Tag: TV

Industry – Season Four (2026) | TV REVIEW

Myha’la and Marisa Abela in INDUSTRY (Season 4 – Episode 8) — Photograph by Simon Ridgway/HBO.

I don’t like to be out of the loop when it comes to great, big HBO shows, so one of the goals I set for myself in the first few months of 2026 was catching up on HBO’s Industry, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay’s acclaimed financial thriller-drama. which started way back in 2020 and has changed shape over the years. Back in the day, I tried to get into the show, but despite liking the first episode, I didn’t manage to make time for it then. The fourth season of the show, which I recently learned was going to be the penultimate season, premiered in January of this year, and I managed to catch up to it two weeks before the final episode hit in early March. I was really happy I made it a goal to find time for it, because this is a show that is much more than the ‘new Succession‘ that some have branded it. Although I see the comparison and acknowledge there are certain comparable elements (e.g., a race to the top of the ladder of one’s field, complex characters, and a focus on corporations, wealthy customers, and wealth management), it is very much its own thing entirely.

Continue reading “Industry – Season Four (2026) | TV REVIEW” →

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – Season One (2026) | TV REVIEW

Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell in A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS — Photograph by Steffan Hill/HBO.

The internet has not been kind to the world of A Song of Ice and Fire in recent years. The long wait for new novels has frustrated fans all over the world, as Game of Thrones eventually outpaced the George R. R. Martin books they were adapting and thus told an ending to the story before the creator did. Then that ending got so much criticism from critics and fans alike — in my review of the final season, I wrote that the show limped across the finish line — that it has tarnished the memory of that iconic fantasy series, despite it still being one of the biggest achievements of television entertainment this century. Then there’s the case of House of the Dragon, the spin-off show, which got off to a strong start, but which also threw away a lot of the goodwill due to how unsatisfyingly the second season concluded. Although I knew how popular the Tales of Dunk and Egg stories from George R. R. Martin were to book readers, I didn’t sense a lot of optimism from the TV-only audience when an adaptation of them was announced as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Then I saw the, in some way, quite different new Game of Thrones spin-off (compared to the other shows) a few months ago, and I was delighted. Here was a show that had all the ingredients needed for the kind of storytelling that could revive the brand. It’s one of the best new shows I’ve seen thus far this year.

Continue reading “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – Season One (2026) | TV REVIEW” →

TV Review Catch-Up – 2025, pt. II of II | Bite-Sized Reviews

Top Row: The White Lotus: Season Three (HBO); Dexter: Resurrection (Paramount+ / Showtime).
Bottom Row: Smoke (Apple TV+); MONSTER: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix).

Just like list time: It does what it says on the tin, as one might say. This is the second part of my TV review catch-up for 2025, which includes some of my thoughts on TV shows in bite-sized portions. There are still two other shows that I want to review from last year, but they’ll get their own full individual reviews sometime soon. Anyway, in this article, you’ll find my thoughts on an Apple show I had mixed feelings on, a Netflix anthology series that didn’t work for me this season, a show about a strong return for an iconic character, and a season of one of HBO’s most popular shows over the last few years.

Continue reading “TV Review Catch-Up – 2025, pt. II of II | Bite-Sized Reviews” →

TV Review Catch-Up – 2025, pt. I of II | Bite-Sized Reviews

Top Row: Poker Face Season Two (Peacock); The Pitt Season One (HBO); The Studio (Apple TV+).
Bottom Row: Peacemaker Season Two (HBO); Severance Season Two (Apple TV+); Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV+).

It does what it says on the tin, as one might say. Look, in 2025, I was particularly pressed for time, and so I prioritized posting film reviews. That said, I saw a lot of television shows in 2025 (so many!), and I have a lot of thoughts on shows and seasons that I loved, liked, or was underwhelmed by, which I want to get out there before I post my list of the best television shows of that year. Do note that shows which are not referenced or listed in this collection of reviews or bite-sized reviews can still appear on the aforementioned future list, and that I did, in fact, review other television shows from this year, so please do seek them out on my all-time TV season review overview by clicking here.

Continue reading “TV Review Catch-Up – 2025, pt. I of II | Bite-Sized Reviews” →

Stranger Things – Season Five (2025) | TV REVIEW

Gaten Matarazzo as ‘Dustin’ in Stranger Things: Season Five — PHOTO: Netflix (Still image from trailers).

Regardless of what you think about the show or this season, I think you have to admire the gusto of the release strategy for the final season of Stranger Things, of which the first volume (episodes one to four) was released early in December, the second volume on Christmas, and the series finale on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day (depending on your region). Stranger Things really took over a huge chunk of the online entertainment focus in December, despite the fact that massive trailers for huge films were released alongside a new Avatar film in theaters around the world. They really made the three-part release of the show into events. But did the series finale of the most popular US-based Netflix original series, or the season as a whole, live up to the hype it created for itself? Well, let’s talk about it, because it’s not a straightforward answer. 

Continue reading “Stranger Things – Season Five (2025) | TV REVIEW” →

Alien: Earth – Season One (2025) | TV REVIEW

Sydney Chandler as Marcy/”Wendy” in ALIEN: EARTH — PHOTO: FX/HULU (Still image from trailers).

Although I grew to be really excited about it, I’ll admit that when I first heard about Alien: Earth, I was somewhat displeased. I admire the work of series creator Noah Hawley a great deal, but, as a defender of Ridley Scott’s prequel films, it upset me that it had been reported that the new show would distance itself from those films and potentially split the canon into two. When I finally watched the show, I was taken on something akin to an emotional rollercoaster ride, as I, from episode to episode, would switch between being skeptical about the show to being head over heels in love with it. So, where did I ultimately land on the show once the season was over and done? Well, I found it to be both a promising and frustrating experience that teased something cerebral that it couldn’t quite live up to, while I thought the show did the titular Xenomorph creature a massive disservice. 

Continue reading “Alien: Earth – Season One (2025) | TV REVIEW” →

The Last of Us – “Convergence” | REVIEW

Bella Ramsey in THE LAST OF US: CONVERGENCE — PHOTO: Liane Hentscher / HBO.

This is a recap and review of the seventh and final episode of the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us. Expect spoilers for season 1 and game 1 (and the episode itself, of course), but also some references to and comments about the second game (though without spoilers).

In the seventh and final episode of the second season — titled Convergencee — Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) and Jesse (played by Young Mazino) search the streets of Seattle for Tommy (played by Gabriel Luna. However, when Ellie sees something in the distance, she parts ways with her friend. Convergence was written by Neil Druckmann, Halley Gross, and Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and directed by Nina Lopez-Corrado (Supernatural; Mayor of Kingstown).

Continue reading “The Last of Us – “Convergence” | REVIEW” →

The Last of Us – “Day One” | REVIEW

Bella Ramsey as ‘Ellie’ playing a guitar in The Last of Us: Day One — PHOTO: HBO/Liane Hentscher.

This is a recap and review of the fourth episode of the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us. Expect spoilers for season 1 and game 1 (and the episode itself, of course), but also some references to and comments about the second game (though without spoilers).

In the fourth episode of the second season — titled Day One — Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) and Dina (played by Isabela Merced) explore Seattle, deepen their connection, and search for the W.L.F. crew that killed Joel. Elsewhere, we experience how far W.L.F. leader Isaac (played by Jeffrey Wright) is willing to go to fight back against the religious Seraphites. The Path was written by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and directed by Kate Herron (Loki: Season 1).

Continue reading “The Last of Us – “Day One” | REVIEW” →

The Last of Us – “The Path” | REVIEW

Bella Ramsey in THE LAST OF US: THE PATH — PHOTO: HBO.

This is a recap and review of the third episode of the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us. Expect spoilers for season 1 and game 1 (and the episode itself, of course), but also some references to and comments about the second game (though without spoilers).

In the third episode of the second season — titled The Path — we get a three-month time jump, as the Jackson settlement and its wounded — including Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) — recover in the wake of the tragedy in last week’s episode. However, when Dina (played by Isabela Merced) reveals a secret to Ellie, it sets in motion an appeal to gather up a crew to hunt down those who wronged them and killed Joel. The Path was written by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and directed by Peter Hoar (The Last of Us: Long, Long Time).

Continue reading “The Last of Us – “The Path” | REVIEW” →

Black Mirror – Season 7 (2025) | REVIEW

Paul Giamatti in BLACK MIRROR: EULOGY — PHOTO: NETFLIX (Still image from trailers).

Like any season of Black Mirror, the hugely popular British anthology series based around the dangerous rapid development of technology and its influence on humanity, the recently released seventh season has both highs and lows. When I sat down to watch it and jotted down my initial reactions to each and every episode, I was met with, among other things, a solid sequel to one of the series’ most famous episodes, but also one of the most moving episodes of television/streaming I’ve seen all year. Below you’ll find my initial reaction to every episode of the seventh season of Black Mirror.

Continue reading “Black Mirror – Season 7 (2025) | REVIEW” →