer, all while making love-of-literature a badass affair.
Star Trek: Prodigy: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — This animated series sees the return of Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Janeway to this universe, sort of! She’ll appear in hologram form, and she’ll guide a ragtag group of alien youngsters who end up on the U.S.S. Protostar ship. Jason Mantzoukas voices one of those aliens, all of whom are outcasts and completely out of their league but ready for the Starfleet life, its ideals, and all of its inherent adventure.
Selena + Chef: Season 3 (HBO Max series) — Selena Gomez has come a long way since her Disney days, including a recent turn in the terrific Only Murders In The Building. Here, she’s totally herself and in an environment that she loves while not pretending at all to be a chef or do anything besides love to eat. It’s delightful stuff.
Swagger: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series) — Get ready, sports-drama fans. This show’s inspired by Kevin Durant’s pre-NBA experiences, and more specifically, it examines early ambition and dreams and the fine line between those two things, along with the comparable delineation between opportunism and corruption on the grown-up side. The cast includes Isaiah Hill, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, all of whom are bringing some truths on the experience of coming in age in America.
Love Life: Season 2 (HBO Max series) — Love Life ended up being the HBO Max original show to launch the service, and Season 2 is upon us with Anna Kendrick’s Darby passing the baton to a new unlucky-in-love protagonist, Marcus, who will be portrayed by William Jackson Harper. He did the whole sunk-cost investment thing, apparently, and now, he’s finding himself in the hell hole known as the dating world. Godspeed, Marcus.
Colin in Black & White (Netflix limited series) — Ava Duvernay and Colin Kaepernick both executive produce this coming-of-age story that also wades into the hefty issues that Kaepernick does not shy away from on and off the football field. Expect an exploration of race, class, and culture as Young Colin transforms into an NFL quarterback and an indisputable icon, all against the backdrop of cultural and historical touchstones.
Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi: Holiday Edition (Hulu series) — The Emmy-winning host returns for a new quartet of journeys in this four episodes that will celebrate indigenous traditions and immigrant-based holidays across America. Once again, Padma’s breaking bread while exploring stories that explore exactly what it means to be American. Journey with her to Los Angeles (for Korean New Year) and Miami (for Cuban Christmas), along with other feasts that take place in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.