You know the drill on February. Not only is the weather miserable, but the restaurants are packed due to a certain made-up holiday. Both are very good reasons to hunker down as much as possible, and fortunately, TV is here for you if you want to zone out at home while awaiting Reacher and the Liberty Bell (which needs to happen onscreen, btw).
Granted, the “romance” subject cannot be totally avoided, but fortunately, both noteworthy applicable shows — the Mr. & Mrs. Smith reinvention from Amazon and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live from AMC — have much more to offer besides two lead characters making eyes at each other. Additionally, Larry David will bid farewell to “Larry David,” and fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender can take stock of the newest live-action adaptation, which will hopefully be more successful than the last effort.
Here are the must see shows for February.
Genius: MLK/X (Nat Geo series streaming 2/1)
This eight-part series dives into both the philosophies and personal relationships of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre). As a result, we will see Coretta Scott King (Weruche Opia) and Betty Shabazz (Jayme Lawson) as the icons’ equals as all four parties lead the Black empowerment Movement. The show also portrays King and X’s only in-person meeting, although the two advocates held an ongoing conversation (while sometimes at odds) on the cause of racial equality. The series will stream next day on Hulu and Disney+.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series streaming 2/2)
Do we really need a reimagining of the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie movie? Watch the first few episodes, and you might agree that this effort was not wasted. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine pick up as assassins who happen to be paired together (and “married”), and you aren’t ready for the rollicking, madcap, action-packed set of missions that they must complete (or else?). Glover is incredible as always, but Erskine steps up to take control of the screen, and boy, their onscreen relationship is as much of an occupational risk as the assignments themselves.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 12 (HBO series streaming 2/4 on Max)
Larry David’s final curmudgeonly season is upon us? Feels like we’ve heard that before, but this time, he even declared, “‘Larry David,’ I bid you farewell. Your misanthropy will not be missed. And for those of you who would like to get in touch with me, you can reach me at Doctors Without Borders.” Hey, if Larry says that he’s done, do not argue with the man.
Abbott Elementary: Season 3 (ABC series returning 2/7)
After multiple Emmys and a long hiatus due to 2023 chaos, Quinta Brunson and her crew will be back with fewer episodes than expected, but at least viewers will see some followup on the Janine and Gregory relationship. The school calendar might be confusing at first to make up for lost time, but rest assured that Abbott classes will be back in session and as funny as always.
Halo: Season 2 (Paramount+ series streaming 2/8)
Pablo Schreiber is back as Master Chief, and if he has any say in the matter, there won’t be Sexy Master Chief on display this season. Officially, he will be fretting about the changing tide of his war and how to prepare for what he believes is an imminent attack by the Covenant on the most valuable stronghold known to mankind. Can he finally find the Halo, which will either help humanity survive or kill it off forever? So much pressure! Yeah, please don’t have him wasting time getting down and dirty this season.
Constellation: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series streaming 2/21)
Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks attempt to recover after a space disaster in this action-drama series that imagines a hidden history of mankind’s voyages within the universe. Yes, it’s an adventure series but also a spooky exploration of human psychology and both literal and figurative darkness.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix series streaming 2/22)
Yes, there’s been a live-action adaptation of this IP already. And yes, people overwhelmingly prefer the Nickelodeon animated series, but here is another reimagining that will hopefully make everyone forget about that M. Night Shyamalan project. The setup will be familiar, of course. The story takes place in a world where the four nations (represented by the elements of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air) no longer live in harmony. Fire Nation destroyed the Air Nomads, and one young Air Nomad (Aang) must now ascend to his rightful ruling position and restore peace between the elements and realms. The Fire Nation is very angry, however, so watch out, Aang and friends.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: Season (AMC series streaming on AMC+ 2/25)
Rick Grimes has been missing from TV screens for a handful of years and in The Walking Dead timeline for over a decade. Now, Michonne is about to save his ass and hopefully torch the CRM while she’s at it. Too much? Nah, this franchise went off the rails a long time ago, and that’s part of the fun. Meanwhile, Daryl is still in France, now with added Carol, so they won’t be reinforcements for the “Save Rick” cause, but we can hope for a reunion.
Shōgun: Season (FX series streaming on Hulu 2/27)
James Clavell’s beloved 1975 novel (within his Asian Saga) will be lushly rendered to bring his 1600s civil war-story to life. You might need a flowchart to keep track of the various alliances and betrayals in this show, which begins when Lord Yoshii Toranaga finds himself being dragged into oblivion by “vultures,” i.e. the opposing Council of Regents. Enter an apparent ally, John Blackthorne, whose ship has conveniently been marooned nearby, although he could be the key to helping Toranago tip the balance against his enemies. That’s only the beginning, and clearly, any attempt at a small blurb would fail to adequately describe what’s in store for viewers here.
The Tourist: Season 2 (BBC One/Stan series streaming 2/29)
Netflix picked up this title (in the U.S.) after Max streamed the first season (arriving on Netflix as of 2/1). This season, Elliot/”The Man” will travel to Ireland from the unwelcoming Australian Outback after discovering why bad dudes are trying to kill him in violent ways. As it turns out, Elliot was a bad dude, too, but can he make any headway with digging into his past on the Emerald Isle? First, he’ll be drawn into a family feud — the worst kind of feud.