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Few people have been as busy as Fred Again.. lately. In September, he started a rollout of new songs for his ever-evolving USB project, releasing fresh tracks and delivering high-energy live shows on a weekly basis. Even when the initial run finished, Fred went ahead and announced another one, set for early 2026.

Even amid all that, he still found an hour to sit down with Instagram for a recent episode of their new long-form interview series “Ask It Anyway.” It launched with Tyler, The Creator earlier this year and now Fred is the second-ever guest.

In a chat hosted by Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso and also featuring a group of young musicians, a lot of ground was covered. Perhaps the most impressive portion was when Fred was tasked with putting a new song together in just 13 minutes. He had a vocal and some choice sounds to start with, but he was still started a long way from the finish line. The end result wasn’t quite a full song, but it sounded fantastic, and Fred likely could have gotten it all the way with not much more time allotted.

As for the actual conversation, Fred had some fascinating nuggets to share. Early on, he discussed how having multiple outlets for his music diversifies what he’s able to do and how much he can release, saying:

“Having the record like USB where it’s just tunes that I’m making for my USB, it doesn’t need to be some deep album statement always. And then I’ve also got albums, so there’s a few different like avenues I get to put tunes out in. Or like, make an ambient record with Brian [Eno], or something like that. From, like, 20 to 28, I reckon probably 0.0001 percent of the things I made came out, and now I reckon 1 percent comes out, so that’s great.”

Also on the note of productivity, he spoke about how making music every day, regardless of how he’s feeling, is a critical part of his creative process:

“One thing that’s I’m really happy to have learned the lesson of is… Let’s say you feel rubbish one day or one week or one month, and you keep showing up, and you make something that you don’t… you’re showing up for the sake of showing up and just trying to get some ideas down, and you’re not feeling good about it. And you just leave it there, and then in a month’s time or whatever, you’re feeling a bit better and you listen back to some of those ideas and you’re like, ‘Actually, this one is good.’”

He added, “I’ve now had this enough times where something I truly love has come out of a moment that felt totally unmagical. Something I truly love and I’m really connected to in a way that feels really meaningful, has come out of a moment that didn’t feel that at all. And so then at that point, you’re like, ‘Okay, great, I might as well just keep showing up, then.’”

Finally, he offered some more advice, which boils down to keeping it simple:

“If you are someone who’s more production-based, I would really recommend trying to commit to two synths and five plug-ins that you’re going to use for the next four years and just save yourself all of that headspace and all of that wasted time comparing whether this compressor sounds slightly better than this compressor. Like… fix the chorus. It doesn’t matter whether the [laughs]… I really, really feel this.”

There’s a lot more than that in the illuminating conversation, so check out the full video above.

Turks and Caicos is the #1 private destination in the Caribbean, which says a lot about the destination and the luxury you can experience there. The Turks and Caicos Islands have set aside dozens of protected areas including National Parks, nature reserves, sanctuaries and various historical sites, making it one of the most unique vacation spots in all of the Caribbean.

If paradise had an address, it would be Grace Bay Club in Turks and Caicos. This oceanfront escape is where barefoot luxury meets impeccable service, with powder-soft sand and water so clear it feels unreal. From chilled welcome cocktails to sunset dinners that look straight out of a movie, every moment here feels like it’s designed to spoil you. Whether you’re craving total relaxation, or a touch of island glam, Grace Bay Club delivers it effortlessly and with an Aperol Spritz in hand (if you wish).

If you don’t know what a one row beach is, just know it’s the cream of the crop. Grace Bay Club is a rare “one-row beach,” which means every suite and villa sits directly on the oceanfront, with nothing built behind or blocking the views. In other words, no second row of rooms or garden-view categories—just uninterrupted turquoise water and toes-in-the-sand access from every spot on the property. It’s like front row at your favorite concert, but elevated.

Golf lovers can tee off just a few minutes from the resort at the award-winning Provo Golf Club, known for its palm-fringed fairways and ocean breeze. Grace Bay Club can arrange tee times and transportation, making it easy to add a round of island golf to your sun-soaked itinerary.

WHY IT’S AWESOME

Here’s what vacation looks like for me based on my choice of beverages: iced latte in the morning, Aperol Spritzes in the afternoon and espresso martini at night. Luckily for all of us, Grace Bay Club has all of this and so much to do in between all your beverage choices and sunscreen applications.

And when I tell you the gift shop is reason alone for a visit, trust and believe. This is literally the best boutique I’ve ever seen at a luxury resort. They’ve got miniature Birkin bags (obviously not authentic) and the best clothes from brands like Zimmerman, Solid & Striped and more. It’s so good, I probably wouldn’t have even been upset if my luggage got lost for a few days.

And get this: Grace Bay Club just got nominated for Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2026! How cool is that?

IN-HOUSE FOOD + DRINK

Once upon a time the Caribbean was known only for its crystal blue water, but thanks to resorts like Grace Bay Club, the area is becoming known as a destination with exquisite dining.

Don’t miss out on Infiniti Restaurant & Raw Bar, the resort’s star oceanfront spot right next to one of the Caribbean’s longest bars (a whopping 90 feet of fun). After a relaxing day on the beach, dive into a freshly revamped menu packed with top-tier sushi, Japanese-inspired delights, and drool-worthy Wagyu dishes served à la carte. Trust me, these are absolute must-tries!

Keep reading to learn about the hotel’s new boat service, exclusively for hotel guests to dine at Grace Bay Club’s sister properties easily and effortlessly.

AMENITIES

• 55-inch HDTV with streaming
• Free Wi-Fi
• Luxe mini-bar
• Lavazza coffee makers
• Air conditioning + blackout curtains
• Plush robes & slippers
• In-room safe, iron, hairdryer
• Individual climate control
• L’OCCITANE Bath Amenities
• Walk-in Rainfall Shower
• Desk/Office Space

ROOM TYPES

Each suite and villa feels like its own little sanctuary, complete with ocean views, luxe details, and a calm, coastal palette. Spacious balconies practically beg you to linger with a cocktail before heading to dinner, and the modern Caribbean design brings together sophistication and barefoot ease. Whether you’re in a romantic suite or a beachfront villa, every detail whispers relaxation.

Every room spanning their 11 acres boasts oceanfront accommodations and if you’re traveling with a large group, check out the resort’s Estate Section, complete with five bedrooms, plenty of gathering space, a gourmet kitchen, and two balconies.

THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 15 MINUTE WALK

Walk down the beach and hop aboard the brand-new Princess Grace for a boat day with friends (or strangers). The custom-built 65-foot catamaran offers private charters, where you’ll enjoy fresh sushi, veggie burgers and more. And the more is the best part: stunning views, prosecco and local beer. If chartering a boat for the day is out of your price range, jump aboard the sunset cruise for $150/person. Be on the lookout for JoJo the Dolphin, a local bottlenose dolphin who has grown quite famous amongst locals and visitors alike.

These charters often include fresh seafood and sushi, all curated by Grace Bay Resorts’ exquisite culinary team. Depending on your excursion, the copious amounts of fresh seafood can double as dinner, so by girl math standards, it’s basically free. Hands down, this is the most sophisticated island-hopping experience I’ve ever had, and it beautifully showcases the natural beauty of Grace Bay’s renowned beaches and marine life.

THE BEST THING TO EAT/DRINK WITHIN A $20 CAB RIDE

You already know I’ll gladly pay a cab driver to take me in search of the island’s best espresso martini, and I found it at Grace Bay Club’s sister property Rock House.

Lucky for you, you won’t need a cab for this espresso martini rec, thanks to their brand-new boat services, designed to provide a convenient way for guests to travel between sister resorts for dining and other experiences, exclusively for resort guests.

At Rock House you’ll likely find a DJ paired with stunning sunset views, European vibes, the best dressed people on the island, and of course the best espresso martini. Expect a Mediterranean inspired menu with small plates, gourmet pastas, a vast wine selection and making it even easier, this entire evening excursion can be charged back to your hotel room.

BED GAME

The beds at Grace Bay Club are exactly what vacation dreams are made of — soft, cloud-like linens that practically demand you sleep in. Morning coffee tastes better when you’re wrapped in sheets this cozy, with the sound of the ocean just steps away.

Rating: 9/10

SEXINESS RATING

Caribbean vacations should always be sexy, and Grace Bay Club doesn’t disappoint. Book a private charter for the most romantic part of your entire trip.

Rating: 8/10

THE VIEWS & PICS SPOTS

For those can’t-miss photos, start your morning at the resort’s infinity pool where the turquoise water blends seamlessly with the sky. Sunset cocktails at Infiniti Bar deliver the ultimate golden-hour glow, while the beach walkways lined with palms make the perfect backdrop for that effortlessly chic island OOTD shot. Every corner of the resort looks like it was designed for your camera roll.

BEST SEASON TO VISIT

There is never a bad time to visit paradise, but if you’re looking for a super slow and quiet time, September is your best bet (albeit a little too slow for me). Other than that, if you visit Turks and Caicos between December and April you’re usually treated to perfect beach weather without the intense summer humidity, making it ideal for poolside lounging or sailing at sunset.

IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING

Don’t @ me, but it’s the basic hair dryer for me. Even the swankiest hotels seem to forget that women want (no, scratch that) DEMAND a powerful blowout. The place was lovely and super open to feedback, so I’m betting they’re swapping them out right this second.

BOOK HERE

Book your Turks and Caicos luxury vacation directly on the hotel’s website.

It has been a long, long, long road to ASAP Rocky’s upcoming album Don’t Be Dumb. In 2022, he said the project was finished. In July 2023, he indicated it’d be out soon. It was later given a summer 2024 release date before getting pushed back to the fall. Towards the end of 2024, it was given an approximate release window of early 2025.

That brings us to late 2025 and the album is still not out yet. Finally, though, it appears it’ll be here soon. Last week, Rocky took to Instagram to reveal the cover art, created by Tim Burton, and the project’s January 16, 2026 release date.

Burton also said in a statement:

“I loved working with an artist like Rocky — it was a great collaboration. He spoke to me about his alter egos and I just drew my interpretations of them. He told me he wanted to make being a dad cool again, which was beautiful, even though I’ve never been able to achieve that myself.”

Rocky and Rihanna recently celebrated the birth of their third child, Rocki.

Meanwhile, Rocky previously said of Burton, “I sat and I played the album for Tim Burton, and he was f*cking with it heavy. […] He was rocking his head and he’s like, ‘Wow! I didn’t know you made that kind of music!’”

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. It looks like this sneaker year just doesn’t want to quit. Not only is this a pretty strong week, next week is even better, which leads us to wonder — where the hell was this energy during the summer? Why did the big brands decide to wait until the last few weeks of the year to bring the heat? Don’t they know we’ve already spent all our holiday money?

We have so many questions! By now we have to assume your holiday shopping is done, which means it’s officially time to start buying gifts for yourself again, budget be damned! Here are this week’s best sneakers and where to find them.

Brain Dead x Adidas Techwondo

Price: $180

The LA streetwear brand Brain Dead have teamed up with Adidas for a new futurist take on the Taekwondo, dubbed fittingly, Techwondo.

The chrome brushed sneaker feature a leather upper with synthetic overlays, and city-ready cold cement construction that bonds the sole to the upper, boosting the flexibility and feel.

The Brain Dead x Adidas Techwondo is out now for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Palace x Air Max Dn8 Safety Orange and Particle Grey

Price: $200

London skatewear brand Palace is bringing its playful vibe to the Dn8. The sneaker takes visual cues from other Nike models, like the TPU stripes and liberal use of Safety Orange recalling the AM Plus and classic Nike SHOX color blocking.

The Dn8 tends to have a futuristic, alien-like look about it (very much by design), so we appreciate that Palace brought a bit of playfulness out of this super serious silhouette.

The Palace x Air Max Dn8 Safety Orange and Particle Grey is out now for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Nike Book 1 What The (Sail and Magic Ember)

Price: $170

Now that the Book 2 is officially a thing, the Book 1 is ready to get weird. And what better way to get weird than by filtering the sneaker through Nike’s weirdest sub-series, the “What The.” The What The Book 1 pulls together panels from older Book 1 colorways and fuses them together in a mismatched mess that works way better than you think it might.

The Nike Book 1 What The is out now for a retail price of $170. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Nike Air Force 1 Baroque Brown and Desert Moss

Price: $120

Looking for a dusty and earthy AF-1? Look no further than the Baroque Brown and Desert Moss, a sneaker that’ll likely go down as the most crunchy Air Force 1 we’ve ever seen? City streets and subway terminals? THat’s the AF-1 of old, this iteration looks like it was designed to trek through a hiking trail.

The sneaker sports a bouclé upper with a beaded swoosh outline, big fuzzy laces, and a speckled black midsole. The sneaker is just three colors, brown, hot pink, and black, but it uses each expertly, making this one of the most eye-catching sneakers of the year.

The Nike Air Force 1 Baroque Brown and Desert Moss is out now for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Nike Air Jordan 8 White and True Red (Bugs Bunny)

Price: $215

The legend has returned! The Jordan 8 White and True Red (as Nike is calling it) is a re-release of what Jordan heads dub the “Bugs Bunny,” (it’s why MJ and Bugs are closely associated, pre-Space Jam) an early ‘90s classic from Jordan’s imperial era. First debuted during the ’92-’93 championship season, the sneaker sports a leather upper with suede accents, and a mix of white and gray tones with red and black contrast points.

It’s a classic Jordan and probably the best the AJ-8 has ever looked.

The Nike Air Jordan 8 White and True Red is set to drop on December 20th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $215. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Nike G.T. Future Metallic Silver

Price: $200

If you’re looking for the most tech-forward sneaker you can find from Nike, the G.T. Future is the shoe for you. Nike latest silhouette, the G.T. Future features a bouncy and responsive Air Zoom Strobel sole with CushIon 3.0 foam, designed for court play with a molder upper that looks like it was carved out of a giant rock.

Right now the popularity of the G.T. Future remains to be seen but we’re psyched to watch this story unfold.

The Nike G.T. Future Metallic Silver is set to drop on December 20th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Minor Threat were active for a mere three years in the 1980s, and yet, in that short window, they had an indelible influence on hardcore music. The band’s Out Of Step and self-titled EPs are considered landmark works in the genre, and the group’s song “Straight Edge” was even part of the inspiration for the “straight edge” movement that promotes refraining from drugs, alcohol, and other vices.

As Uproxx’s Joypocalypse explains in a new video, the band also set the foundation for the DIY aspects of the hardcare genre.

She says:

“Hardcore through the lens of Minor Threat: fast, harder to co-opt, more accessible. Short, fast, and direct songs, their goal always feels like getting their point across, no excess. No rockstar fantasy to be found, and speaking of fantasy, lyrically, they stayed away from that, more so grounded in personal accountability and change, alienation, frustration. Loud and blunt, there’s not a lot to decipher here.”

That straightforwardness extended to their operations, too, as Joy explains, “Minor Threat kept everything direct, even in the way they ran their band. They did everything themselves. Even down to their label. Dischord Records, the label they signed to, a DIY label founded by two members of Minor Threat. No middleman and also more accessible music because through Dischord, they could keep their prices down.”

She concludes, “Minor Threat showed what you can achieve through DIY and also the impact you can leave in a three-year time span.”

Check out the video above.

With just days left until Christmas, we’re officially in the annual dry season of new music releases. For the most part, artists are taking the last few weeks of the year off, laying low and relaxing. Kali Uchis had one more thing to say before bidding farewell to 2025, though, as today (December 19), she shared “Muévelo.”

The song is actually a fan favorite. It stems from the Orquídeas era and fans first heard it as a leak, but recently, there have been calls on social media for Uchis to officially share the full track. Uchis listened and here we are.

Uchis wrote on Instagram, “for my final act of self love this year i will release this song bcoz prior to tonight it was a demo leaked against my will!!! k disfruten y k la persona k se detuvo a leer esto Dios lo proteja siempre a ti y tu familia Amén.” That last part roughly translates to, “Enjoy, and may God always protect you and your family, especially you, the one who took the time to read this, amen.”

Listen to “Muévelo” above and find Uchis’ upcoming tour dates below.

Kali Uchis’ 2026 Tour Dates: The Sincerely, Tour

02/08/2026 — São Paulo, Brazil @ Vibra São Paulo
02/10/2026 — Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Movistar Arena
02/12/2026 — Santiago, Chile @ Movistar Arena
02/15/2026 — Lima, Peru @ Costa 21
02/18/2026 — Bogotá, Colombia @ Movistar Arena
02/21/2026 — Monterrey, Mexico @ Auditorio Banamex
02/22/2026 — Guadalajara, Mexico @ Auditorio Telmex
02/25/2026 — Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio de los Deportes
08/02/2026 — Des Moines, Iowa, USA @ Hinterland Music Festival

Kendrick Lamar and SZA spent a lot of time together this year on the Grand National Tour, with SZA co-headlining the North American and European shows, while Kendrick then handled a handful of South American and Australian concerts himself. The two just couldn’t end the year without getting together one more time, though.

Top Dawg Entertainment hosted the 12th Annual Christmas Concert in Los Angeles last night (December 18), and while Kendrick is no longer with TDE, he still has love for his former label: He made a surprise appearance at the event. At one point, he joined SZA on stage and the two performed their hit “Luther” (here’s a video).

The event also featured Ab-Soul, Doechii, Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, Lance Skiiiwalker, Ray Vaughn, Schoolboy Q, SiR, SZA, and Zacari.

Meanwhile, the second part of the event, the toy drive, is going down today. Toys were donated by attendees of the concert as admission to the event. The drive runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT at 11251 Compton Ave in Los Angeles.

SZA and Kendrick both made their mark on music in 2025, aside from their tour: “Luther” was one of the year’s ten most-streamed songs on Spotify and on Apple Music, too.

Steven and Ian begin with a quick Sportscast about the disastrous turn for Steven’s beloved Green Bay Packers. They also do some clarifications on last week’s year-end albums lists. After that, they discuss the future of the show and reveal that there won’t be any new episodes for the foreseeable future. Finally, they commence with the annual awarding of the Indiecasties.

Listen to Episode 270 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], and make sure to follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

It might seem a little early to start thinking about the NBA All-Star game, but actually, voting just opened on December 17. While we wait to see which players will be participating in 2026, the NBA is already starting to reveal what All-Star Weekend is going to look like.

Today (December 18), the league announced that Shaboozey, Ludacris, and Cortis will headline the league’s NBA Crossover concert series. The shows are going down at the Los Angeles Convention Center from February 12 to 14.

Cortis said in a statement, “It’s a huge moment for us to be the first K-pop group to perform at NBA Crossover, kicking off All-Star Weekend. We’re grateful for the opportunity and excited to hit the stage, connect with fans up close, and officially tip off this incredible weekend.”

They’re performing on the 12th, then it’ll be Ludacris on the 13th and Shaboozey on the 14th.

Per a press release, the Crossover event “showcases the NBA’s deep connection to art, fashion, music and technology, giving fans a front-row seat to action packed basketball programming at G League Park, exclusive opportunities at NBA Creator Court, and festival-style music experiences at Hardwood Central —including the Michelob ULTRA Courtside Concert with Ludacris on Friday night.” It adds, “During marquee in-arena events at Intuit Dome and Kia Forum, Hardwood Central will evolve into a watch-party destination, complete with live commentary and special giveaways.”

Tickets for NBA Crossover are available now, here.

Best-of lists are inherently relative — we all have our tastes, and we’re sticking to them — but 2025’s TV felt unusually communal. We were all watching The White Lotus and altering our pronounciation of the word “Lorazepam” just a few months ago, piecing together the mind-bending mysteries of Severance, and desperately googling medical terms to keep up with the relentless life-saving measures of The Pitt. Even as the year kept throwing us curveballs, these shows created a kind of shared experience, a fleeting sense that maybe we were all in this bizarre, screen-addled world together. (It’s funny how simply paying attention to the same thing can do that.)

Obviously there are some more singular picks on our Best TV Shows of 2025 list too, MUBI comedies you probably haven’t streamed and sci-fi thrillers that just popped up in your queue. We’ve still got a job to do, and that job is curating great storytelling so you don’t miss out. But whether you’ve seen every entry here, or are just now marking it as a must-watch, the takeaway is the same: this year was a great one for television and, that seems to be the one thing we can all agree on at the moment.

Adolescence (Netflix)

Every TV show wants to be the one audiences simply can’t look away from, but Adolescence guaranteed our rapidly shrinking attention spans wouldn’t wander, not just with its signature style but through its disturbingly plausible central premise. Unfolding across four hour-long episodes – each staged as a single, unbroken shot – this narrative pressure chamber (created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham) charts the arrest of a teenage boy charged with an unthinkable crime, the painstaking investigation that follows, and the eventual fallout that leaves a family and an entire community fractured. It’s filled with stand-out moments – episode three’s clinical deep dive into the torture psyche of a red-pilled outcast is just one – and a handful of gripping performances from Graham, Erin Doherty, and Christine Tremarco. But it’s Owen Cooper (all of 13-years-old at the time of his casting) who demands attention here, more than earning his Emmy hardware playing Jamie with a mix of believable vulnerability and simmering resentment that makes nailing down his character’s guilt or innocence almost impossible. Thrilling and deeply unsettling, Adolescence is the rare Netflix series that feels genuinely urgent rather than merely buzzy. — Jessica Toomer

Alien: Earth (FX)

Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth ended up being more about the petty human squabbles shaping the prequel’s planetary setting than the chest-bursting extraterrestrials made terrifyingly real in Ridley Scott’s original film… but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. By giving Peter Pan a science-fiction twist and introducing audiences to the concept of “Hybrids” (artificial beings with transferred human consciousness), Hawley set up a different kind of “monsters unleashed” tale, one that questioned who the true villains of this franchise really are. There were some fantastic performances: Babou Ceesay as a cyborg survivalist with a fanatic devotion to carrying out his mission; Timothy Olyphant as a snobby synthetic mentoring a batch of robotic lost boys; and Sydney Chandler as Wendy, the first hybrid whose Xenomorphic connections and rebellious streak upends the Prodigy Corporation’s larger plans. There were even better practical special effects and newly-invented space horrors – a scheming eye-ball alien, both nightmarish and, oddly, cute, better feature heavily in season two. There were things that worked and things that didn’t, but the show’s commitment to weird and ambitious storytelling made it a rollercoaster worth riding. — Jessica Toomer

All Her Fault (Peacock)

As far as missing persons mysteries go, All Her Fault is on another level. It grabs you from its first scene – a playdate pickup gone horrifyingly wrong – and quickly spins into a layered thriller about family secrets, marital dysfunction, and the ways women carry the weight everyone else refuses to acknowledge. Sarah Snook is magnetic as Marissa, a mom desperate to get her son back, while Dakota Fanning matches her raw emotion with a quieter kind of unraveling that makes their friendship feel authentic and their frustrations relatable. It’s sharp, fast-paced, and filled with whiplash-inducing reveals that sometimes make sense, and sometimes don’t, but land as deliciously messy as you hope they would. A prestige whodunnit? No, but one of the most compelling binge-watches of the year? You bet. — Jessica Toomer

Andor (Disney+)

It hasn’t been the best time to be a Star Wars fan. News comes out at a monthly clip about what could have been (a Soderbergh-directed Kylo Ren movie) or what actually is (a new Star Wars movie from the director of Free Guy). But throughout this, Disney+ casually released two seasons of what might be the best thing ever made in the Star Wars universe. Andor, simply put, felt like a miracle. Gorgeously made, intricately written and performed, and with enough real-world analogs to remember that at their best, these movies help process life on earth, just through the lens of a galaxy far, far away. It’s understandable that the prospect of Star Wars for grown-ups isn’t a priority for Disney. So, just be glad this exists, because who knows if we’ll ever get something this cool again. — Philip Cosores

The Bear (FX)

It’s hard for me to call The Bear’s fourth season a return to form because I genuinely liked the third season, but I recognize the vibe shift. Everyone’s pandemic boyfriend, Chef Carmy, has become toxic as a result of his work-life imbalance and grating pursuit of success, pushing everyone (including the audience) away. In a way, season 4 was about rebuilding and what comes after the explosive friends and family opening of The Bear restaurant in last season’s finale. Unsurprisingly, the pressure doesn’t lessen as Carmy and company race the clock as set by Unc (Oliver Platt) to remain viable in season 4. While Carmy is less outwardly psychotic this season with flashes of his less exhaustingly brooding self as he switches between trying to be perfect in the kitchen and realizing he might need to be more present in his life, his choices can still be nose bridge grabbingly frustrating. As always, the show’s rich cast shines in moments of focus, specifically Abby Elliott and Ayo Edebiri, who headline some of the season’s most rewarding episodes. Maybe return to form isn’t the right headline, maybe it’s more a return to likability? — Jason Tabrys

The Chair Company (HBO Max)

Tim Robinson brings a very specific vibe to his projects, leading with an exciting volatility that promises outbursts and wild narrative swings. With The Chair Company, he merges that formula with a story about a frustrated middle-aged middle manager who falls down a wormhole after a mundane yet embarrassing moment. The result is Robinson at his best, pivoting from the memeworthy comedy sketches of I Think You Should Leave to a riveting story of increasing obsession that taps into the conspiratorial fog that can so easily grip the bored and unfulfilled. — Jason Tabrys

Death By Lightning (Netflix)

A seemingly dusty tale about the late 19th century assasination of a largely forgotten President and the party infighting that surrounded it shouldn’t have as much energy as Death By Lightning does. But it’s history told right, allowing a fantastic cast to cook and deliver performances that somehow channel their most iconic work. Specifically, Matthew Macfadyen as a political parasite slipping into delusion and grievance powered revenge – a man who could absolutely have a DNA link to Tom Wambsgans (Succession). Nick Offerman’s political henchman (and future President) who slowly grows a conscience as he gains more power also seems Ron Swanson-esque (Parks And Rec) early on when displaying a voracious appetite for liquor and sausages. The list goes on and on. Bradley Whitford and Shea Whigham as opposed kingmakers, Michael Shannon as the morally upright President James Garfield, and Betty Gilpin as his wife, Lucretia, delivering a stoic supporting performance before dropping the coldest burn of the year in a tense stand-off opposite Macfadyen in the finale. Learning obscure presidential history has never been this fun and, at times, stirring. –Jason Tabrys

Department Q (Netflix)

Department Q is comfort food for crime drama junkies. Matthew Goode stars as a sour, sidelined detective exiled to the unsolved cases unit after a house call gone wrong, where he promptly stumbles into a disappearance that refuses to stay buried. The mystery snaps into place episode by episode, hopping timelines and character POVs to give audiences clues the actual investigators aren’t privy to yet, but what really sells the show is its dreary, Scottish atmosphere and its Scandinavian sensibilities. (The show is based on a series of Danish detective novels.) The characters are cranky, quirky, but loveable; the central mystery is filled with so many twists you’ll probably get nauseous bingeing in one sitting; and the payoff, while a bit too neat, is satisfying. What more could you ask for? — Jessica Toomer

Hacks (HBO Max)

At this point, Hacks could just be Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder sitting in a room arguing and I’d still watch. And honestly, that describes a good chunk of the show’s latest season. Somehow keeping the streak alive, the series picks up after that killer season-three finale, dropping Deborah and Ava into the chaos of running a late-night show together with a hilariously ill equipped HR mediator (Michaela Watkins) running interference – a setup that’s basically designed to test every nerve they have. The jokes are as sharp as ever (the branzino meltdown alone earns this a spot on any best-of list), but what really makes Hacks untouchable is how effortlessly it pivots from absurd comedy to emotional warfare. Smart remains a force of nature and Einbinder finally getting her Emmy feels long overdue. Few shows are this consistently funny and this emotionally tuned-in. It’s not an easy combination to pull off, but Hacks convinces you that it is. — Jessica Toomer

Hal & Harper (MUBI)

Cooper Raiff is no stranger to a Sundance hit – his 2022 film Cha Cha Real Smooth won the Audience Awards there. So it wasn’t a surprise when his first series, Hal & Harper, debuted there this year to positive buzz and was picked up by Mubi for release in the fall. But what is a surprise is how this took the earnest dramedy of his previous feature film and turned the dial to become something even more resonant and affecting. Mark Ruffalo (maybe TV’s MVP this year) and Lili Reinhart are both excellent in the sprawling family three-hander that explores the long-tail effects of traumatic events through an extremely human lens, all set to a beautifully curated soundtrack. There’s tears and laughter and all the things that make up life, and through Raiff’s eyes, it becomes a big-hearted vibe that the viewer wants to stay in as long as possible. — Philip Cosores

I Love LA (HBO Max)

Rachel Sennott’s I Love LA can be described in a few ways. It’s a slice of zillenial life, capturing the float of a group of creators and creative-adjacents hustling their way through Hollywood while navigating toxic institutional hierarchies and bosses. It’s also a batch of complex relationship stories rife with jealousies and shifting power dynamics (best exemplified by the “Game Night” episode), and a comedy that embraces chaos and absurdism (“Upstairses”). By no means fully baked, the show has great potential to grow into HBO’s latest generational statement series in its confirmed second season, but it’s worth climbing aboard now for the above highlights and a terrific ensemble led by Sennott, Josh Hutcherson, Odessa A’zion, True Whitaker, and Jordan Firstman. –Jason Tabrys

The Lowdown (FX)

Ethan Hawke playing a truth obsessed journalist and splinter in the toe of Tulsa elites and shady characters is one of 2025’s best out-of-nowhere surprises. Laced with a cast of interesting side players and cameos, the other side of the tracks world Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo makes feels like a broken glass shard filled sandbox for Hawke’s Lee Raybon to navigate. And yet, while he’s chasing serious people, serious conspiracies, and vulnerable to serious consequences, it’s genuinely funny watching the character make bad choices and try to talk his way out of them. That’s the benefit of leaning hard into Hawke’s wily charms. It’s impossible to imagine anyone else playing this singular trainwreck of a man who is flailing as a father, bookseller, and investigator. –Jason Tabrys

Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV+)

Rebecca Miller’s 5-part portrait of Martin Scorsese deals with the totality of a man still humming along, creating culturally substantial films more than a half-century after his first real success with Mean Streets. Bounding from era to era, personal and professional ups and downs, Miller molds several wide-ranging, intimate conversations with Scorsese (and a parade of his friends, former lovers, and frequent collaborators), constructing clear statements on things like the director’s Italian-American heritage, New York upbringing, creative desires, faith, and family – elements that are all at the heart of so many of his works. Walking away, film fans get our clearest look yet at a titan of cinema who has probably worked too much for his own good and seems destined to keep challenging time and expectations to the very end. — Jason Tabrys

Platonic (Apple TV+)

This Apple TV+ buddy comedy is not the Seth Rogen small-screen vehicle that everyone was talking about in 2025. (That would be The Studio, also featured on this list.) But just because a show doesn’t have Dave Franco reinventing the way we say “shrooms” while Zoe Kravitz has a drug-fueled meltdown in the background doesn’t mean it’s not one of the funniest TV entries of the year. Platonic is quieter, less manic with its comedy, but it’s bolstered by a brilliant performance from Rose Byrne, some terrific guest bits from Aidy Bryant, Bobby Cannavale, and Beck Bennett, and a costume department that spent its entire budget on men’s cardigans. (The highest of compliments to Rogen’s stylist here.) Few shows tackle friendship better than this series – the toxic codependency, the frustrating stagnation, the freedom and inhibition that comes from a relationship with no romantic responsibilities. It’s just too damn charming not to warrant another season. — Jessica Toomer

Pluribus (Apple TV+)

Vince Gilligan’s return to sci-fi (the Breaking Bad creator worked on the X-Files early in his career) feels like an elongated Twilight Zone classic. Starring Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn as Carol, one of only a handful of “survivors” who somehow managed to maintain their individuality after a global event turns the rest of the world into a hive mind, the show is split between its central mystery and the exploration of Carol’s grief and anger. A series that isn’t interested in pre-chewing its message, Pluribus wants its audience to spend some time thinking about what it’s trying to say about having people to care for and about us, technology, agency, and other heady topics. A delightful throwback and showcase for the shockingly Emmy-less Seehorn. –Jason Tabrys

The Pitt (HBO Max)

Yes, medical dramas have been mined to dust on television. Yes, we’ve seen Noah Wyle play a “so-competent-it’s-borderline-erotic” doctor in a stretched-too-thin emergency department before. And no, we will not apologize for naming The Pitt the best TV show of 2025. Sometimes, the best storytelling isn’t about doing something that’s never been done, it’s just about doing the same thing really, really well. And John Wells and R. Scott Gemmill? They do medical pressure cookers really, really well. With Wyle as the weary senior attending battling a PTSD flare up on a particularly grueling day in his trauma one center, The Pitt stretches its 15-hour shift across 15 episodes – a practically unheard of season length by today’s TV standards – squeezing every bit of excitement and anguish it can from the resulting chaos. Katherine LaNasa, Patrick Ball, Taylor Dearden, Gerran Howell, Isa Briones, they all give incredible supporting turns at the charge nurses, residents, and student interns managing the day’s mess of mass shootings and measles outbreaks, but make no mistake, this is Wyle’s show, and he carries it effortlessly. — Jessica Toomer

The Rehearsal (HBO Max)

Perhaps more than any other show on this list, I don’t want to get too into the weeds on the story of this season, because it’s best discovered on your own (assuming you’ve been able to dodge all the stories about Nathan Felder’s awkward aeronautic adventures). I’ll just say that season 2 of The Rehearsal is a perfectly executed demonstration of Felder’s genius through specificity. Going back to Nathan For You, Felder has been a singular comedic engine, bridging the divide between the unscripted, the thoroughly planned, and social satire with his curiosity and comedic guts. While you can’t know if you can ever trust what he’s putting on screen, you know you can trust that, at the end of the ride, you’re going to be wowed by the density of what he’s built and his commitment to whatever the bit was. Felder is our top comedic tightrope walker. — Jason Tabrys

Severance (Apple TV+)

Severance season two returned with the confidence of a show that knows exactly how strange it is, and wants to test whether those limits can be pushed any further. After a punishingly long wait (three years, seriously?), the doors to Lumon finally reopened this year, expanding its cerebral nightmare beyond those familiar fluorescent-soaked cubicles. The show dove even deeper into the surreal machinery of capitalism, with Mark confronting the shocking truth about his wife and those eerie Cold Harbor experiments, and tensions between innies and outies playing an even bigger role as the corporate power struggle ventured to some pretty wild, morally dark places. Adam Scott and Britt Lower shouldered most of that heavy-lifting, turning in some electrifying performances, but the real joy of Severance is the sum of its parts, and its sheer ambition when it comes to storytelling. Ben Stiller and Dan Erickson’s sci-fi experiment is still operating on a wavelength few shows even attempt, trusting viewers to sit with confusion, dread, and the occasional goat-related curveball while it leads us down the rabbit hole. — Jessica Toomer

Sirens (Netflix)

From the first half of the year, Sirens is a deliciously messy look at the cultish, insulated world of the upper crust and what happens when an outsider starts pulling threads and hitting nerves while visiting their kingdom. Headlined by Meghann Fahy, who plays a struggling and emotionally fried older sister suspicious of the hold Julianne Moore’s society diva character has on her little sister (Milly Alcock), the show fills up the screen with beautiful Hamptons-style locales and twisty upstairs/downstairs drama. Family secrets, entitlements, and dysfunction spill allover the place, challenging the stability of relationships and, perhaps more importantly, status. The show is A LOT, but in the best way. A perfect weekend binge. –Jason Tabrys

The Studio (Apple TV+)

The business side of Hollywood has rarely been more in our faces than it is right now with merger and hostile takeover talk featuring Netflix, Warner Discovery, and Paramount everywhere. In a way, it’s like Seth Rogen’s The Studio prepared us for all of it, pulling off the magic trick of creating an inside baseball Hollywood story that isn’t so far up its ass that it forgets to give us people to root for. As an idealist in a vice, Rogen’s fresh studio head Matt Remick is quickly getting crushed under the pressure of his job, need to please his boss (played by Bryan Cranston), and existential need to both feed his ego and desire to make real pictures. The energy is chaotic, throughout, culminating in a season finale blessed with some supernatural physical comedy and cameos from Cranston, Zoe Kravitz, and David Franco. –Jason Tabrys