📺 A conspiracy thriller, a prequel spin-off, and some "brain off" viewing

Plus a new movie and 5 new and returning TV shows this week

Happy Thursday! The Oscar nominations were announced this morning and (un)surprisingly Emilia Perez leads the pack with 13 noms. As we near the weekend, the only thing worth watching is the Eagles playoff game...obviously. But, if—for some unknowable reason—you’re a fan of a different team, we’ve lined up a few alternative options.

In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Dexter: Original Sin (Paramount+ with Showtime)
The Couple Next Door (Starz)
Prime Target (Apple TV+)
XO, Kitty - S2 (Netflix)

— Jess Spoll and Jenni Cullen

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Below is a selection of new shows and movies premiering this week. Our unabridged list of January releases, including theatrical releases and streaming debuts, is available here and published monthly for our premium subscribers.

• The Night Agent (Season 2) — The political thriller returns, following FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) as he takes on another high-stakes mission involving a deadly conspiracy.
  Watch on Netflix: January 23 (all 10 episodes)

• C.B. Strike: The Ink Black Heart (Season 6) — Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke) and Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger) return to investigate the murder of a controversial online cartoonist in the latest adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling crime novels.
  Watch on Max: January 23 (1 of 4 episodes, new weekly)

• The Wild Robot* (Movie) — From DreamWorks Animation comes this sci-fi adventure movie following the journey of a robot that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island.
  Watch on Peacock: January 24 (*Streaming premiere)

• Watson (Season 1) — A modern take on the classic detective partnership, this series sees Watson step into the spotlight to solve cases in Pittsburgh after Sherlock Holmes’s apparent death.
  Watch on CBS: 1 episode on January 26, then weekly from February 16

• Paradise (Season 1) — This new drama from Dan Fogelman (This is Us) centers around a wealthy community of prominent individuals whose tranquility is rocked by a shocking murder and the high stakes investigation that follows. Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden star.
  Watch on Hulu: January 28 (3 of 8 episodes, new weekly)

• Mythic Quest (Season 4) — This workplace comedy about a video game studio continues, with new workplace hijinks and personal challenges for the quirky team.
  Watch on Apple TV+: January 29 (2 of 10 episodes, new weekly)

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Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.

Dexter: Original Sin

Photo: Showtime

Keywords: prequel, crime, coming-of-age
Watch if you like: Dexter
Jess’s Rating: C+

Dexter: Original Sin is less an origin story and more a nostalgic victory lap for a franchise that can't stop resurrecting itself. Since the original series ended in 2013, there’s been a limited series revival, this prequel series, and another sequel coming this summer. You might think the serial killer’s story couldn’t possibly be mined any further, but never underestimate the fear-based decision making from existing-IP-loving studios.

Set in 1990s Miami, Original Sin follows 20-year-old Dexter Morgan (Patrick Gibson) as he graduates from the University of Miami and begins his internship with the police department. The show explores Dexter's early days under the guidance of his adoptive father Harry (Christian Slater), rehashing his journey towards channeling his murderous impulses productively: by killing criminals. But the issue undermining the whole conceit of the series is that we’ve seen Dexter's origin before—multiple times, in fact. The original series was packed with flashbacks exploring his transformation from troubled child to serial killer with a “code”. Original Sin isn’t filling in any gaps, it’s just retreading already well-defined lines and throwing in some 90s references for nostalgia points.

One saving grace (that almost makes up for the redundant purpose) is the show’s excellent casting. Gibson is a strong performer on his own merit, but exceptional in his eerily precise rendition of Hall's mannerisms. Hall himself is back as the inner voice of his younger self, a gimmick that works mostly well, even though it’s obvious fan service. In a bit of meta humor that I refuse to believe is unintentional, the rest of the cast is filled with 90s/early 00s stars: Christian Slater, Patrick Dempsey (sporting a ridiculous mustache), Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Christina Milian.

I’ve been watching the show for the nostalgia and the star power, and it’s a pleasant enough trip down memory lane. But with each episode that passes, it’s becoming clearer that this story doesn’t have enough meat on its bones to be endlessly dissected.

— Jess

Length: 50-min runtime, 1 season / 6 of 10 episodes available, new weekly
Watch on: Paramount+ with Showtime

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The Couple Next Door

Photo: Channel 4

Keywords: steamy, thriller, drama
Watch if you like: The Affair, Fatal Attraction, Rear Window
Jenni’s Rating: D

Based on the Dutch series Nieuwe Buren, The Couple Next Door follows expecting parents Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Pete (Alfred Enoch) as they settle into an idyllic suburban neighborhood. They quickly befriend traffic-cop Danny (Sam Heughan) and yoga instructor-slash-influencer Becka (Jessica De Gouw) across the way, but things are not as hunky-dory in suburbia as they seem. Hidden attractions, voyeuristic secrets, and local corruptions abound.

While the series bills itself as a psychological thriller, there’s a lot of steamy fluff and little to no narrative propulsion or sharp twists to justify the label. The plot feels hollow and unmoored, leaving the capable (and undeniably attractive) main cast—along with Hugh Dennis as the creepy neighbor—to carry the show. Even their efforts, however, can't salvage the lazy storytelling. My favorite inconsistency so far: Becka and Danny have a 10-year-old son when it’s convenient to the story, but who disappears inexplicably for huge chunks of time when it’s not.

With too many subplots and too few episodes to fully flesh out its characters, The Couple Next Door feels more like a trope-ridden romantic Wattpad thriller than a taut psychological drama. It’s a glossy but shallow peek over the fence, offering surface-level thrills that may appeal to fans of soapier fare but leave others longing for more substance.

— Jenni

Length: 50-min runtime, 1 season / 6 episodes; 1 episode out, new on Fridays
Watch on: Starz

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Prime Target

Photo: Apple TV+

Keywords: drama, thriller, conspiracy
Watch if you like: Bourne Identity, Good Will Hunting, Zero Dark Thirty