📺 A surprising new thriller, British detectives, and an underrated sitcom
Reviews of Paradise (Hulu), C.B. Strike: The Ink Black Heart (Max), Mythic Quest S4 (Apple TV+), and On Call (Prime Video)
Go Birds 🦅 Huge sports people, we are not. But also…Philadelphia ‘til we die, you know? The big game isn’t until next week, though, so we’ll need to fill our time with other viewing pleasures until then. Good news is, there’s a decent amount of exciting TV out there right now. Read on for some reviews of the latest.
In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Paradise (Hulu)
On Call (Prime Video)
Mythic Quest - Season 5 (Apple TV+)
C.B. Strike: The Ink Black Heart (Max)
— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll
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Below is a selection of new shows and movies premiering this week on streaming. Our unabridged list of January releases is available here for premium subscribers, and our February preview will be released on Saturday.
The Recruit (Season 2) — CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo) returns for more international intrigue and comedic chaos as he navigates dangerous missions.
Watch on Netflix: January 30 (all 6 episodes)Mo (Season 2) — Mo Amer returns in the heartfelt dramedy from A24 following a Palestinian refugee balancing life, family, and his American dream in Texas.
Watch on Netflix: January 30 (all 8 episodes)You’re Cordially Invited (Movie) — This straight-to-streaming comedy follows a bride (Geraldine Viswanathan) and her father (Will Ferrell) who discover that their dream wedding venue has been double booked for another bride (Meredith Hagner) and her wedding planner sister (Reese Witherspoon).
Watch on Prime Video: January 30
Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.
Paradise
Keywords: thriller, political drama, twisty
Watch if you like: 24, The Diplomat, Lost
Jess’s Rating: B
Paradise caught me off guard in the best way. The show opens dressed up as a political thriller, with Secret Service agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) finding President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) dead in his bedroom. But if you’re expecting a standard murder mystery or political drama, think again—creator Dan Fogelman has bigger, weirder plans in store. I’ll leave the details of the pilot episode vague, as the twists and turns are more fun to experience firsthand.
Fogelman is best known for his work on This is Us, but you may not know that he also wrote the screenplays for Crazy, Stupid, Love and Tangled. Surprising that he would be at the helm of a thriller, no? But despite the series’ hidden secrets, the core of Paradise feels more similar to This is Us than a puzzle box mystery like Lost. Beyond the first major twist, most of the surprises are a result of the way that Fogelman plays with the story’s timeline. It’s the kind of narrative structure that feels both intentionally manipulative and perfectly tuned to keep viewers hooked.
I started watching Paradise expecting yet another forgettable entry in the endless parade of political thrillers. Instead, I was hooked right away by its ambitious storytelling and stellar performances. Sterling K. Brown truly is a treasure. It does feel like the kind of show that could’ve been at home on a network in the mid-2010s—one that might run out of steam too soon or struggle to stick the landing on its high concept—but I’m rooting for it.
— Jess
Length: 50-min runtime, 1 season / 3 of 8 episodes available now, new on Tuesdays
Watch on: Hulu/Disney+
On Call
Keywords: police drama, crime, gritty
Watch if you like: Southland, NYPD Blue, Blue Bloods
Jess’s Rating: C+
On Call is Dick Wolf’s attempt to revitalize the cop procedural genre for the streaming era, and like most attempts to update a familiar formula, it doesn’t hit the mark. The series is set in Long Beach, CA and follows veteran officer Traci Harmon (Troian Bellisario, Pretty Little Liars) and her rookie Alex Diaz (Brandon Larracuente) as they patrol the gritty streets. It’s a tried and true premise that theoretically checks all the boxes: the mismatched duo from different backgrounds, the morally grey decisions, the life-and-death stakes. And yet, despite solid production choices and a binge-friendly runtime, On Call is another run-of-the-mill police procedural.
The characters are predictably one-dimensional with Harmon as the hardened veteran cop and Diaz as the idealistic rookie, and while certain moments between them have emotional resonance, mostly, the forced tension between them fails to amount to much of anything. The show makes an attempt to tackle real-world issues like gang violence and drug overdoses, but it feels like surface level commentary. The pacing is nimble, but it feels like it’s just going through the motions.
Despite some decent performances and an interesting visual style clearly inspired by End of Watch, On Call is ultimately forgettable. If you tend to enjoy this sort of cop drama, then you might find it watchable enough for a quick binge, but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table.
— Jess
Length: 30-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Watch on: Prime Video
These popular shows came back with new episodes. Here’s what we thought and where you can watch them.
Mythic Quest - Season 4
Keywords: workplace comedy, video games, ensemble
Watch if you like: Silicon Valley, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community
Jenni’s Rating: A-
Mythic Quest is one of the best sitcoms on TV right now, and it kills me that more people aren’t watching it. Created by part of the team behind It's Always Sunny, this delightful, quick-witted workplace comedy follows the everyday woes and triumphs of the employees at a dysfunctional but successful video game studio.
After a two-year wait due to SAG-AFTRA strike delays, Season 4 is finally here, and its first two episodes are as sharp and funny as ever. The series seamlessly drops back into the world of clashing corporate and creative forces, delivering its signature blend of lighthearted satire punctuated by occasional depth.
Where Mythic Quest really shines—beyond its mastery of the classic “setup and punchline”—is its willingness to dive deeper into the human condition. Sure, it’s full of silly, fun, bit-driven storylines that are often larger than life, but the show is also home to Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao), one of the best-written female characters on TV. Watching Poppy’s arc over the past three seasons has been both infuriating and validating. Her brilliance is continuously dismissed, even when she’s the smartest person in the room—something many women can relate to—but her relentless ambition and occasional greed make her downright unlikeable at times.
That willingness to embrace complexity extends across the ensemble, with standout performances from sitcom royalty Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny) and Danny Pudi (Community) along with so many others. With sharp humor, eccentric characters, and occasional poignant storytelling, Mythic Quest remains a standout workplace comedy deserving of a bigger audience.
— Jenni
Length: 30-min runtime, 4 seasons / 40 episodes (2 of 10 available now in S4, new on Wednesdays)
Watch on: Apple TV+
C.B. Strike: The Ink Black Heart (Season 6)
Keywords: detective, British, drama
Watch if you like: Sherlock, Broadchurch, Castle
Jenni’s Rating: B+
British television has always held a special place in my heart—specifically for its commitment to compact, tightly crafted seasons (see: Sherlock, Fleabag, Fawlty Towers, etc.) It’s a structure that suits C.B. Strike perfectly. Each season—based on a novel from Robert Galbraith’s* Cormoran Strike series—delivers a self-contained mystery in two to four episodes, allowing viewers to jump in without needing to have seen prior installments (though, of course, you'll miss some character development if you choose to view this way).
Season 6, The Ink Black Heart, unfolds as a four-part whodunnit. Private detective and war veteran Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke) and his partner Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger) investigate the murder of the author behind a cult online cartoon. The case pulls them into the shadowy depths of internet subcultures: a timely and fascinating subject.
While this season's mystery is compelling, what truly makes C.B. Strike worthwhile is the magnetic chemistry between its leads. Burke and Grainger are pitch-perfect as Strike and Robin, deftly balancing gritty detective work with a will-they-won't-they dynamic that simmers throughout the seasons. The show opts for this slow burn of suspense in every aspect of its storytelling, taking ample time to delve into the season’s case while exploring the evolving lives of Strike, Robin, and their growing team.
Your enjoyment of The Ink Black Heart will ultimately hinge on how much patience you have for this style of pacing. If you're willing to sit with it, C.B. Strike remains a decent, atmospheric mystery series, blending personal drama with thoughtful storytelling.
— Jenni
*J.K. Rowling’s mystery series pseudonym
Length: 60-min runtime, 6 seasons / 19 episodes (2 of 4 available now in S6, new on Thursdays)
Watch on: Max
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On Call has all the ingredients for something I should love. Close but no cigar :(