The Residence
Nodding immediately to Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and Benoit Blanc, this snappy whodunit is gloriously anchored by Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cupp, aka the greatest detective in the world. And it has a killer premise, spiralling around a murder in the White House on the night of an Australian state dinner (complete with Kylie!). The terrific cast includes Giancarlo Esposito, Susan Kelechi Watson, Randall Park, Bronson Pinchot and Ken Marino. The show's tone might be a bit glib for its own good, which leaves everything feeling somewhat pointless and silly. But it's so much fun that we end up hoping that Cordelia will be back for an all-new mystery very soon indeed. (Netflix)
The first episode of this thriller series is beautifully constructed, presenting the show's premise right at the very end with a twist that confirms our queasiest suspicions. From here the tension builds steadily, growing increasingly suspenseful until the climactic showdown in episode 8. Sterling K Brown is superb as the thoughtful, tough-minded hero, squaring off against the formidable control freak played by Julianne Nicholson. Plus a wonderfully steely and charismatic turn by James Marsden as the US president. Surrounding characters also have plenty of spark and energy, even if the plot can't help but dip into cliches along the way. And the ending is great. Bring on season 2. (Disney)
A veneer of intelligence lifts this thriller above the fray, and it helps that the cast is so good. Leo Woodall is a terrific lead, diving into his role as Cambridge maths nerd Edward, who can't quite understand why his research is threatening the entire world order. Neither can we, for that matter. But never mind! It's fun to watch these people run around trying to discover a new mathematical system while various vicious shadowy baddies try to stop them. Standouts in the cast include plucky young spy Quintessa Swindell, dodgy boss Martha Plimpton, tenacious scholar Sidse Babett Knudsen and floundering mentor David Morrissey. Plus ace veterans Stephen Rea and Joseph Mydell. (Apple)
Produced in the style of the classic series, this prequel traces the young Dexter (Patrick Gibson) as he plots his way through his new life as a vigilante killer and police forensics officer. It's all rather bound to the original show's mythology, often straining to pay unnecessary homage to it, especially in younger versions of larger-than-life characters and the setting up several already iconic moments. It's still gripping enough to paper over the many plot and logistical holes. Excellent actors include Christian Slater as Dexter's dad Harry and Molly Brown as his hothead sister Debra. So having Sarah Michelle Geller and Patrick Dempsey on hand feels like a bonus. (Showtime)
Colman Domingo offers a towering performance in this limited series about a news-network pundit who is thrown into a convoluted mess when he witnesses a grisly murder and then is framed for it. The central idea here is disinformation, as shady powers behind the scenes are manipulating the media, public attitudes and elections. And while there are some strong points here about the imbalance of influence billionaires can have, this is little more than the plot's MacGuffin. Domingo is the reason to watch this, along with terrific supporting roles for Marsha Stephanie Blake, Gabrielle Graham and Thaddeus Mixson, plus the superb John Ortiz and Alison Wright. (Netflix)
With its snappy plotting, messy characters and slick production values, this British spy series is a lot of fun as it follows sleeper agent Helen (Keira Knightley) while she tries to unpick the knotted truth about the death of her lover (Andrew Koji). Her cohort is the always fantastic Ben Whishaw, who adds all kinds of witty detail to his fixer character, while Sarah Lancaster provides her own unnerving steeliness as Helen's puppet-master handler. This is also a slickly made thriller, with pulse-racing action, humour and a glorious use of London locations. So even if the plot feels rather familiar, the show is hugely watchable, keeping us hooked through each Killing Eve-style twist and turn. (Netflix)
Squid Game: series 2
The way the writers get back into this story is ingenious, although how they choose to end this seven-episode run feels like a cheat. Rather than set up a cliffhanger, they simply cut away in the middle of a scene, leaving us hanging until the concluding third season this summer. But they've got us hooked. This show is a riveting thriller that isn't afraid to get seriously nasty. Lee Jung-jae is a superior lead actor, sympathetic and often startlingly unpredictable, while both Wi Ha-joon's cop and Lee Byun-hun's puppetmaster get a chance to deepen their roles intriguingly. Best of all, it's impossible to predict where things might go next, as this game-to-the-death keeps throwing brutal twists into the mix. (Netflix)
Even sharper than the first season, this comedy rockets forward with much more complex plotting and characters who are layered and thoroughly engaging. Everyone in the cast is first-rate, with particularly strong storylines for leads Jason Segel, Harrison Ford and Jessica Williams, each of whom gets the chance to add depth to their therapist character, both in sessions with clients and in their often absurdly ridiculous personal lives. This allows the show to blend nutty humour with some earned emotions, and it also brings to life some strong supporting characters, most strikingly the one played by show creator Brett Goldstein. (Apple)
What We Do in the Shadows: series 6
After the writers strangely copped out in last season's ending, this nutty comedy hits the ground running as these Staten Island vampires face a range of crises with their usual overconfident ineptness. The superb Kayvan Novak is at the centre this time as he struggles with his identity as an alpha-vampire, while Natasia Demetriou, Matt Berry and Mark Proksch shamelessly steal scenes as his constantly disruptive and outrageously dim-witted makeshift family. Enjoyably, Harvey Guillem's Guillermo is even more quietly in control this season. This is the kind of show that could run forever, so it's notable that they opted to go out on a high. (FX)
The great Margo Martindale stars in this series about maple syrup farmers in Canada who go to war over their sticky product, leading to an elaborate heist that plays out like something from a Coen brothers movie, mixing jagged humour with vicious violence and general unpredictability (enter Jamie Lee Curtis!). Based on a true story, it's packed with colourful characters who are wonderfully untrustworthy, so the whole show feels like it will explode into chaos at any moment. It often does, simply because these people think with their emotions. And as a story of little people taking on a big, bad conglomerate, it's easy to know who to root for. (Prime)
Industry: series 1-3
With a fresh, unblinking approach, this British series came highly recommended, and I have enjoyed catching up on the episodes. While the writing is far too dense, and often downright smug, the cast adds nuance to the characters, bringing them to life amid the messy goings on in a London financial office, plus a blinding flurry of drugs and sex out of hours. Most intriguing is that no one is remotely likeable, but they manage to be sympathetic even if pretty much everyone tips way, way over the top along the way. Notably strong work from Marisa Abela, Ken Leung, Harry Lawtey, Myha'la and David Jonsson, with great guest turns by Kit Haringon and Jay Duplass. (BBC)
series 1-3
I'd never watched this Spanish series, but a new season coaxed me to start from scratch. And the half-hour episodes zip along amiably. Each character is somewhat cartoonish, but this allows the writers to explore gender issues without taking things too seriously. They also offer some surprising nuance, puncturing political correctness as everyone becomes increasingly confused about how they are meant to treat each other. Both the male and female leading characters are likeable, funny and so deeply flawed that they're almost frighteningly easy to identify with. The rapid-fire dialog is hilarious, and the plotting is gleefully bonkers. (Netflix)
series 1-2
The first season of this Colombian thriller is compulsive viewing, a properly sexy guilty pleasure about a Las Vegas dancer (Carolina Miranda) who falls for a too-perfect businessman (Rodolfo Salas). Then when she pays a surprise visit to see him in Cartagena, all kinds of truths are revealed, leading to a twisty mess of nutty plotting, terrific characters and an outrageous climax. The second season, subtitled Killer Match, is very different as it settles into a serial killer thriller that's utterly preposterous. Characters lose all sense of coherence, and a feeling of both misogyny and homophobia creep in (women are tied up, gays are murdered). It's juicy but not much fun. (Netflix)
I GIVE UP: Severance 2
I am sure this show is a work of genius, but my patience simply ran out with its indulgently knotted plotting, out-of-sequence storytelling and generally mopey pace. The actors are so good that I really tried to keep watching, but the way this is put together makes it impossible to care about anything that happens. We can only admire it. Getting through the first season was a chore, and I only managed three episodes of the second. (Apple)
GUILTY PLEASURES: The Traitors (UK/US), Britain's Got Talent, Fool Us, Drag Race (17/Down Under), Dancing on Ice.
NOW WATCHING: The White Lotus 3, Adolescence, The Studio, Your Friends & Neighbours, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light
COMING SOON: Mid-Century Modern, MobLand, Andor 2, The Last of Us 2, The Handmaid's Tale 6, The Conners 7.
Previous roundup: DECEMBER 2024 >
