📺 Bots, Bandits, and Bucatini

Reviews of Murderbot, Duster, Tucci in Italy, and Nine Perfect Strangers S2

Happy Thursday! We’ve got a diverse mix of new TV this week: a socially awkward android, a desert-set crime caper, a culty wellness retreat, and Stanley Tucci eating his way across Italy. In industry news, The Four Seasons was renewed for a second season (much to Jenni’s chagrin), The Bear announced its S4 release date (June 25), and Yellowjackets was renewed for a 4th season.

In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Duster (HBO Max)
Murderbot (Apple TV+)
Tucci in Italy (Disney+/Hulu)
Nine Perfect Strangers - S2 (Hulu)

— 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 May releases, including an additional 3 movies and 4 TV shows this week is available for premium subscribers.

• Sirens (Limited Series) — Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, and Julianne Moore star in this dark comedy about two sisters, a powerful host, and one tense weekend on a lavish beach estate.
  Watch on Netflix: May 22 (all 5 episodes)

• Fountain of Youth (Movie) — Natalie Portman and John Krasinski star in this Guy Ritchie heist adventure film about two estranged siblings chasing eternal youth—and how much it could costs them both.
  Watch on Apple TV+: May 23

• Fear Street: Prom Queen (Movie) — As students prepare for the 1988 high school dance, a young woman must track down a killer after the Prom Queen contestants go missing one by one.
  Watch on Netflix: May 23

• Adults (Season 1) — This new ensemble comedy follows five twenty-somethings crashing in a Brooklyn brownstone as they try (and mostly fail) to figure out adulthood.
  Watch on Hulu: May 29 (all 8 episodes)

• And Just Like That… (Season 3) — Season 3 of the Sex and the City sequel promises a fresh chapter—with new romances, big fashion, and summer in New York as the backdrop. New faces this season include Rosie O’Donnell, Kristen Schaal, and Patti LuPone.
  Watch on Max: May 29 (1 of 12 episodes, then weekly)

• The Better Sister (Limited Series) — Based on the bestselling novel, Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks star as estranged sisters forced back into each other’s lives after a brutal murder tears their family apart.
  Watch on Prime Video: May 29 (all 8 episodes)

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

Duster

Photo: HBO Max

Keywords: crime drama, 1970s, pulpy noir
Watch if you like: Justified, Fargo (Season 2), Animal Kingdom
Jess’s Rating: B-

J.J. Abrams returns to TV with Duster, teaming up with LaToya Morgan (Shameless) to bring us a stylish, sun-drenched crime caper set in 1970s Arizona. The series centers on Jim Ellis (Josh Holloway), a charismatic getaway driver caught between Phoenix’s criminal underworld and a young FBI agent’s quest for justice. His reluctant partner is rookie Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson, in a breakout performance), who faces her own uphill battle navigating a deeply skeptical—not to mention racist and sexist—bureau.

The real draw of Duster is the electric chemistry between Holloway and Hilson. Holloway channels the rugged charm that made him a fan favorite on Lost, while Hilson brings a sharp wit and steely resolve that elevate an otherwise standard crime drama. The series benefits from HBO’s deep pockets, vividly capturing the gritty glamour of the '70s with spot-on period details. But despite the lavish flourishes and pulpy thrills, the show falters occasionally, bogged down with extraneous subplots, backstory dumps, and jarring tonal jumps between self-serious drama and cartoonish violence.

Still, as pure escapism, Duster mostly delivers. Fans of gritty crime dramas will find plenty to enjoy in its slick execution and charismatic leads. It’s not perfect, but Abrams and Morgan keep the ride compelling enough to warrant sticking around.

— Jess

Length: 45-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes (1 available now, new on Thursdays)
Watch on: HBO Max

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Murderbot

Photo: Apple TV+

Keywords: sci-fi, comedy, offbeat
Watch if you like: Resident Alien, Upload, Space Force
Jess’s Rating: B-

Apple TV+’s new sci-fi comedy Murderbot, adapted from Martha Wells’ popular Murderbot Diaries novels, introduces us to a synthetic life form (Alexander Skarsgård) who has grown weary of humanity. After overriding his restrictive programming, the android dubs himself “Murderbot”—mostly because it sounds cool—and sets out to enjoy his newfound freedom, which primarily involves binge watching futuristic soap operas and dodging human interaction.

The standout here is unquestionably Skarsgård, whose dry, hilariously irritated performance gives Murderbot its sharpest comedic edge. His disdainful inner monologues and deadpan reactions offer the show’s best moments and provide a fresh twist on familiar sci-fi tropes. But while the breezy tone and short, sitcom-length episodes make for easy viewing, the storytelling wavers, oscillating between a workplace comedy setup and a deeper exploration of existential themes without fully committing to either.

Despite those narrative hesitations, Murderbot remains undeniably entertaining, buoyed by Skarsgård’s offbeat charm and excellent comic timing. With sharper focus and a stronger embrace of the show’s more eccentric elements, a potential second season could easily take this quirky sci-fi series from amusing distraction to essential viewing.

— Jess

Length: 25-min runtime, 1 season / 10 episodes (2 available now, new on Fridays)
Watch on: Apple TV+

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Tucci in Italy

Photo: National Geographic

Keywords: docuseries, food, travel
Watch if you like: Chef’s Table, Street Food, Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico
Jenni’s Rating: C+

A follow-up to Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, this docuseries from National Geographic sends the ever-charming Tucci to Italy once again, indulging his love of cuisine, culture, and showing off his command of the Italian language.

Each episode explores a different region of the country through its culinary traditions, treating food as an anthropological lens into Italy’s history and people. It’s comfort viewing by design, with gorgeously shot plates of pasta blending with pastorally beautiful vistas and Tucci’s enthusiastic “mm”s and “ahh”s endearing him to everyone he meets.

Despite its pleasant qualities, this series does not make the list of best travelogues I’ve seen by any means. In many ways it’s quite bland. The voiceover scripts are half-baked, trite, and repetitive, and the series tends to visit (with a few fun exceptions!) high-end or curated spots that, while picturesque, don’t resemble where an average traveler, or even local, might eat.

Still, Tucci’s palpable joy and curiosity keep the show afloat. It’s family-friendly, lightly educational, and a feast for the eyes. If you’re in the market for something cozy this weekend, Tucci in Italy makes for a soothing, low-stakes option.

— Jenni

Length: 40-min runtime, 1 season / 5 episodes
Watch on: Hulu / Disney+

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These popular shows came back with new episodes. Here’s what we thought and where you can watch them.

Nine Perfect Strangers - Season 2

Photo: Hulu

Keywords: anthology, ensemble drama, psychological
Watch if you like: Big Little Lies, The Undoing, The White Lotus
Jenni’s Rating: B-

Four years after its debut, Nine Perfect Strangers is back with the White Lotus treatment. What was intended as a self-contained miniseries based on Liane Moriarty’s 2018 novel has been reimagined as an anthology, with Nicole Kidman’s serene-yet-sinister wellness guru Masha as the sole returning character. This time, her boutique retreat is tucked away in the Bavarian Alps, still offering high-end detoxes, a concerning amount of surveillance, and the promise of personal transformation for nine emotionally frazzled newcomers.

Two episodes in, the show appears to be sticking to its core formula: stressed-out wealthy individuals arrive with emotional baggage and secrets, looking for healing, and maybe something a bit more extreme. There’s a faint Agatha Christie vibe—we’re not entirely sure why these particular guests have been brought together, or what connects them, but it all feels mysterious and intriguing.

Visually, the new season is working much better than the first. The crisp alpine aesthetic is a smart contrast to the seaside haze of Season 1, and while the production still leans glossy, it feels more grounded. But as with the first installment, the ensemble cast is the real draw. This season’s group—including Annie Murphy, Christine Baranski, Henry Golding, Murray Bartlett, and King Princess—brings depth, humor, and a welcome unpredictability. While the narrative doesn’t feel quite as tightly wound as it could be, the performances are strong enough to keep things compelling.

My take is that Nine Perfect Strangers is Hulu’s answer to White Lotus, and they’re doing an ok job. Though glossier and more of a true psychological mystery than the HBO fan fave, this season is shaping up to be a fun watch.

— Jenni

Length: 55-min runtime, 2 seasons / 2 of 8 episodes of S2 out now, new on Wednesdays
Watch on: Hulu

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