📺 Nom nom for us, David

An Orphan Black spinoff and the second half of Bridgerton S3, plus 2 oldie but goodie series

Happy Thursday. In case you missed it, House of the Dragon has returned for its second season, making HBO Sundays a thing again, hooray! We discussed the first episode (and our warring opinions) over on the pod this week, so if you’re dying for our first impressions you know what to do! Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts.

In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Devs (Hulu)
Schitt’s Creek (Hulu)
Bridgerton - Season 3, Part II (Netflix)
Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC/+, BBC America)

— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll

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

• Trigger Warning — Jessica Alba and Anthony Michael Hall star in this action-thriller described as a female-led cross between First Blood and John Wick. Alba plays a skilled Special Forces officer who finds herself at odds with a violent gang in her hometown.
  Watch on Netflix: June 21

• Orphan Black: Echoes (Season 1) — A spinoff of the popular sci-fi thriller series, Orphan Black: Echoes stars Krysten Ritter and is set in the same universe, but forward in time in the year 2052. Expect journeys of love, betrayal and identity.
  Watch on AMC/AMC+/BBC America: June 23 (1 of 10 episodes, then weekly)

• Land of Women (Season 1) — Eva Longoria stars in this dramedy about a New York empty nester whose life is turned upside down when her husband makes some unwise financial decisions. To avoid the dangerous criminals her family is now indebted to, she is forced to flee the city alongside her aging mother and college-age daughter to start anew in a small town.
  Watch on Apple TV+: June 26 (2 of 6 episodes, then weekly)

• The Bear (Season 3) — This Emmy-winning comedy drama about a kitchen staff returns to follow Carmy, Richie and Sydney as they work to elevate the titular restaurant, transformed from a gritty sandwich shop to a fine dining destination.
  Watch on Hulu: June 27 (all 10 episodes)

• My Lady Jane (Season 1) — This British series is adapted from novels that provide a historical reimagining of the life of Lady Jane Grey in the 16th century. After she narrowly avoids the executioner's axe, Lady Jane has a fun and fulfilling life, full of romance and adventure.
  Watch on Prime Video: June 27 (8 episodes)

• That 90s Show (Season 2) — The daughter of Eric and Donna from That 70s Show is back in Point Place with her grandparents for the summer in 1996.
  Watch on Netflix: June 27 (8 of 16 episodes, the rest on October 24)

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Where we highlight shows that have long-since ended or been canceled, that are well-worth digging back up.

Devs (2020)

Photo: FX

Keywords: sci-fi, thriller, philosophical
Watch if you like: Ex Machina, Annihilation, Maniac
Jess’s Rating: B-

Alex Garland is known for his atmospheric style and examination of the human condition, as seen in films like Ex Machina, Annihilation, and this year’s Civil War. Back in 2020, his limited series Devs was lauded as a profound exploration into the intersections of technology, philosophy, and determinism.

Set within the confines of Amaya, a Silicon Valley tech company shrouded in secrecy, the series navigates themes of fate vs. free will and existentialism. At its heart is Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno), a software engineer whose quest for truth propels her into the depths of “Devs”, Amaya’s hush-hush corporate division. Mizuno is joined by an excellent ensemble including Nick Offerman as the enigmatic CEO of Amaya, Alison Pill as his genius second-in-command, and Cailee Spaeny and Stephen McKinley Henderson as two computer engineers on the “Devs” team. (Side note: Civil War was basically a Devs reunion).

In classic Alex Garland style, the series is haunting and maintains a near-hypnotic rhythm. That tonal achievement does a lot of work, lulling you into thinking you’re watching something great. Despite excelling artistically and having all the trappings of a prestige miniseries, Devs is deeply unsatisfying for those who appreciate concrete answers. If you want to know, for instance, what the “Devs” division actually is or what they’re doing, you’ll be let down. This is less a Black Mirror episode about the potential consequences of modern technology and more a chance for Garland to soliloquize about free will. But if you’re into thought-provoking, meditative science fiction, then this is a compelling and beautiful journey that you should add to your watchlist.

— Jess

Length: 50-min runtime, Limited Series / 8 episodes
Watch on: Hulu

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Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)

Keywords: sitcom, heartwarming, satire
Watch if you like: Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development, Kim’s Convenience
Jenni’s Rating: A+

Schitt’s Creek holds a special place in my heart and a top spot in my comfort-watch rotation. If you haven’t already seen this series, I envy your ability to enjoy it for the first time. If you have, let this serve as a reminder of how splendid this show is to rewatch!

Father and son duo Dan and Eugene Levy worked together to create this silly and heartwarming sitcom in which the wealthy Rose family — Johnny (Eugene Levy), Moira (Catherine O’Hara) and their spoiled adult children David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy) — find themselves suddenly broke after a business manager embezzles their fortune. With a small, rundown town called Schitt's Creek as their only remaining asset, which Johnny bought as a joke years earlier, the Roses are forced to relocate there and live in a modest motel. The series explores the family's adjustment to their new, humbler circumstances and the antics of their quirky, unpolished townie neighbors.

This is a show that excels in delivering genuine emotional depth along with its humor. If you feel iffy about the pilot, or worry the series will be too flat, slapstick, or satirical after the first two episodes, I beg you to keep going. While the Roses may seem awful and off-putting at first, I promise the setup is worth it. Each character grows consistently and unexpectedly throughout the episodes, making them easy to fall in love with and root for as the series progresses.

Not only are the characters brilliantly crafted, but at the risk of being hyperbolic, the comedic genius of the cast is unparalleled. Every detail is so specific and incredible — Alexis’s mannerisms, David’s over-the-top facial expressions, Moira’s speech patterns — these idiosyncrasies have all been honed to the sharpest edge of funny. This meticulous character development from both writers and actors contributes to the perfect blend of comedy and heart that defines Schitt’s Creek. The show provides hours of quotable lines and laugh-out-loud moments while also emphasizing themes of love, community, and self-discovery as the Rose family grows and changes.

— Jenni Cullen

Length: 30-min runtime, 6 seasons / 80 episodes
Watch on: Hulu

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

Bridgerton - Season 3, Part II

Photo: Netflix

Keywords: soapy, romance, period drama
Watch if you like: Queen Charlotte, The Buccaneers, Sanditon