Drama
‘When the Phone Rings’ Hits A Clear Turning Point in Episode 4
When the Phone Rings really stepped things up in Episode 3, and I’d say Episode 4 continues to build on that momentum. There’s a real...
The Premiere of ‘The Agency’ Is Painfully Dull
I love a spy drama, and there’s room for all kinds of different ones. But The Agency debuts in a post-Slow Horses streaming climate where...
‘The Madness’ Is Middling… But Colman Domingo Rules As Usual
You can tell that The Madness would like to be described as “timely”, “biting”, or any number of other adjectives one would typically throw at...
‘Gangnam B-Side’ Ends With A Bit Of Ambiguity — But At Least It Ends
It took a couple too many bloated episodes to get here, but the ending of Gangnam B-Side is… okay, I guess, very much like the...
‘Before’ Implies More Connections Between Noah and Ben in Episode 7 — And Completely Loses the Plot
Episode 7 of Before, “The Power of Belief”, revolves around another unconventional therapy technique that Eli attempts on Noah, and it’s weird that we’re supposed...
‘Silo’ Season 2 Says A Sad Goodbye to Someone In Episode 3
After a nearly-silent premiere focused entirely on Juliette and then a more contained episode where she didn’t feature at all, we’re starting to split our...
‘Murder in a Small Town’ Sticks The Landing With A Predictable But Welcome Ending
Aggressively predictable though the ending might be, I think Murder in a Small Town stuck the landing. I’ve been complaining all season long that this...
‘Bad Sisters’ Season 2 Kicks Into Gear With Episode 4
It hasn’t exactly been a smooth start for the second season of Bad Sisters, The two-part Season 2 premiere took a while getting out of the...
‘Get Millie Black’ Is Immediately Captivating in Episode 1
Get Millie Black had me in the first two minutes of Episode 1. It’s not just the narration, which is compelling. It’s the show’s entire...
‘Brilliant Minds’ Offers A Change Of Perspective In Episode 9 — And A Too-Familiar Rhythm
I’m not going to say Brilliant Minds is running out of ideas, because Episode 9, “The Colorblind Painter”, still has a few. But the idea of a...
‘Yellowstone’ Finally Feels Like It’s Going Somewhere In Season 5, Episode 11
For largely unavoidable reasons, the back half of Yellowstone Season 5 has been complete rubbish. It brings me some pleasure to report that Episode 11,...
‘Dune: Prophecy’ Season 1, Episode 2 Is At Its Best In Conversation
Let’s be clear – Episode 2 of Dune: Prophecy Season 1, “Two Wolves,” is very good. And it’s good in a number of interesting and...
‘Landman’ Isn’t In A Hurry To Get Anywhere In Episode 3 — And That’s Fine
Taylor Sheridan shows have a tendency to fall in love with themselves, and Landman might be there already. Episode 3, “Hell Has a Front Yard”, has the...
‘When the Phone Rings’ Coheres A Little Better In Episode 2
Can impersonating a kidnapper save a sham marriage? I guess this is the question being floated by When the Phone Rings Episode 2, which picks...
‘Arcane’ Season 2 Ends With A Sweeping, Complex, Emotional Act 3
Well, blimey. It was virtually inevitable that Act 3 of Arcane Season 2 was going to stir some emotions, but as usual with this show,...
The Legendary Swedish Crime Behind Netflix’s ‘The Helicopter Heist’
A grain of truth is a powerful thing, and there’s a big one behind Netflix’s Swedish limited series The Helicopter Heist. The 2009 robbery of...
‘The Helicopter Heist’ Delivers Serviceable True-Crime Thrills
If there are two things everybody loves these days, it’s true crime and heist thrillers. The Helicopter Heist knows this, which is why the Swedish...
‘When the Phone Rings’ Episode 1 Introduces An Unusual Premise
When the Phone Rings is weird even by K-Drama standards, and that’s obvious right from Episode 1. A loveless marriage of convenience, selective mutism, and...
‘Before’ Finally Provides Some Answers In Episode 6
Well, Before is heating up a little, isn’t it? Episode 6, “Fever Dream”, continues a recent trend of being quite coherent, actually providing some answers...
The Balance Of Power Is Tipping In ‘Silo’ Season 2, Episode 2
Season 2 of Silo continues to be about vibes, and the general underlying feeling of Episode 2, “Order”, is civil unrest, fomenting rebellion, and abuses...