Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
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10. (tie) Reacher (Amazon)
Jack Reacher is back once again, this time not on the page or in a feature film starring Tom Cruise (yes, it was weird that Jack Reacher, a character whose defining characteristic is his massive size, was played by… Tom Cruise), but on the small screen. Or your laptop. Or your phone. This time the role is filled by Alan Ritchson, who takes the character to hell and back trying to clear his name after a wrongful murder accusation. Does he break some limbs and smash some heads in the process? Well, let’s just say that is a pretty safe assumption. Watch it on Amazon.
10. The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock)
Amber Ruffin is here, once again, thank God, to make the news and the rest of the world a little more palatable. The Late Night With Seth Meyers all-star brings her unique brand of silliness to Peacock for a second season. Will there be jokes? Of course. Will there be goofy faces? You know it. Will there be smart critiques of world leaders and world events that are occasionally punctuated by ridiculous guest appearances and/or catchy songs? Buddy, let’s hope so. We need it. Amber Ruffin is the best. Watch it on Peacock.
10. (tie) Peacemaker (HBO Max)
One of The Suicide Squad‘s characters who seemed least likely (well, there actually were a lot of them, including poor Boomerang) to make it out alive has his own spinoff series. That would be John Cena’s horribly patriotic bro, and it’s still hellaciously funny that this is happening because James Gunn got bored during quarantine and decided to write this TV show. Never fear, though. He Of the Butthole Jokes is still as worthy of contempt as always. There’s no telling whether we’ll see another Squad movie, so soak up as much of this end of the DCEU while it’s hot. Watch it on HBO Max.
10. Severance (Apple TV Plus)
“Am I livestock?” Who among us hasn’t asked ourselves that question while grazing amongst the cubicles at work? But the workplace in Severance (a new Adam Scott starring and Ben Stiller produced Apple TV+ series) is a little different, running workers through a process that effectively breaks people in two with zero crossovers between their work life and non-work life. Sound ideal in a world where work stresses bleed into home life and Sunday scarys seem to always kneecap your weekend? Perhaps in some respects. Susan from HR probably LOVES the idea, seeing it as the ultimate NDA, but as the show is set to explore, it’s a less tidy experience that raises all kinds of questions about what happens when people are severed from the awful things they might be asked to do at work. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
9. Law & Order (Peacock)
Following the semi-triumphant return of Elliot Stabler to the Law & Order universe, Dick Wolf and the other Powers That Be decided there was no time like the present for a revival of the franchise’s flagship series. Expect to see the return of Sam Waterston and Anthony Anderson and the addition of Hugh Dancy as the O.G. show continues to live in syndication while SVU continues to go strong. The real question here is this: will we see Ice-T make a cameo? C’mon. Watch it on Peacock.
8. The Afterparty (Apple TV Plus)
Look at this. We’ve got a murder mystery from a genius (Christopher Miller of Lord and Miller) that stars all your favorite comedic scene stealers (Sam Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Tiffany Haddish, Ilana Glazer, John Early, Ike Barinholz, Dave Franco, and more) as suspects/victims/detectives, with each episode told from a different characters’ perspective in a different film style (rom-com, action, musical, psychological thriller, etc.). It is… really good. It’s really good. And really fun. You are probably going to love it. Get in there and check it out. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
7. Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
What starts as a weirdly quirky caper story mixed with the reckless abandon of Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee’s courtship soon transforms into a needed indictment on the wild west nature of the internet and the way Anderson was packaged, sold, and diminished regardless of her feelings on the matter. But with the actress not signing off on this very intimate look at a painful period of her life, is she still being turned into a product and where is the line when it comes to a public figure and events that largely happened in front our eyes… because we couldn’t help but invade her privacy in the first place? Entertaining, shocking, thought-provoking — there is more to meets the eye in this show that is about a lot more than a stolen sex tape. Watch it on Hulu.
6. Jeen-Yus: A Kanye Trilogy (Netflix)
As you are probably aware, Kanye West’s personal life has overshadowed his professional life lately, and much of this is his own doing, but he’s also got this documentary on Netflix that promises to chart his formative days as an artist and ascension to being a brand. The name of the project, of course, is a play on words on how he considers himself a “genius.” One thing is certain: this won’t be boring. Watch it on Netflix.
5. Inventing Anna (Netflix)
As if Julia Garner didn’t already rule the small screen in Ozark, we’re getting another heaping helping of her. This time, though, the tight corkscrew curls are hidden while Garner portrays Anna Delvey, a real-life Instagram “legend” and fake German heiress. In reality, Delvey was a master con artist who captivated New York’s social elite and ended up dragging the hell out of the American dream in the process. This Shondaland limited series follows the investigation into Anna’s misdeeds, along with how she stares down trial and keeps those lies alive, all as inspired by Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine article that will get you primed. Watch it on Netflix.
4. Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber (Showtime)
It’s boom times for selling stories about the pirates of tech and Super Pumped sells it well, illuminating the rise and relative fall (he’s doing alright for money, don’t worry) of Uber’s brash former CEO Travis Kalanick. At the center of that ride (sorry) is a strained mentor/mentee relationship between Kalanick (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Bill Gurley, a more cautious and weathered money man played by Kyle Chandler. Led by David Levian, Brian Koppelman, and Beth Schacter, the minds behind Billions (another show featuring a high powered and twisty battle between two titans), Super Pumped offers a lot of commentary on the culture of win and the fallacy of rules as a shield against bad behavior while leaning into the dangerous magnetism of Kalanick across the first season of a new anthology series that’s already been renewed for a second go. Watch it on Showtime.
3. Killing Eve (AMC Plus)
Last season ended with winners and losers aplenty. And c’mon, you didn’t think that Villanelle and Eve would be able to get along in the long term, right? Imagine what domestic life would be like for these two. A former MI6 officer and an assassin who can’t give up the life (or the luxury trappings) are as ill-equipped for reality as Westley and Buttercup in The Princess Bride. Yet there’s no reason why they’ll be able to resist each other forever, but Eve is hellbent upon revenge this season while Villanelle desperately wants to prove that she’s not a “monster.” Good luck to both of them. Watch it on AMC Plus.
2. The Righteous Gemstones (HBO)
Righteous Gemstones is back, building on its God-squaded Succession vibes with more in-fighting, corruption, and largesse. Simply put, the Gemstones are in the dynasty business, looking to upsize, let loose, and steer clear of the claw of consequences that keeps grabbing at them. As hilarious as it is compelling, the show has somehow found a way to bring the thunder yet again with its stand-out cast, adding Eric Andre, Jason Schwartzman, and a spectacular Eric Roberts to the mix beside Danny McBride, John Goodman, Walton Goggins, Edi Patterson, and company. Dream Team ’92 level comedy casting, folks. Watch it on HBO.
1. Euphoria (HBO)
Euphoria’s first season was a glitter bomb of teenage angst, drug-fueled spirals, and social media-splattered heartbreak. It’s been two years since Jules left Rue on that train platform and the show’s return promises some kind of resolution to their romance, the return of some familiar faces, and new additions that pressure the group to get their sh*t figured out. They won’t, of course, but the mayhem, bathroom fights, drug busts, and masterclass in acting Zendaya will surely give us will still be worth it. Watch it on HBO.