Mare Easttown

Kate Winslet leads the cast of this new HBO drama series Mare Easttown, which revolves around a troubled police detective named Mare. Based on the novel by Brad Ingelsby, the series revolves around a town where the residents are still trying to figure out what happened to their loved ones that disappeared or died. Craig Zobel directs this as a solid follow-up to his acclaimed debut film, The Hunt. The series also features an impressive ensemble cast that includes Guy Pearce, Cailee Spaeny, Julianne Nicholson, and the great Jean Smart.

The characters of the show are so real, multi-faceted, and relatable. Kate Winslet is a stunning actress who shows a wide variety of emotional and physical pain as she plays Mare. She is constantly dealing with depression and sorrow. She also deals with various disturbances, such as drug addicts and perverts.

Crime dramas can be super cliche but the unwinding of this one made it an interesting watch. The twists and turns the show had were unbelievable and just when you would think you knew what was happening things would change and you would realize you were wrong. Each episode also ended with its own convenient red herring, which managed to keep viewers glued to their screens.

My biggest fear about this show was that the finale would be as bad as the first season of True Detectives finale was. But luckily Mare Easttown had a very interesting conclusion that I did not see coming at all.

Halston

Netflix’s limited series, Halston, follows the iconic fashion designer life. The series, which was produced by Ryan Murphy, captures the beauty of the rocket-fueled rise and the tragic fall of Halston and the moments that defined him as an icon of his time.

Halston is a beautiful piece of television, with its elegant set pieces and its somber tone. The show has a great deal of heart and a great focus on Halston's personal crisis. He was incredibly vulnerable and complex, and it shows through in the way that Ewan McGregor manages to get lost in the character. McGregor is a truly magnificent actor, displaying a powerful performance that really elevated the series.

Halston is a character that is very different from Murphy's usual work. He is a man who is searching for the love and safety that was missing from him as a child. Beneath the stylish exterior, there is a powerful and moving meditation on how lonely life can be at the top.

A must-see not only for fashion fans but also for fans of great television.

Solos

Solos is a comprehensive mini-series telling a single, self-contained story with a specific ending. I hadn't heard anything about it until I received a screener link and decided to check it out based on the stellar cast alone. And what a beautiful surprise it was. Solos is an emotional roller coaster. Very interesting and unpredictable.

The writing is really good, and the acting is even better. Both of those skills come together to create something that is a series of monologues that the A-list actors deliver with perfection. The short stories are creative, intriguing, and amazingly thought-provoking. All of them are connected through a central theme. They all take place in a single setting, with usually a single character with a robot or AI interacting with them. I enjoyed all the episodes but the ones with Helen Mirren and Constance Wu really blew me away.

Forget Rotten Tomatoes ratings and people comparing the show to Netflix’s Black Mirror. Solos is a great series and you should give it a chance.

Hacks

Hacks explore a dark mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old.

This show is a gem. It is so funny and heartfelt. I believe that it is loosely based on the legendary comic Joan Rivers and Jean Smart is perfect for the role. She is brilliant as Deborah Vance and gives a masterclass in comedic timing. Hannah Einbinder is also insanely good as Ava. They have great chemistry together and are a great example of an excellent combination of a veteran actress and a talented newcomer.

The writing is fresher and wittier than any show on the air right now. It feels so accurate to the entertainment industry and what people, especially women, have to go through. I’m excited to see where the showrunners take Ava and Deborah’s relationship.

I loved his show and hope it gets picked up for more seasons.

Mystic quest

The second season of this hilarious show about a video game studio that produces a popular video game called Mythic Quest is here. In the first season of the series, the studio, which is run by the game-creator Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney), was about to release a major expansion to the game titled Raven's Banquet. And it was an awesome ride! The show creators and writers developed an amazing show with a great ensemble of the cast that has been well-received by audiences all over the world.

The Mythic Quest team spent most of this season working on the game's next expansion as well as their own problems within the company and in the gaming industry.

The second season also spent more time on the characters played by F. Murray Abraham, Danny Pudi, Ashly Burch, and Imani Hakim, and we learned more about each of them. That definitely made the show's silly moments even funnier and its sad moments even more poignant.

WandaVision

Wow, what a crazy ride this show was! The premise was so unique. And I loved the tribute to past sitcoms and TV tropes.

I know that after the first 3 episodes, some of you were restless and claiming that not enough was happening. But those complaints stopped after the 4th episode aired. That was when the show broke the Fourth Wall established and started shifting between inside the ‘Hex’ and the real-life outside. Also introducing newcomer characters like Monica Rambeau and Tyler Hayward.

WandaVision felt very fresh. It shook things up in the MCU giving it a brand new lease of life. The show had a long, rich, and satisfying journey. And the attention to detail was outstanding and it offered a balanced mix of action and characterization that I think all fans of the MCU enjoyed.

Search party

Search Party is a dark comedy thriller. Created by Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, and Michael Showalter. The show is primarily set in New York City and follows a group of millennial friends who become involved in the search for a missing young woman. But, what started out as basically the stories of some hipsters dealing with their boring and meaningless life, quickly spiraled into a very dark, drama/thriller, but also super funny show.

I'm very surprised how this show isn't being talked about at all. It is so good! Probably one of the best on TV right now.

Season 4 was another really great one. It had a bit of a sluggish first half but it was still pretty good. However, the second half episodes were absolutely amazing. They ranged from hilarious to absurd, to downright depressing. I mean, when "the Gang" was talking about how they feel lost in life, it hit really close to home.

The final episode was an emotional rollercoaster. I loved how it ended. But I’m absolutely down for a season 5.

Master of none

I have to start this by saying that you shouldn’t go into Master of None third season expecting it to be similar to previous ones. And if you are expecting to find out what happened to Dev and Francesca after the season two cliffhanging finale you will be very disappointed. This season is called Master of None Presents: Moment In Love for a reason. Because it is completely different in style and tone from the previous seasons.

I am always open to hearing stories about any kind of interesting people, POC, LGBTQ+ or otherwise. I think it’s important to see these kinds of stories on TV. Denise and Alicia showed perspectives that don’t get much play in the mainstream. I loved that. Aziz wrote and directed every single episode in this season. I liked what he did with the photography and aesthetics. And I enjoyed the static long takes. I think it was a great way to use visual storytelling.

Overall, I enjoyed this season. And I think Aziz did a good job venturing into new territory. But I understand why a lot of people are upset about this season. because it's not at all what the first two seasons established. Aziz took a huge risk here doing what he wanted to do and I respect that.