Ambition Has a Price

Season 2 of USA Network’s hit series, The Rainmaker, finds Rudy Baylor as one of the most sought-after young lawyers following his $80 million win against Great Benefit Hospital Systems in Season 1.

But winning a high-profile case on your first try is very different from knowing what it takes to become a great lawyer.

And with that level of success come expectations that may prove more difficult to navigate than the law itself.

Starring Milo Callaghan as Rudy Baylor, Lana Parrilla as Bruiser Stone, and P.J. Byrne as Deck Shifflet, Season 2 continues to follow Rudy on his journey toward becoming a great lawyer, or what he believes a great lawyer should be.

In the first two episodes of The Rainmaker Season 2—Episode 1 “Dear Uncle Rudy,” premiering Friday, October 16, and Episode 2 “Cards Up,” premiering October 23—Rudy faces the challenge of proving to Bruiser that his ambition is matched by his ability.

But with every compelling legal procedural drama, there’s a formidable opponent, and, in Season 2, Merle Dandridge suits up.

Dandridge joins Season 2 as Amanda Vonn, a cutthroat powerhouse attorney who appears to go to extraordinary lengths to protect her reputation and to win.

Amanda doesn’t just own the room.

She is the room.

Amanda is someone Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman) looks to for a second chance after the fallout at her previous firm—Brad Noonan was imprisoned and Leo Drummond and the CEO of Great Benefit, Wilfred R. Keeley, were indicted.

Sarah also destroyed her relationship with Rudy in the process.

At the end of it all, only Sarah remains—with just one case under her belt, an embarrassing loss, and a reputation torn to pieces.

But starting over doesn’t necessarily mean making new choices, nor does it mean that Amanda is the answer to Sarah’s professional problems.

For Sarah, it becomes a question of whether she’s learned from the pattern of decisions that now shape her professional and personal reputation or if her ambition continues to lead her toward the very people who could threaten her future as a lawyer.

A pattern that suggests a character trait she has yet to recognize within herself—one that led her to use personal information about Rudy to advance her case.

For both Rudy and Sarah, Season 2 presents two distinct challenges born from the same case:

Can Rudy live up to the expectations created by his victory, and can Sarah recognize the choices that contributed to her downfall?

What It Means to Win

Season 2 begins with J. Lyman Stone and Associates taking up a case where the lives of hundreds of children hang in the balance.

A win in this case could be even more costly than a loss.

With so many lives at stake, the question isn’t whether Rudy and his team win or lose. It’s whether they’re prepared for the fallout that comes from taking on the case in the first place.

And caught in the crossfire yet again is Sarah, who finds herself back as opposing counsel with a case whose legal implications run far deeper than they initially appear.

As Sarah gets pulled back into the courtroom, the question becomes whether the road to rehabilitation is all that different from her past—potentially finding herself surrounded by the very ruthlessness that contributed to her downfall.

And on the edge of Rudy and Sarah’s rivalry is a blast from the past in Bruiser’s life: her ex-husband.

Tom Cassady (Austin Nichols) upends Bruiser’s life by reaching out for legal help to save his own life and that of the star pitcher of the minor league baseball team he coaches.

Tom’s return complicates Bruiser’s personal and professional life—bringing up old wounds that could test her judgment and principles.

And in the midst of all the legal drama is the heartbeat of the series:

Rudy Baylor.

Is flying too high too fast a bad thing?

Depending on who you ask, the “yes” can mean different things.

Yes, because of arrogance.

Yes, because of inexperience.

Yes, because of the danger that awaits on the other side.

And what makes the danger worth it is how Rudy, Bruiser, and Deck—an unlikely combination of personalities—come together in their cases.

They bring their individual wit, intelligence, and cunning methods to the firm in a blend of comedy that gives The Rainmaker a refreshing identity that makes people tune in week after week.

It’s within this contrast between their personalities that the humor finds its home.

Even when the stakes are high, their differences remind us that being good at what you do doesn’t mean everyone agrees on how the job should get done.

As they continue to learn about one another—what makes the others tick, what they care about, as well as the skeletons in their closets—they realize they share the same passion for winning.

Not at all costs.

But with a willingness to fight for what’s right, fair, and just for their clients.

And if the first two episodes are any indication, Rudy and his team have a few battles ahead of them.

With conspiracies, hidden agendas, and powerful enemies emerging, they will have to fight with everything they have to succeed—not just for their clients, but for themselves.

Winning may have made Rudy Baylor a lawyer worth remembering, but what comes next will determine the kind of lawyer he chooses to become.

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Rudy Baylor’s Law Journey

• The Rainmaker Season 1 Finale

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

1

A Supernatural Inheritance

Haunted Hotel Season 2 drops us right into a battle between human and monster within the mundane ritual of checking into a hotel.

And as the doors reopen with the new season, Katherine (Eliza Coupe) wants to expand her horizons—starting with hiring a new employee.

Haunted Hotel continues to explore the Freeling family—Katherine, her two kids, Ben (Skyler Gisondo) and Esther (Natalie Palamides), her inherited demon child Abaddon (Jimmi Simpson), and her deceased brother, Nathan (Will Forte).

And everyone does their part to make Undervale’s “underworld charm” a joyous attraction while protecting unsuspecting guests from danger.

Season 1 of Haunted Hotel showed us a single mother and a family battling loss, grief, depression, and a secret—Nathan’s death.

Yet between hotel hospitality and outrageous ghost busting, a family learned to redefine the term in order to move forward through life stronger than before.

And they’re going to need it because Undervale houses more curses within its walls than the “Book of Shadows.”

A new evil festers underneath the hotel, and there’s someone who may hold the answer, who’s been in the background all along:

Shayna.

Shayna, voiced by Natalie Morales, pretended to be a ghost since Season 1.

Once found out by Esther, she explains that her presence is linked to her heritage—a bloodline that requires a member of the family to always remain in Undervale to prevent the awakening of a cosmic god.

Haunted Hotel Season 2 effectively weaves Shayna into both the characters’ and the audience’s memories by taking us back to major moments within Season 1 where she lurked within the halls.

This clever introduction creatively expands Haunted Hotel without sacrificing the elements that make it entertaining and relevant.

But Shayna’s presence isn’t just about her bloodline.

It’s also about inheritance.

The Family Beneath the Haunting

Shayna’s relationship with the supernatural happenings at Undervale is a surprising connection that extends to Katherine’s relationship with the hotel.

They both inherited the hotel in different ways—ownership versus obligation—each carrying a burden that demands personal sacrifice to keep it afloat.

An inheritance that requires both Katherine and Shayna to either confront their family’s generational curse or run away from it altogether.

But in a hotel where curses are practically an architectural tradition, Dante enters the picture.

Dante Crowe, a supernatural investigator, comes to Undervale to help stop the awakening.

His supernatural lineage allows him to exist between the worlds of the living and the dead—making him a formidable opponent for anyone who encounters him.

Especially because he can touch the ghosts.

And he can harm them.

But what keeps Haunted Hotel entertaining is the cohesion of horror and humor.

And as Dante works to keep everyone in Undervale safe, Katherine sees an opportunity to date.

Throughout the season, she attempts to balance her responsibilities at Undervale with her identity as a woman seeking normalcy beyond motherhood, ghosts, and the children who consistently chase them.

But the dating pool is dead.

Literally.

However, her optimism—alongside Esther’s paranormal investigations, Ben’s ghost-girlfriend woes, and Nathan’s spirited (pun intended) enthusiasm—adds to what draws audiences to the series, despite impending doom.

Haunted Hotel Season 2 brings us deeper into the family dynamic, the supernatural chaos, and what it means to call a place home.

And yet, the madness isn’t separate from the family story at the heart of the series. It’s woven into the very fabric of what it means to experience grief and still find ways to love and to live.

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The Hotel Horrors Continue

• Haunted Hotel Season 1 Review

• Hazbin Hotel Season 2—Hell Got a Little Bit Hotter

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

1

What Happens When Everyone Has Access to You

The iconic Stephen King story of Carrie White makes its way to Prime Video in a new adaptation, Carrie, on Wednesday, October 7.

This time, her story doesn’t just exist as small-town lore. It’s online.

Starring Summer H. Howell as Carrie White and Samantha Sloyan as her fiercely protective mother, Margaret, Carrie emerges from the confines of her sheltered life and into a world she’s been shielded from her entire life.

One with cell phones, social media, and teenagers who misuse them.

After the sudden death of her father, Carrie is thrust into a world for which she is completely unprepared—navigating bullying and scandal that rips through the community like wildfire.

All while experiencing an awakening of powers alongside her growing rage.

Unlike its film predecessor, Carrie slows us down, taking us inside the world of a teenager and how she processes information, people, beauty, and the cruelty around her.

Through this slower pace, the series allows room for a natural buildup—from the innocent and sheltered life to the bloody icon that represents a powerful image of female rage.

The additional element of modernizing the reach of bullying—from the 1976 version to including social media—takes Carrie’s rage from her school to the world.

Everyone can see the posts.

Everyone can see the likes.

And Carrie’s rage no longer exists within her small bubble; it extends across physical and digital time and space.

This changes the scale of what Carrie must survive before we ever meet the version of her audiences already know.

There Are No Rules to Rage

The opening episodes establish the iconic and recognizable history that Sissy Spacek brought to Carrie White in the 70s.

But soon after, the series settles into its new identity.

This Carrie isn’t just thrown into her new surroundings like a fish out of water.

She’s gaining an understanding of the world around her through a firehose—an understanding that fuels her curiosity and grants her agency.

It also shows the audience Carrie’s increased autonomy over her emotions rather than the unchecked outrage that could make people perceive her as unhinged.

And as the series takes care to weave in the history of telekinesis and witchcraft and how women were historically treated when seen as “other,” it gives Carrie context for understanding what she can do and how she can do it.

She’s in control now.

And for adults watching the series, it pulls you back into the world of high school cruelty—one you’ve maybe compartmentalized to the point of no longer existing within your own memories.

It shows you how time and technology make the space for bullying that much more dangerous.

It’s no longer in a silo, confined to your school and local town.

It’s worldwide.

And the internet is forever.

But the series isn’t just interested in what modern bullying does to Carrie. It takes time to examine those who are responsible for it.

On the other side, Carrie expands and deepens the antagonist, Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton).

The series doesn’t excuse her increased malicious behavior, but it does peel back the veil on the circumstances and structures that influence her cruelty.

Through Chris, Carrie investigates the conditions that produce her behavior—how the way she’s being raised impacts her self-perception and how she retaliates against the world around her.

Cruelty isn’t made by accident.

Rage isn’t present at birth.

Life is the author of our actions, and Carrie’s life is, well, something of a horror story.

It All Begins Inside the Home

If the outside world gives us a glimpse of where Carrie is headed, the world inside her home shows us where it all began.

Her mother.

In the 1976 adaptation, Margaret was depicted as cold, callous, and rigid in her treatment of Carrie.

But in this series, we’re shown a new version—not necessarily soft but that of a genuinely concerned and grieving mother.

A mother who lost the center of her household while trying to raise a teenager who is as displaced in the world as she.

And even within her rules, she still extends herself to Carrie—letting her know that above all she’s still her mother, she’s here for her, and she loves her.

And as Carrie’s moods change, Margaret must watch her go down a path that she does not understand.

A path where she carries the burden of grief for her daughter and for herself.

And there’s no rule book for navigating grief.

There’s no rule book for joining a world in which you don’t recognize yourself.

Pressurized between a mother who’s desperately trying not to lose her daughter and high school bullying that threatens the threads of her resolve, Carrie learns she must make her own rules.

Howell and Sloyan are phenomenal in not only inhabiting the world of the story but also breathing new life into a fragile relationship as old as time:

The mother-daughter relationship.

And what’s even more beautiful about their performances is how when they share space, it feels as if you’re in their bubble—a show within a larger show that makes you invested in the dynamic that built the pyre for Carrie’s rage.

And more than just the set design—which physically takes you between the modern world in school and Carrie’s outdated surroundings inside her home—both actors still preserve that chemistry when they share space everywhere else.

They aren’t just othered; they also feel othered.

And in their nuanced performances, you connect with both characters.

You feel bad for them both.

You feel rage for them both.

And for Carrie, the rage has only just begun.

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The Scorned Teen…

• M.I.A. Brings Bold Energy in Revenge Series

• Wayward Turns Troubled Teens Into Psychological Horror

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

The Line Between Malice and Morality

It’s a deliciously evil concept to form a show where the audience shares a secret with a character.

A secret that could irreparably damage another.

A secret that could start a war.

HBO’s newest series, War, premieres on Thursday, October 1, and it’s here to rattle everything you thought you knew about lawyers with power.

Starring Emmy Award nominee Dominic West as Morgan Henderson and Golden Globe Award nominee Sienna Miller as Carla Duval, War is a high-stakes legal drama that follows the lives of London’s most powerful lawyers as they clash over a sensationalized legal battle.

A battle that draws in Jonathan “Johnny” Warren (Archie Reneaux)—a bright and ambitious young lawyer—like a moth to a flame into a ruthless world where the line between strategy and betrayal blurs.

Where winning isn’t nothing.

It’s everything.

Traditionally, legal dramas build tension around the pursuit of justice, professional ethics, or the moral compromises required to uphold them. War takes a keen interest in what happens when winning becomes the morality.

But the courtroom isn’t the only place where ugly battles take place.

In War, strategies unfold behind closed doors, information becomes ammunition, and knowing exactly where to strike is just as lethal as knowing the law.

Season 1 centers a volatile divorce case between Morgan Henderson and Carla Duval—pulling you into the drama from the inside out before revealing the masterminds behind the increasingly malicious divorce battle.

Lawyers.

Collateral Damage Spares No One

As the saying goes, “No one wins when the family feuds.”

And across eight episodes, both sides prove they are willing to go to the depths of hell to win.

But not at all costs.

Every cost.

At Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne, they’ll risk it all to gain everything for their clients and for themselves.

And in War, the series understands the stereotypes that surround powerful lawyers and doesn’t try to convince us otherwise.

Instead, it leans into the calculating brutality, unchecked ambition, and willingness to exploit weaknesses to make every choice feel oddly believable.

Though the viewer may not agree with the methods, War shows you enough to make you understand why.

But what happens when the lawyers’ self-interest no longer aligns with their clients?

Then what?

Morgan and Carla pull out all stops during their divorce battle, but the battle behind the scenes doesn’t just exist between the opposing law firms.

It’s embedded within their own teams.

This is where War truly shines as a series—showing just how the blade wielded to cause harm to someone else harms the wielder just the same.

And the longer the battle continues, the more difficult it becomes to determine where one war ends and another begins.

Professional competition bleeds into personal relationships, loyalty becomes conditional, and victories within one relationship create casualties in another.

And in war, who becomes the casualty?

The couples.

The children.

The interns.

The lawyers.

Everyone.

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Power, Pressure & Prestige

• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Review

• The Pitt Season 2 Review

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

Hillman College Here We Come

SCHOOL IS IN SESSION!

A Different World premiered all 10 episodes Thursday, September 24, on Netflix, and it’s the perfect start of freshman year…

If you include the chaos and aimless decision-making that 18-year-olds are prone to make once they’re out from underneath their parents’ surveillance.

Fitting in, boys, girls, grades, and envy live within the students as they stumble through Hillman trying to find their identity and find their way.

AND IT’S HARD!

New crushes.

New secrets.

Looking for husbands?!

But the lessons that come with it equip you with the tools to call upon should the need come. 

And that, students, is life.

Creator and showrunner Felicia Pride brings another ensemble cast that includes Maleah Joi Moon, Alijah Kai Haggins, Cornell Young, Jordan Aaron Hall, Kennedi McClure, and Chibuikem Uche.

The legacy cast includes Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Darryl M. Bell, Cree Summer, Charnele Brown, Jenifer Lewis, Dawnn Lewis, Glynn Turman, and Jada Pinkett Smith.

With legacy, however, comes the heavy weight to live up to family expectations, standards, social pressures, and personal goals.

A Different World returns to Hillman College with a new class stepping onto campus. At the center is Deborah Wayne (Moon), Whitley’s (Guy) and Dwayne’s (Hardison) lovingly sheltered youngest daughter, a free spirit with a flair for the spotlight and a big heart who’s still figuring out her own path at Hillman.

Throughout each episode the effortless mix of humor and depth remains and translates across time—integrating punchlines, one-liners, and social media interactions that feel both familiar and fresh.

And to their credit, the new generation has their own identity.

Though they occupy similar spaces (same jobs, dorm rooms, the jock, the sheltered), A Different World expands common generational behaviors and tropes in a way that still makes the characters feel brand new.

However, there is a downside to A Different World.

I know, don’t kill me, but it’s not what you think.

It’s not the writing, or the costumes, or even the story itself.

It’s that we simply didn’t get enough time to fully move into the dorms with these characters.

The ten-episode series glides through the personal struggles of the students, their successes, and past traumas quite smoothly—grounding the audience into the story without overwhelm.

Even the cast from the original series enters each scene authentically, still connected through nearly four decades of friendship.

But ten episodes just isn’t enough to keep us satisfied. 

More episodes would allow audiences to create deep and rich connections with the new cast outside the shadows of their parents.

While keeping the previous cast connected to the series is the perfect bridge for fans old and new alike, more episodes could wean us away from the reliance on the original cast and develop new relationships with the younger generation.

It could also allow more breathing room for serious issues like under-testing and under-diagnosis of learning disabilities in Black women that get overlooked or often framed as “doing the most” or being “all over the place.”

It’s exactly the conversation A Different World has always made room for. Here, however, the shortened season means the series has to move on almost as quickly as it introduces it.

But as quickly as the topic comes, A Different World still manages to give the characters enough reflection to establish what the issue means.

Finding Yourself Within the Noise

A Different World still manages to infuse social and world issues into the messaging, and one of those issues is the navigation of social media.

There is power in what you say on the internet.

And A Different World tackles a storyline where the students must learn to maintain conscious awareness of their influence and how, if not taken seriously, it can negatively impact everyone around them.

For a generation whose social currency increasingly exists online, the series asks what happens when digital influence collides with real-world consequences.

And the storyline beautifully navigates the shift in how younger generations communicate and the responsibilities that come with that influence.

But there’s one storyline that is bold, loud, and proud.

The fashion. 

Historically, Black sitcoms have pushed artistic boundaries and expressed their political views through fashion, and Emmy-nominated costume designer Provi Fulp delivers.

Every outfit, every color, and every stitch enhances each character’s personality, personal journey, and emotional state—deepening our connection to who they are.

Deborah’s style changes from patterns and pairings that depict the daughter her parents want her to be to pieces that feel elevated—finding her voice through fashion just as much as her studies.

And with Fulp, style is more than something to admire. 

It’s a lifestyle.

It’s a statement.

And the students of Hillman are bold with what they have to say.

Even if what they say turns into a hashtag.

What cannot be a hashtag is the power in Black education. From the original series to now, that messaging still remains.

Though it was compressed across a short order series, the value of what A Different World represents still matters.

Parents tell us who we’re supposed to become.

Social media tells people who we are.

Fashion tells people how we see ourselves.

Friends and relationships help us figure ourselves out within the noise.

But education gives the students the environment in which they can discover who they want to become.

This is where the old meets the new—a series that still makes space for conversations about identity and agency.

That’s why Hillman matters.

And it’s only just getting started.

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Your Next Weekend Binge

• Netflix’s Wayward Turns Troubled Teens Into Psychological Horror

• Elle Brings a Bright New Chapter to the Legally Blonde Legacy

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

1

The Family Business

Two Secret Service agents, an FBI agent, a Department of Justice officer, and a U.S. Marshall.

What do they all have in common?

The Hollingsworth family.

While it may sound like the beginning of a bad bar joke, this family knows that nothing they do is a laughing matter.

NBC’s newest series, Line of Fire, is about a family of law enforcement agents who struggle to bridge personal differences and cross professional boundaries in service to the public.

Starring Peter Krause as Mike, Hope Davis as Jane, Kat Cunning as Clare, Tommy O’Brien as Micah, and Taylor Bloom as Russ, Line of Fire tackles family drama through an unusually tangled professional lens.

Yet it seamlessly weaves between humor and depth in a way that doesn’t allow the audience to settle for too long, but just enough to feel the weight of the story.

NOTE: Light premiere spoilers ahead

Line of Fire approaches family crime drama with an energy reminiscent of the height of the 2000s while pulling the audience into a unique dynamic that is fresh, grounded, and oddly spicy.

For a show that should feel off-kilter and out of place, the Hollingsworth family is a humorous reflection of a family of professionals who solve more cases than their own personal issues.

Estranged spouses.

Secret boyfriends.

Unprofessional relationships.

And the pressures of family legacy.

It all collides and collapses under the weight of a family who knows how to be there for everyone but each other.

But how do you repair something that you didn’t know was broken until it was too late?

As the family struggles to come to grips with their new dynamics that threaten to pull them further apart, justice works even harder to bring them back together.

Even if it’s only for a little while.

The Case They Struggle to Solve

The beauty inside the chaos is the Hollingsworth siblings—adults who never abandoned the kids inside them who need their mom and dad.

The adults who fight for identity and agency in professions where they are defined by the reputations of their parents.

And the parents have their faults.

Mike and Jane are estranged.

But the way they brought up their children didn’t suddenly disappear once they decided to temporarily call it quits.

The damage lingers.

And it lingers within the children because the mess was never addressed.

Every new case, every new victim made it easier to ignore the problems growing at home.

But another thing that lingers between the Hollingsworth parents is the love that never found a reason to fade away—punctuated by the secret affair they’ve been having with one another behind the kids’ backs.

It’s revelations like these that make Line of Fire exciting.

While the introduction of the series may seem scattered and disconnected, Line of Fire uses the Hollingsworths’ professions to set the stage for real interdepartmental cooperation and collaboration to solve cases.

This is what makes the show unique.

Most crime series focus on a specific profession, bringing in departmental agencies across one or two episodes before refocusing on the original storyline.

But Line of Fire isn’t bound by jurisdictional prudence.

It takes the professional family dynamic that occurs among law enforcement and amplifies that by making it literal.

Episode 1 sets the stage.

And the stage ends on a jaw-dropping bombshell that changes everything we assumed about the series.

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More Crime, More Drama

• The Rainmaker Season 2 Renewal

• Average Joe Season 2 Episode 6 Review

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

The World Moved On While Varnell Stayed the Same

The Varnell Hill Show, starring Tommy Davidson, lands its own spinoff series after nearly three decades since audiences first fell in love with him.

The new half-hour comedy already feels current and relevant, adding quite a few colorful words and jokes that never would’ve cleared the FCC in the 90s, affording the type of comical freedom reminiscent of Def Comedy Jam while also capturing the attention of younger viewers who are just now being introduced to the iconic character.

The hilariously star-studded ensemble cast includes Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nick Cafero, Emmanuel Hudson, and Chris Williams.

Guest stars include Ms. Pat, Deon Cole, Damon Wayans, Mike Epps, Omarion, and MANY, many more, including the series’ executive producer, Martin Lawrence.

The Varnell Hill Show wastes no time creatively summarizing the time jump—the board getting younger bosses with fresh views to replace the outdated content that Varnell has relied upon.

And the costume department has a huge hand in visually representing where Varnell’s creativity peaked—evident in his loud monochromatic zoot suit against the fashion of everyone around him, who represent new and fresh ideas as well as a new audience.

While the writing and directorial approach smartly reaches multiple generations without pandering to potential new fans or neglecting the core fanbase, the series takes you behind-the-scenes of Varnell’s late-night talk show and his fierce battle to remain relevant in a world where information is at the tip of everyone’s fingertips.

Varnell must not only find ways to be creative—modernizing his efforts in a way that may not be agreeable to his traditional standards—but also battle multiple egos and family drama.

The Fight for Relevancy is an Uphill Battle

What’s interesting about the show is its dual-filming method, combining traditional studio audience performance with mockumentary moments—creating a unique push-and-pull formula that makes you feel like the person in the room who has to pretend they just found out about the big secret.

“Oh my god, really? I didn’t know.”

The production formula allows audiences to see a TV show but also feel as though they’re watching a real late-night talk show, especially with stars such as Doug E. Fresh and Kirk Franklin appearing as themselves as guests on the segments.

The creators have perfectly combined multiple filming styles while still feeling as if these characters are tangible and real.

But one thing that surprised me was the clever injection of the state of television and the lifeline of shows.

Rachel (Wendy Raquel Robinson) confronts Varnell about his reluctance to change, informing him that one day the show will go away, putting everyone involved, including him, at professional and financial risk.

Adapt or disappear.

It’s a reality that permeates cable, network, and streaming platforms, as we’ve witnessed over the last few years the meteoric rise of some of the best TV shows ever written, only for them to be axed before ever gaining true momentum.

This revelation is the heart of the series, highlighting how many people it takes to drive the vehicle that is entertainment and how the industry has treated them as disposable.

Thus, Varnell and his team must find a way to reach a broader audience without sacrificing morals and core values to do so.

In the quest for relevancy and youthful relatability, one thing that stands out immediately is the excessive use of modern colloquialisms.

Then it flips on its head when Varnell uses slang from his era that completely misses the landing—further highlighting the juxtaposition between the old audience and the new.

While this approach comes with its mishaps with the producer and the new writing team, it also comes with its wins when everyone realizes they share the same goal.

But above all, The Varnell Show is a comedy, and the series has some comedic heavyweights, both old and new, that use the show’s stage to platform their talents while the show itself serves as a love letter to comedy.

The first 2 episodes will premiere Tuesday, September 1, then weekly thereafter on Paramount+.

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More Comedy-Related Articles

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Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

1

Joe Was Never Prepared for This Life

“Oh my God, no!”

On the heels of a tachycardic Season 1 finale of Average Joe comes an even more chaotic Season 2 premiere.

Picking back up on Joe’s doorstep, Leon brings a bloodied Cathy (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams) to his house the same night that Angela (Tammy Townsend) decided to leave with Jennifer (Ashley Olivia Fisher) after surviving Russian kingpin Nicolai (Pasha D. Lychnikoff)—suffering from a gunshot wound from an undercover cop that is blamed on the Russians.

67 days later, Joe finds himself yanked from his two-month drinking binge by Cathy, Leon (Malcolm Barrett), and Touch (Michael Trucco) as new threats on Angela and Jennifer’s lives surface, taking him from his once average life in Pittsburgh and into Cape Town, South Africa.

As the team tries to dodge international assassins while unknowingly getting caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous local crime lord, inner demons and secret vices take root—rotting the foundation of trust and loyalty from the inside out.

That rot follows them down a path that is far more dangerous than Joe could even imagine.

One man looming over this season is Sipho (Hakeem Kae-Kazim), the Cape Town drug lord who is unforgiving, unrelenting, and decidedly calm in his executions and efforts to rule and get exactly what he wants, when he wants.

And as the stakes get higher and every moment more dangerous than the last, one thing that remains is the humor.

The comedy in Average Joe is so deeply simple that it allows the viewer watching to connect with every single character, even in moments of life and death.

The characters’ natural reactions, the fact that they just barely know what they’re doing—using their upbringing, street knowledge, fighting skills learned through Kung-Fu movies and WWF, and knowledge from True Crime shows as their survival toolkit—make them the most unlikely group to survive a horror movie, but you root for them anyway because they are relatable.

The glue that makes this work is the relationship between Joe, Leon, Touch, and Cathy. While their loyalty and trust will be tested beyond any trial they’ve ever faced, the audience depends upon their friendship and love to succeed, creating a shockingly emotionally immersive viewing experience.

But not all glue is cut from the same adhesive properties.

One secret gets exposed, blowing the entirety of Season 1 wide open, creating more questions than answers in Season 2, and sending Joe into a situation that unravels everything he thought he knew about his family.

The Sins of the Father Become Joe’s Inheritance

The premise of Average Joe feels biblical, a literal representation of “the iniquity of the fathers upon the children into the third and fourth generation,” as Joe’s new threats are a direct result of the lies his father told and the secrets he buried.

And Season 2 begins pulling apart those lies almost immediately.

Joe finds an ad in a Cape Town bar that raises alarm and causes him to pause, throwing a wrench into an already high-stakes fool’s mission to find answers about Angela and Jennifer.

But nothing could have prepared him for the truth about his father and his family’s history.

Suddenly, the events that pushed Joe from his average life into one of panicked violence take on a completely different meaning.

And the question that lingers is unsettling.

Did Teddy bury his secrets to protect Joe, or was it all to protect himself?

If Season 1 was about Joe surviving the consequences of the betrayal his father left behind, Season 2 forces him to question whether he ever understood his father in the first place.

And with an unapologetically ruthless drug lord on the loose and old secrets that threaten their friendship, no one in Cape Town is safe.

New episodes of Average Joe air every Wednesday on Paramount+. Episode 1 “67 Days Later” and Episode 2 “The Sea Gave Up the Dead” are available to stream now.

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Recommended Readings

• HBO’s Lanterns Episode 1 Reveals the Tragic Cost of Being the Hero

• Reacher Season 4 Review: Alan Ritchson Gets Vulnerable in Its Best Season Yet

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

Reacher’s Unexpected Failure and the Guilt It Leaves Behind

Just when you thought Reacher couldn’t get more epic after Season 3, in comes Season 4—opening with a scene that both devastates and emotionally hijacks the audience immediately.

Alan Ritchson walks the delicate tightrope of the dramatic and comedic essence of Jack Reacher as he finds himself in Philadelphia working to uncover a web of lies, expose conspiracies, and seek justice.

But justice comes on a sliding scale as Reacher wrestles with guilt over whether or not he could have prevented a tragic death, forcing him to let go of his analytical black-and-white approach and allow something gray to enter the room.

And in that gray lies a truth no one could’ve expected. What starts as a benign inquiry turns into a ruthless and violent attempt at a cover-up that merges the lives of Reacher, Detective Tamara Green (Sydelle Noel), Officer Jacob Merrick (Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette), and Lila (Agnez Mo).

For those who are familiar with the Jack Reacher book series, Season 4 adapts book 13, “Gone Tomorrow,” which was released in 2009. As with many adaptations, Reacher undergoes changes that include the setting going from New York to Philadelphia and character name swaps (Teresa Lee to Tamara Green).

Another change that stands out is Reacher’s signature fighting style—which transitions from brute force to a more intellectual strategy that offers the audience insight on how he mentally maneuvers through dangerous situations.

All of these changes lead to a Reacher that is more vulnerable and emotionally accessible to the viewer.

His “failure” is the first peek inside his vulnerability—a stark departure from previous seasons where he is emotionally resolute and dominates his environment through that energy. This failure cracks Reacher, placing him on a more unconventional path that explores his darker side to save all who are now collateral damage based on his single decision.

Noel as Det. Green not only matches Reacher’s signature dominant energy, but she provides a grounding his character needs to make sound decisions under circumstances that shake his foundation. Her no-nonsense approach to him and her lack of intimidation by him make her a force of equal prominence.

Det. Green is an unexpected ally but one that fits right into Reacher’s life, allowing him room to be less guarded with her and to stretch his intellectual abilities through more traditional means of investigating rather than just brute force.

Reacher’s Real Fight Comes at a High Price

This emotional and intuitive method is integral to Reacher getting to the bottom of a major cover-up in the city, and the more they uncover, the more nothing makes sense. The circle of trust gets smaller as the list of conspirators grows larger—upping the stakes to levels that even Reacher could not foresee. 

As outside forces threaten the strategic integrity of the team, they work tirelessly to figure out a way in which they all make it out together.

But at what cost?

This question is the moral center that drives Reacher this season—forcing him to take a moment to see just how his actions, no matter their intention, leave damage in their wake. In this, audiences see a Reacher that pulls back, slows down, and allows his team to help him see the bigger picture.

What’s real? 

What’s at stake?

And is the truth worth the destruction?

As the picture becomes clearer, the depths to which people will go to cover up the truth grow far deeper than anyone could have ever known.

The first three episodes of Reacher Season 4 explode onto Prime Video Wednesday, August 12, with the remaining five episodes releasing weekly. Check out the trailer below.

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Recommended Related Articles

• Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 Review

• Inspector Ellis Season 2 Review

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

There are few heroes more defined by contradiction than Batman.

Though feared by criminals and maybe even some law officials, he is deeply compassionate. And while his methods include physical violence, he is guided by deep restraint that keeps him from crossing moral boundaries.

Bruce Wayne is a man who willingly isolates himself from the people of Gotham City to ensure their protection, even when the city rarely returns the same affection.

Yet that contradiction has always been the allure of Batman’s greatest stories, and Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 continues to portray the heartbeat of a beloved hero’s hero in one of the best modern adaptations of his story.

Premiering all 10 episodes on Prime Video Friday, July 31, the sophomore season continues the hard-boiled noir vision from executive producers J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm, following Bruce Wayne in his early years as Gotham City’s relentless vigilante. Forged by tragedy and driven by an unwavering moral code, Bruce “wages a one-man war against crime in a city that constantly threatens to consume him.”

If Season 1 set the tone and pace, Season 2 takes off with the baton in a full sprint.

Gotham’s Power Vacuum Leaves a City Ripe for Crime

Season 2 of Batman: Caped Crusader is even grittier as Gotham City’s major players—Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and his daughter Barbara Gordon—find themselves navigating a sudden power vacuum that was left behind following the organizational collapse of mob boss Rupert Thorne.

But crime doesn’t just escalate.

It takes on a new form, infiltrating the city through its weakest points and on a massive, yet patient, scale.

And as violence escalates and spreads across Gotham, a more ruthless Dark Knight is required to meet each threat head-on, forcing Bruce to take greater risks while navigating a new alliance that often feels strained at best.

With each victory comes only temporary relief. Every decision made carries unknown consequences as a greater evil lurks beyond the shadows, weaving a level of chaos that Batman can’t quite grasp—making Gotham City itself just as unpredictable as the people looking to destroy it.

Batman’s Greatest Strengths are His Mind and His Humanity

One of the more standout moments of the season is Batman’s reliance upon his evidentiary gathering skills, placing him firmly in the role of detective rather than just a hero of the night.

Though stealth and physical dominance still garner quick results, Bruce is also forced to practice patience and become creative in uncovering the truth. It’s through his patience, intellect, and methodical investigative skills that show how valuable he is both in and out of the uniform.

That balance becomes one of Season 2’s strongest themes as the line that separates Bruce from Batman becomes harder to maintain.

But what keeps the line visible, allowing both Bruce and Batman to find strength in their morality is Batman’s humanity.

Not in the bright way that people tend to think of but in the inner turmoil he lives through while making the choice daily to save those who maybe wish he didn’t exist.

He chooses to be a hero without supernatural powers, and without a team, to make the city of Gotham a better place in spite of the city not loving him back.

It’s his humanity in choice.

His humanity in regret.

His humanity in perseverance, as the hardest thing Batman does isn’t saving someone in need but choosing to save anyone at all.

And with the passing of each episode, Season 2 understands that those choices become heavier every night.

One of DC’s Greatest Modern Achievements

Although Batman: Caped Crusader exists outside James Gunn’s core DC cinematic universe, the series is amongst one of the strongest DC projects in recent years.

Its noir-inspired visuals, complex storytelling, and restrained horror elements make the series feel refreshing and distinct from nearly every other modern superhero adaptation.

But what makes Season 2 so compelling is its understanding of Bruce Wayne.

And by the time you reach the jaw-dropping finale, the series will be sure to remind you that Batman’s greatest enemy was never the criminals.

It was the darkness within threatening to consume and corrupt him from the inside out.

And thanks to one of the most perfectly restrained and deeply sinister interpretations of the Joker in recent memory—one that’s simultaneously bone-chilling and utterly captivating—that final confrontation lands with remarkable force, culminating in an ending that leaves you gasping for air and immediately wanting more.

Whether Batman: Caped Crusader continues beyond Season 2 or not, it has already accomplished something remarkably rare.

It reminded us that Batman doesn’t endure because he’s invincible.

He endures because, despite everything Gotham takes from him, he keeps choosing to be its hero anyway.

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Introspective Character Psychology

• Lestat’s Truth Finds Home in His Music

• Louis’ Refusal to Let Claudia Go & What It Costs Him

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

Inspector Ellis Season 2 returns Monday, July 6, on Acorn TV, and Detective Chief Inspector Ellis (Sharon D. Clarke) and Detective Sergeant Harper (Andrew Gower) are back in northern England tackling new cases—proving why they’re one of television’s most compelling crime duos.

Season 2 finds Ellis and Harper on the other side of their initial apprehensive relationship that defined how they worked in the previous season. However, as the cases became more complex, requiring them to set their differences aside, the professional distance began to lessen, and trust took its place.

The Truth Isn’t Always in the Evidence Left Behind

Episodes 01 and 02 center on the Ashenham case, where respected community leader Peter Barron is murdered, but the crime scene is completely stripped of all physical evidence that would lead to the perpetrator. With little forensic evidence to go on, Ellis relies on skills not learned in the police academy to solve the case.

Rather than focus on information that she doesn’t have, Ellis and Harper take a bird’s-eye view of the case, turning their attention to the people left behind—strained relationships, hidden motivations, and resentment that refuse to be buried.

This same approach and instinct carries into Episodes 03 and 04 with the Elmsly case. What starts off as a horrific work tragedy quickly reveals itself to be something far more sinister.

And as Ellis and Harper investigate, bringing in coworkers and members of the community to find answers, they discover that this case extends beyond the death of a young woman.

It exposes a deep network of elitism, intimidation, corruption, and exploitation.

Ellis Finds Clarity Where Others See Chaos

As suspects work overtime to omit facts, conceal potential evidence, and protect their reputations, Ellis works even harder by finding clarity within the noise—seeing patterns within the chaos others dismiss as non-factors or mere coincidence.

It’s the unique quality of examining the psychological environment of these cases that separates Ellis from other television detectives.

Her role as a jurisdictional “fixer” hones peripheral skills in ways that being at a fixed precinct would not, allowing her transience to serve the forgotten cases better because new eyes and fresh perspectives bring in new leads.

And as a Black, female senior officer dealing with institutional prejudice, her ability to feel extreme empathy for the victims opens her eyes to details often overlooked when it comes to crimes committed against someone society deems unworthy to care about—adding to her forensic brilliance rather than becoming a socioeconomic blind spot.

Clarke continues to command every scene with a quiet confidence that never mistakes authority for arrogance—trusting observation, patience, and empathy as much as investigative procedure.

Alongside Gower’s Harper, the relationship feels even more natural this season, allowing each investigation to unfold with greater emotional weight as they continue to grow as partners.

Yet through it all, Inspector Ellis takes care not to simply ask who committed the crime.

It asks why people work so hard to conceal the truth.

And in the hands of DCI Ellis, those truths rarely stay hidden for long.

Inspector Ellis Season 2 airs new episodes Mondays only on Acorn TV. Check out the trailer below.

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Explore More Psychology & Human Behavior

• FROM Episode 9 Reveals the Truth About Survival & Human Behavior

• Netflix’s Wayward Turns Troubled Teen Programs into Psychological Horror

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

Prime Video goes back to the past with its newest series, Elle. But don’t worry, Elle doesn’t waste time trying to recreate Legally Blonde. Instead, across all eight episodes, it makes it a point to capture the bright energy, infectious optimism, and unwavering heart that made Elle Woods one of the most beloved characters in pop culture.

Created by Laura Kittrell, season one follows Elle Woods in high school “as we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first Legally Blonde film.”

The series stars Lexi Minetree, June Diane Raphael, Tom Everett Scott, Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz, Chandler Kinney, Zac Looker, and the late James Van Der Beek.

Lexi Minetree Embodies the Heart and Soul of Elle Woods

Set in 1995, the prequel follows a teen Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree) as she’s uprooted from Bel-Air and dropped into the gloomy, overcast-filled atmosphere of Seattle. Taken away from all her friends and all she knows—in a school that immediately judges her pink outfits and bubbly personality, Elle is forced to ask herself a question she’s never once considered:

Can someone remain true to themselves when the world fights for them to be someone else?

Lexi does an incredible job embodying the innocence and relentless, yet almost daft, positivity fans love about Elle. And across the series, audiences navigate high school life with her as her curiosity—which occasionally leans into harmless nosiness—becomes her greatest strength, despite others viewing it as an annoyance. Although her good intentions don’t always yield the results she imagines, Elle continually reminds viewers that childlike optimism and intelligence aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.

This is where the series begins to expand the Elle Woods we know and love.

Elle’s candid disposition and bright pink wardrobe cause others to believe she lacks intelligence, even though she’s just as smart as her peers and equally prone to making the same mistakes.

But rather than set out to prove she’s smarter than people give her credit for, Elle proves she’s exactly who she’s meant to be.

Growing Up Doesn’t Mean Losing Sight of Yourself

As each episode unfolds, the series quickly goes from introducing Elle in a new way to allowing the audience to discover her in a new way. Her friendships, the backstabbing nature of high school, getting involved with social injustices, and the growing pains of starting your life over.

But in true Elle fashion, every setback is an opportunity to learn and apply those lessons moving forward to make a positive impact across all areas of her life without sacrificing the parts of herself that remain uninfluenced by cynicism.

However, there is one element of Elle that misses the mark in a series that’s set in the mid-1990s:

The wardrobe.

While the season takes place in 1995, each outfit felt more like a modern interpretation of 90s fashion rather than creating the feeling that audiences have somehow truly traveled back in time to one of the most fashionable decades of our time.

Most of the atmosphere—lighting, wardrobe, and especially hair choices—felt more like an early-2000s teen drama than the colorful, stylish, and trendsetting era of the 90s. But once you move beyond the “almost there” feeling for nostalgia, the series finds its real footing.

And at its core, Elle is about identity.

Bright, charming, and effortlessly optimistic, Elle proves there’s still plenty of story to tell long before Harvard Law begins. And that story explores the complicated relationship between who others expect you to be and who you’re discovering yourself to be—even when those two identities don’t always align.

Elle premieres all eight episodes Wednesday, July 1, only on Prime Video. Check out the trailer below.

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More Young Adult Series to Explore

• Every Year After: Timing, Regret, and Second Chances

• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

Based on Carley Fortune’s bestselling novel “Every Summer After,”

“Every Year After is a romantic and nostalgic story about first loves, the people who shape us, and the choices that mark us forever.”

Starring Sadie Soverall (Saltburn) and Matt Cornett (Summer of 69) as Percy and Sam, the 8-episode series explores how split decisions impact a relationship, causing a rift that spans years, carrying the weight of words unsaid.

The series also stars Aurora Perrineau (KAOS, Westworld), Abigail Cowen (Fate: The Winx Saga), Michael Bradway (Chicago Fire), Joseph Chiu (Motorheads), and Elisha Cuthbert (Girl Next Door).

The Space Between Love and Action

What makes this series so compelling isn’t just the romance but the longing, passion, and desire that lie within.

Every Year After perfectly captures the purity of young love, the visceral and panicked feelings from the emotional fallout, and the regret that lingers when the truest feelings go unsaid for too long.

Something rare and beautiful that the series also captures—that many book adaptations struggle to translate—is the yearning that exists like an electric current between two people who are madly in love but hesitate to act.

This is what makes the series stand out.

From script to screen, Sadie Soverall and Matt Cornett deliver undeniable chemistry as Percy and Sam.

With every frame, you root for them.

With every glance, you ache for them.

And through every step of the journey, you’re proud of how far they’ve come.

But perhaps the greatest part of the love story is realizing that age, growth, and experience can reshape the future into something far greater than you can imagine.

As the characters examine old friendships—where they went right and where they went wrong—they must all ask themselves one question:

Is this person important enough to keep, or is it time to let them go?

Friendship, intimate relationships, and even that of parent and child are placed under the microscope of reflection as the characters attempt to reconcile the past in order to build a future that feels worthwhile.

Growing Into the Unknown

While many Young Adult adaptations released over the last few years focus on mystery, whodunnit, and high-concept drama, Every Year After feels poignantly different.

It’s intimate.

Vulnerable.

Hopeful.

Every Year After isn’t clean, polished, nor reminiscent of endings we’ve come to expect from stories of a similar theme.

Instead, it’s human.

It’s incomplete.

A story in progress built on the choices we make along the way that mirror the feeling of living in the present.

And sometimes the most honest choice we make isn’t one of clarity and certainty but a belief that something greater is on the other side.

All 8 episodes of Every Year After premiere Wednesday, June 10, on Prime Video. Check out the trailer below.

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.

More Young Adult Shows to Watch

• 56 Days on Prime Turns a Meet-Cute Into a Sexy, Twisted Thriller

• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Season 2 Review

The Four Seasons Season 2 returns as the tight-knit friend group must learn how to navigate life after the sudden loss of Nick (Steve Carell).

In the full circle of life, one loss becomes another’s new venture as Ginny (Erika Henningsen) is pregnant with Nick’s baby—tying Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) to the man who broke her heart even after his death.

In true friendship fashion, Kate (Tina Fey), Jack (Will Forte), Danny (Colman Domingo), Claude (Marco Calvani), and now Ginny (Erika Henningsen) continue the seasonal vacation tradition, promising to get together without letting the obstacles of life get in the way of what matters most: friendship.

But throughout eight episodes, both friendships and relationships are tested as the group navigates parenthood, marriage, and starting something new past the age of 50.

And with age comes feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, and uncertainty, yet also the wonders of the unknown.

And through it all—with their differing personalities and occasional conflict—they tackle life together.

The Four Seasons continues to resonate with viewers because it shows that adulthood does not magically grant certainty or emotional clarity. The series proves that grief, change, and fear quietly reshape people over time, even within long-term friendships and marriages—sometimes pulling them together and sometimes forcing them to confront the emotional distance between one another.

With a familiar comfort and set in beautiful new locations, Season 2 balances warmth with emotional vulnerability, allowing each member of the ensemble cast moments to wrestle with what it means to grow older while still longing for connection, purpose, and stability.

And with the comedic timing, sharp one-liners, and life experience of the cast, the series still leaves you in stitches while maintaining the authenticity and reality of getting older.

Created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, The Four Seasons continues to feel like a heartfelt love letter to enduring friendships and imperfect relationships—one that understands life rarely unfolds according to plan.

All eight episodes of Season 2 of The Four Seasons are available to stream now on Netflix. Check out the trailer below.

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More on Netflix

• Nemesis Review: Netflix Sets Los Angeles Ablaze With New Explosive Crime Drama

• Man on Fire Netflix Teaser Review

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores and investigates compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in depth theme analysis.

Season 2 of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder premieres all six episodes Wednesday, May 27, on Netflix.

And if you’re a fan of shows like Nancy Drew, Enola Holmes, Pretty Little Liars, or Blood & Water—where young women take matters of justice and truth into their own hands—this series is for you.

Starring Emma Myers, Eden H. Davies, Zain Iqbal, Asha Banks, Yali Topol Margalith, Jude Morgan-Collie, Henry Ashton, and Freddie England, Season 2 finds Pip (Myers) dealing with the fallout of the Andie Bell case. But as Max Hastings’ (Ashton) trial approaches, someone important to her goes missing, sending Pip on a race against time to find him.

Following the case of Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies) and Sal Singh (Rahul Pattni), Pip attempts to process her feelings in a way her generation knows best: podcasting.

While using her amateur investigative skills, coupled with her intelligence, led to putting the right people behind bars, Pip’s persistence—and minor rule-breaking—unearthed secrets that some feel are better left buried.

One secret involving the attack of girls led to the upcoming trial of Max Hastings—a young man who comes from a family of affluence and power. As a target in the fallout of Pip’s investigation in Season 1, Max and Pip find themselves enemies in the scales of justice.

But when Connor’s (Morgan-Collie) brother Jamie (Eden H. Davies) goes missing, Pip is desperate to see how his disappearance connects to the cases she’s worked.

But what happens when loved ones get caught in the crossfire?

Pip’s greatest strengths—investigating and storytelling—become an obsession that not only threatens her friendships, but fills her with extreme guilt—taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong even when the result is outside of her control and experience.

As a teenager, her perseverance faces an obstacle that she never factors in: she’s still just a kid.

And her age presents a challenge as she has blind spots that prevents her from seeing all the ways in which her loved ones, and herself, are harmed in the collateral damage.

Final Review

Season 2 of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is brilliantly tense, desperate, and foreboding.

Myers delivers a performance that elevates the series from amateur teen sleuth to a young woman with a passion for justice, fairness, and truth—bridging the growth from Season 1 to Season 2 in a way that allows the character space to mature along the way.

And in that maturation, Season 2 shines a light on the illusions of justice, revealing how grief, trauma, and desperation leave people at war between the truth they seek and the destruction it causes once revealed.

All six episodes are available to stream now, only on Netflix. Check out the trailer below.

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Read Next for YA Dramas

• M.I.A Review: Peacock Brings Bold Energy With New Revenge Series

• That Night Netflix Review: One Night, One Family Vacation, One Deadly Secret

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores and investigates compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in depth theme analysis.

© Kivonshe | So There’s That
Original editorial commentary on film and television. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution without attribution is not permitted.

Co-created by Courtney A. Kemp and Tani Marole, Nemesis is a series that balances heart-pounding action with the heavy weight of loyalty, family, and obsession, and it premieres Thursday, May 14, on Netflix.

Starring Matthew Law, Y’Lan Noel, Gabrielle Dennis, Cleopatra Coleman, Sophina Brown, Ariana Guerra, Michael Potts, Tre Hale, Quincy Isaiah, and Jonnie “Dumbfoundead” Park, Nemesis is sleek, smart, sexy, and dangerous.

But beneath the crime and the money lies a story about the burden of family and the desperate lengths people will go to protect those they love.

Nemesis centers around two smart and determined men on the opposite sides of the law.

Isaiah (Law) is a detective driven by his need to catch the crew that turned his world upside down two years ago. However, his determination and commitment to his career directly contrast with the state of his family life—his marriage hanging on by a thread that teeters on the edge of something from which he may not be able to recover.

On the other side stands Coltrane (Noel), the leader of an elite robbery crew who, motivated by family and legacy, contemplates each job being his last. With each heist comes bigger stakes and greater risks, leaving the team vulnerable to making mistakes—putting everyone directly in the LAPD’s line of sight and Isaiah’s line of obsession.

Nemesis starts off on a high and never lets up, each moment filled with action and suspense that arrests your heart and your attention from the opening scene to the finale credits.

From mythology metaphors to hip-hop, Nemesis doesn’t just bring the heat—it rains fire all around.

And that immersive experience is punctuated by the music—carefully curated to take the audience from casual spectator to material witness.

With every scene, the soundtrack pulls you deeper into the city of Los Angeles, placing the gun right into the viewers’ hands and lodging the tension directly in their chests.

Episodes one and two are directed by Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Wu-Tang: An American Saga), setting the stress zone high and allowing the subsequent episodes to push the characters and the stakes even higher.

Final Review

Nemesis moves with a stylish confidence within its world-building, where danger moves just as swiftly as ambition.

While many crime dramas focus on the stark difference between cops and criminals, Nemesis turns that perspective inward—placing Isaiah and Coltrane at odds while highlighting the similarities in their values and their internal ethos.

Both men are trapped by duty, consumed by mounting pressure, and everything they’re fighting for has the potential to be collateral in their unyielding need to win.

This duality is what makes Nemesis both artful and compelling.

Underneath the crime and the chaos are themes of family, loyalty, desperation, and brotherhood. And as the walls begin to close around Isaiah and Coltrane, the series repeatedly asks just one question:

How much of yourself are you willing to lose to protect the people and the life you love?

Nemesis premieres Thursday, May 14, on Netflix. Check out the trailer below.

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For More Explosive Dramas

• Netflix’s The Rip Sets New Bar for Character-Driven Cop Films

• M.I.A. Review: Peacock Brings Bold Energy With New Revenge Series

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores and investigates compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in depth theme analysis.

© Kivonshe | So There’s That
Original editorial commentary on film and television. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution without attribution is not permitted.

From the creators of Ozark comes M.I.A.—premiering Thursday, May 7, on Peacock—and it brings with it a type of energy that breathes new life into original content on the streaming platform.

The series is described as a revenge drama where Etta Tiger Jonze (Shannon Gisela) sets out to avenge her family after her family’s drug-running business shatters in tragedy.

But beneath its framework are the themes of family, loyalty, corruption, deception, and access. Every character moves with their own intentions and selfish needs to protect a loved one or their business. And once threatened, everyone must ask themselves:

How far will they go for what they desire the most?

The series also stars Brittany Adebumola, Cary Elwes, Danay Garcia, Dylan Jackson, Alberto Guerra, Maurice Compte, Gerardo Celasco, Marta Milans, Billy Burke, Edward James Olmos, Sonia Braga, Tovah Feldshuh, Tyler Tomas Perez, Paul Ben-Victor, David Denman, and Loretta Devine.

In the wake of tragedy, Etta (Gisela) embarks on the journey of a lifetime—seeking to acquire the appropriate skills and intelligence to enact retribution on the organization that destroyed her life.

During this process, she develops a friendship with Lovely (Adebumola) who supports her even if Etta’s path leads to dangerous roads she cannot foresee. However, in her quest for revenge, Etta creates a new family—not only in Lovely but in those she encounters along the way, forcing her to face the hard decision about choosing a path from which she can never return.

Across all nine episodes, M.I.A. takes you into the underbelly of Miami—crime, drugs, parties, illicit business—where those who smile and look clean in the daytime turn into monsters under the night sky.

And in that world, those same themes—family, loyalty, corruption, deception, and access—stop being abstract ideas and become the very concrete forces that shape decision Etta makes.

So the question then becomes:

Will Etta be consumed by blind revenge or find a path toward a better future?

Final Review

M.I.A. is daring, spicy, and revitalizing. Shannon Gisela perfectly balances boldness with vulnerability, anguish, and quiet power—a feeling that takes flight within a young woman who feels she no longer has anything to lose.

For fans of films like Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, and Kill Bill, M.I.A. takes its rightful place next to them—introducing a new protagonist amongst legends of women action heroes.

All nine episodes will air at once Thursday, May 7, on Peacock, and, in a bold move, NBC will air the pilot episode as a special telecast on Thursday, May 14, at 10 p.m. ET.

Check out the trailer below.

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More Women-Led Dramas

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Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores and investigates compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in depth theme analysis.

Swapped makes its debut today, May 1, on Netflix, and it is a film that confronts perspective to make room for truth.

Starring Academy Award winner Michael B. Jordan, Juno Temple, Cedric the Entertainer, Justina Machado, Lolly Adefope, Ambika Mod, and Tracy Morgan, Swapped is a buddy comedy of two forest creatures who go on an adventure of a lifetime literally in one another’s body. It’s a Freaky Friday of animalistic proportions and just as fun for the entire family to enjoy.

Where Trope Meets Depth

Ollie (Jordan) and Ivy (Temple) are natural sworn enemies in The Valley, but after an ill-fated run in with a magic pod, they turn into the very creature they despise the most: each other.

But what starts as a film with the traditional trope of “let’s learn how hard it is to walk in your shoes so we learn a lesson and switch back” quickly turns into a film about access, resources, stereotypes, and ignorance.

The heart of the film is rooted in the childlike wonder of making new friends and doing everything your parents tell you not to do—hanging out with the “wrong crowd,” jumping off things you shouldn’t, and staying up way past your bedtime. However, that adventure wraps itself warmly in a beautiful lesson of community.

The Dangers of Stereotypes and Assumptions

The performances by Jordan and Ivy are bright, the chemistry coming together beautifully on screen as Ollie's and Ivy’s friendship blooms in spite of their differences. They rely on one another’s strengths, explore where their weaknesses can actually be used to their advantage, and through their actions, they prove to the other creatures of The Valley that no one needs to be enemies; everyone can live in harmony.

But stereotypes and ignorance rear their ugly heads—animals in The Valley are not willing to see beyond old tales and rumors to accept the truth that they’ve been living a lie the entire time.

Everyone’s hyperfocus on their disadvantages within their corner of the forest blinds them to the unity that lies ahead when stepping outside your comfort zone to ask for help from someone who doesn’t look like you.

And, in true family-film animated fashion, that is what makes Swapped shine.

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But all isn’t well in The Valley. In every corner, an unknown source eradicates the natural resources, causing a community of creatures to suffer. The animals blame each other and their groups for the lack of food sources, but Ollie and Ivy discover a more insidious reason.

In the race to rescue the forest, they must confront an uncomfortable truth within themselves—blame.

Blaming the self.

Blaming the other.

Blaming the universe.

Final Review

Swapped is an adventure you never want to leave.

In a world where ignorance continues to divide, this film reinforces the value in working together to achieve greatness.

Stream Swapped now on Netflix. Check out the trailer below.

FROM Season 4 Episode 1, “The Arrival,” opened with a bang and ended with an epic character reveal: Sophia is the man in the yellow suit.

There were already questions circulating about his ability to walk in the daytime when all of the other monsters go underground, only to surface at night to feed. However, with the added shapeshifting element one must ask:

Who has he been throughout every lifetime?

Now as this season’s antagonist Sophia, played beautifully and ominously by Julia Doyle, the enemy puts the entire town at a disadvantage that they never saw coming.

As we’ve stated before, the best part about FROM is the audience having more information than the characters—you watch in horror knowing you cannot save a single soul.

But there is both a knowledge and absence of knowledge about the talismans that it seems only Sophia possesses—leaving both the audience and the characters in the dark about their mystic abilities, undermining all we think we know about them.

In this episode, Kenny gives the “tour” and shares the information about the talismans protections against the monsters. When he ends the tour by explaining the talisman, he has to stop Sophia from curiously pulling it down, stating how “it only works when it’s hanging.”

But seeing as Sophia freely walks in and out of the various buildings, one must wonder:

Is this true?

In Season 3, when Randall was surrounded by the beings holding the talisman, one of the creatures mocked him saying, “oh sweetie, that’s not how it works.” And with Tian Chen’s death—along with many other instances (the Colony House slaughter as well as Megan in the pilot episode)—we know that the talismans protections fail once a creature is let inside, regardless of hanging at the threshold or not.

As Sophia embarks on her grand journey as this season’s “big bad,” will we learn more about the talismans?

And in the episode, was their natural invitation inside the safety of the walls the “invitation” she needed, rendering the talismans powers useless from the very start?

So far, there was no indication of any hesitation or fear of a mystical repercussion when crossing the threshold. But in true FROM fashion, this could be a ruse (let’s not forget the Fatima door handle scandal of Season 3) to trick the audience into not believing what we see with our own eyes.

Considering all information and clues live in the past, one must go back in time—specifically to the episodes with Boyd’s discovery, and every episode the talismans didn’t work, in order to find the answers.

The Verdict

FROM lives to torture the audience—hiding pieces of the puzzle in plain sight, even if we do not yet know how crucial that image, item, or scene is.

But much like Tabitha and Jade, the answers to the audiences questions may very well lie in the past too.

If the series is about reincarnation and living the same nightmare on a loop, did we already find the answers to their questions in Season 1?

Is the end actually the very beginning?

An all new episode of FROM Season 4 Episode 2 “The Fray” will be available to stream Sunday at 3am ET on MGM+. Join the cast on X at 9pm ET for the live tweet session.

Check out the trailer below.

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More FROM Theme Analysis

• FROM Season 4 Midseason Finale—Henry Learns the Truth of Miranda’s Death

• FROM Season 4 Episode 4 Breakdown—Why Abby, Why Now?

Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores and investigates compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in depth theme analysis.

© Kivonshe | So There’s That
Original editorial commentary on film and television. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution without attribution is not permitted.

New animated comedy series, Kevin, premieres Monday, April 20, on Prime Video.

Have you ever wondered during a breakup where pets are involved—and you’re fighting over who keeps the pet—that maybe the pet doesn’t want to stay with either one of you?

Well, this series brings that thought to life in a hilariously raunchy exposition, taking a familiar breakup story and reframing it through the emotional and psychological lens of animals—using unfiltered humor to pull both pet owners and non-pet owners into a world where pets aren’t just present but actively processing your business.

Created by Aubrey Plaza and Joe Wengert, Kevin explores the life of a tuxedo cat as he deals with the fallout of his pet owners’ sudden breakup.

Starring Jason Schwartzman as the titular character Kevin, Aubrey Plaza, Aparna Nancherla, John Waters, Whoopi Goldberg, Gil Ozeri, and Amy Sedaris, this animated comedy focuses on feelings of belonging, invisibility, and found family.

Guest stars over the course of the eight-episode series include Sarah Paulson, Quinta Brunson, Patti LuPone, and many more.

From “Sex and the City” to “Pet and the City”

Plaza, who is both a co-creator and voice actor in the series, loosely pulls from her own personal experience of a breakup scenario that involved a cat being caught in the middle of it all.

Going for an authentic feel and light homage to early 2000s New York, Kevin turns “Sex and the City” into “Pet and the City” as Kevin, now single, must find his own identity and sense of belonging away from his humans.

In an interview with TODAY.com, Plaza tells them:

“It just feels like a classic show. It almost has this ‘Golden Girls’ kind of vibe, where you get this group of cats that all live together and they all have their romantic shenanigans and stuff, but you always end up back at Furrever Friends, where they all live.”

More Than Just a Comedy

What makes this series especially unique is that the world and language of the animals and humans exist in the same space—making Kevin even more hilarious, as now every animal and critter has an opinion on the breakup.

This creative approach elevates Kevin into something that forces the audience to have a real sit-down with their pets and ask the following:

Would you want to live with either of us if we broke up?

The comedic approach to domestic pet existence—and life beyond plush apartment living—makes Kevin an instant favorite.

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Final Thoughts

Kevin is raunchy, oddly poetic, and hilarious.

It reminds us that even the ones we think depend on us the most are quietly navigating their own emotions, their own heartbreak, and their own sense of belonging within our lives.

All eight episodes premiere Monday, April 20, only on Prime Video. Check out the trailer below.