It: Welcome to Derry was developed for television by It and It: Chapter Two director Andy Muschietti, his sister and producing partner, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs, with Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane (Tokyo Vice) as co-showrunners. The creative team crafted the prequel series based on the interludes in Stephen King’s novel with Mike Hanlon’s research into Derry, its residents, and the various sightings of It. 

This season is the first in a trilogy that will explore the cataclysmic events in Derry’s history (with dates adjusted to fit the timeline of Muschietti’s films), beginning with the Black Spot fire in 1962, then going back to the Bradley Gang massacre in 1935, and the Kitchener Ironworks explosion in 1908. Each cycle of disappearances, deaths, and violence concludes with one of these notable incidents as a final bloodbath before the terror goes on a 27-year hiatus. 

With Muschietti’s It being set in 1989, Welcome to Derry takes place in early 1962, 27 years before the Losers’ Club. The pilot sets the darker tone with Matty (Miles Ekhardt), a boy hoping to escape his abusive homelife, because if there’s anything the parents of Derry will do it’s traumatize their children. Trudging along in the snow, he hitches a ride with a deceptively normal-looking family and disappears. 

Months later, Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) arrives in Maine, along with his friend, Captain Pauly Russo (Rudy Mancuso), to work under General Shaw (James Remar) at the Derry Air Force Base (D.A.F.B.). He’s soon joined by his wife Charlotte (Taylour Paige), an activist and stay-at-mom, and his charming and nerdy son, Will (Blake Cameron James).

Before we actually meet Will, we follow his future classmate Lilly (Clara Stack) as she battles personal demons, namely the loss of a parent. She’s not as close with her best friend Margie (Matilda Lawler), who’s torn between popularity and being an emotionally supportive friend. Lilly is also mourning Matty, which brings her together with Teddy (Mikkal Karim Fidler) and Phil (Jack Molloy Legault). Ronnie (Amanda Christine), daughter of Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), a projectionist at the Capitol theater, makes her way into the group, along with Will and his friend Rich (Arian S. Cartaya).

We’re introduced to several characters, some newly created and others somewhat familiar. It’s a lot at first, especially for viewers who don’t know the coterie of King characters, but given this is a prequel, not all of them make it to the end. 

As the story unfolds, we see the events from different perspectives, mainly Major Hanlon’s top secret work at the Air Base, Will with his new trauma bonded friends, and Charlotte as she gets to know her new town. She sees many menacing characters, and since she’s not yet numb to the kid on kid violence, her effort to stop a beating is met with stares. 

It’s likely some viewers will gravitate more toward one perspective over the other. However, the show does a great job balancing the narratives so both have equal screentime. With secondhand shop owner Rose (Kimberly Norris Guerrero) and her nephew, Daniel (Joshua Odjick), the series also spotlights the Native American community who have their own history with the entity. 

Major Hanlon also meets Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), a well-known character in the Stephen King Universe, previously played by Scatman Crothers in The Shining and Carl Lumbly in Doctor Sleep. In Welcome to Derry, Hallorann is an airman using his special abilities to locate the source of the 27-year cycles. 

Despite being kids on bikes looking for the shapeshifter, this new group of tormented youngsters aren’t rehashing the same plans as the Losers’ Cub. Some story beats are similar, like each kid experiencing their own nightmarish encounters with the entity and eventually banding together because no adults believe them.

The young actors deliver great performances in solo scenes and one-on-one interactions, but their chemistry isn’t always felt when they’re in a group. And if they look a little different throughout the series, that’s because the kids grew between wrapping for the strikes and returning to filming. 

While Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård, also an executive producer) doesn’t fully appear right away, the evil entity takes on many other creatively terrifying forms to torment Derry’s children. As much as we love the demented clown, the build up makes the moment he arrives all the more exciting and satisfying. 

Within the first ten minutes of the pilot, the Muschiettis and team give us plenty of nightmare fuel scenarios and creatures with some wild body horror. The slimy, squelchy, bone-cracking sound design and impressively grotesque imagery really standout, but the scares are often overpowered by unnecessary, distracting loud noises. The movies were also guilty of this, though the series really amps it up. 

It: Welcome to Derry is an immersive prequel series that balances compelling narratives and characters with blood-soaked horror and delightfully disgusting effects. The show had the task of further adapting the best-selling novel, while expanding on the mythos of the cursed town, and it more than meets expectations. 

It: Welcome to Derry will debut on October 26, 2025, on HBO and HBO Max, followed by weekly episodes through December 14.

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After the murder of his father, Chief of Costas de Golfo Toltecatzin (Jorge R. Guitie’rrez), by conquistador Hernán Cortés (Álvaro Morte), Yohualli/Yohu (Horacio Garcia Rojas) has no choice but to become The Bat Warrior (a.k.a. the Batman) to protect the Aztec community. Aztec Batman: Clash of the Empires (a.k.a. Batman Azteca: Choque de Imperios) will be available to stream on HBO Max September 19th. 

Spoilers ahead. 

The main question of the entire film is What makes someone a god? 

Upon arrival, Cortés, his bodyguard Pedro de Alvarado (José Carlos Illanes Puentes), and their fellow colonizers are mistaken as gods by a young and naive Yohualli. Toltecatzin was suspicious of the colonizers the moment they talked about finding the Aztec’s land as the new world. A favorite line of mine is Toltecatzin’s response: “You found the New World?”

When Yohualli is older and becomes a soldier for Chief Moctezuma (Humberto Busto), he explains,  Cortés is “not a god, but he is a powerful and cruel man.” Moctezuma’s spiritual advisor Yoka (Omar Chaparro), manipulated by an impersonator of the god Huitzilopochtli (Gerardo Reyero), says to Moctezuma that Cortés and his people are gods because they’re helping feed the gods with sacrifices. Yoka is later kicked out of the advisory for this mistake. After he is manipulated into sacrificing his family, and even finds out Huitzilopochtli is a fake, Yoka becomes The Joker, promising his mother (Regina Orozco) that he will smile more. The Joke eventually kills Moctezuma and joins Cortés. 

When his community sees Yohaualli in his Bat armor and makeup, they call him a god, and he doesn’t correct them due to his connection with his parents’ bat god in his dreams. I truly love the connection to Mexican mysticism in this iteration that makes Youahlli’s narrative arc a natural destiny and not a savior complex; especially considering most iterations of Batman portraying him as a rich white man desperately collaborating with cops in Gotham City. 

Aztec Batman: Clash of the Empires doesn’t try to erase the history of colonization and its evils just because a Brown character is finally the star. It doesn’t go into the territory of trying to portray a utopia post-battles either. 

I’m also impressed by how Cortés becomes Two-Face after Mujer Jaguar (a.k.a. Catwoman; Teresa Ruiz) scratches half of his face off when she and Yohalli first work together in battle. It is parallel to the two faces he shows every Aztec community he pillages and murders; one face as a soft Christian man wanting to learn more about their culture, and another face that seeks destruction and riches.

Not only are there familiar aspects done in a new way, there are complete firsts. This is the first iteration I have seen the Alfred Pennyworth equivalent, Acatzin (Robert Sosa) as Batman’s equal throughout the film. We finally get to see acknowledgement of the father figure he truly is in a Batman’s life. Moreover, this is the first iteration I have seen Poison Ivy as a more neutral character as the goddess Hiedra del Bosque (Maya Zapata). She gently and not so gently puts Yohualli on his path while remaining a neutral party; because “When empires clash, some will rise, some will fall.” 

One aspect of the film I have follow up questions about is the decision behind casting. I love that it is an all Latinx cast. At the same time, although the animation distinguishes Aztecs of different skin colors indicative of different regions of Mexico, and makes sure to conspicuously highlight that it was white fair skinned Latinx people who colonized, why is only one specific kind of Latinx actor cast for each role? Each of the actors have the exact same skin color, a skin color often in conversation about mestizo, or the fetishizing of mixing Indigenous Mexican identity with its colonizers, which is what this film attempts to fight against. 

Nevertheless, the other hard work in this film doesn’t go unnoticed. The most compelling scene is when Yohu is not in the bat costume but is Moctezuma’s guard, he strikes a conversation with the man who murdered his father about his worldview. Why would Cortés believe in a religious worldview that encourages him to murder people?  Cortés then asks Yohu why they discovered them before they could discover his and his fellow colonizers’ land. 

Although I wanted more characterization from Mujer Jaguar, and I was really hoping for a subversion or erasure of the usual romantic trope between Catwoman and Batman, I loved having her presence in the film. I also loved her fight choreography all throughout, including in the end (even though she originally said she wouldn’t help The Bat Warrior. 

After the final battle, The Bat Warrior dies. However, as Mujer Jaguar asks Acatzin if the fighting is over, and he responds “I fear there’s far more evil to come,” we cut to The Bat Warrior waking up! AH!! AND, after the initial end credits, we get a sneak peak of who The Penguin will be. AH!! 

This is only the first of many collaborations HBO Max Latin America has in store. And with a few caveats, I’m excited to see what will come next. 

Don’t forget to watch Aztec Batman: Clash of the Empires September 19th!

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In Gen V’s inaugural season, we followed blood bender Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) as she entered young adulthood and college life at Godolkin University. While she had a rocky start with her shrinking roommate Emma Meyer (Lizze Broadway), the two became close friends by Episode 3, which is also when she joined the friend group of Luke Riordan, aka Golden Boy (Patrick Schwarzenegger), his girlfriend Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips), and his close friends Jordan Li (London Thor and Derek Luh) and Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo).

On the first day of school, a troubled Luke confronts Professor Richard Brinkerhoff (Clancy Brown) about his brother Sam (Asa Germann) being locked up in the Woods, the school’s secret underground lab. After Marie sees him kill Brink in a fiery embrace, Luke attempts to kill her, too, which escalates to the point where Jordan steps in the ring to stop him.

At the end of his public display of blazing violence, Luke takes to the sky and explodes, leaving his remains to rain down on Marie and his best friend, Andre. His tragic death kicks off the season’s big mystery: what is “the woods” and why is it a secret? While Vought is, of course, behind the experiments, they don’t know about Dean Indira Shetty’s (Shelley Conn) supe-killing virus project. Her relationship with empath Cate is a manipulative one; she used Cate’s abilities to mind-wipe Luke, Sam, and later, all their friends, a betrayal they won’t let her forget any time soon. 

Cate not only broke free of Shetty’s influence but also liberated the patients held in the woods with Sam and started a Supe vs Human massacre on campus. Marie, Andre, Jordan, and Emma do their best to save lives and stop their friends. The arrival of Homelander (Antony Starr) seemed like a relief until he scolded Marie, blasting her with his laser eyes. In the last moments of the finale, Marie wakes up to find that she, Andre, Jordan, and Emma are locked in a bright, windowless room. The four friends are framed as the instigators, with Sam and Cate named the new Guardians of Godolkin. 

Season 4 of The Boys had an incredibly bleak ending that saw Homelander given even more power than he already had, thanks to his right-hand woman, Sister Sage (Susan Heyward). A newly suped-up Butcher (Karl Urban) gruesomely kills Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), leaving her daughter Zoe (Olivia Morandin) an orphan at Red River. With Neuman’s murder pinned on the Boys and President-Elect Robert “Dakota Bob,” they’re able to swoop in and reimagine America in his twisted image. Sam and Cate end the season helping detain non-supes, including Frenchie (Tomer Capone). 

In Season 2, we learn that Marie, Andre, Jordan, and Emma were detained at Elmira Adult Rehabilitation Center. As soon as she found the opportunity, Marie broke out and didn’t return, for which her partner Jordan is especially angry. Now a fugitive, Marie is nearly caught by a Supe bounty hunter, Dogknott (Zach McGowan), but is saved by Annie January, aka Starlight (Erin Moriarty). The former Seven member tasks her with investigating an old initiative called Project Odessa, helmed by the school’s founder, Thomas Godolkin (Ethan Slater).

In a flashback to 1967, we see a glimpse of the doctor, frantically running to his colleagues. After they inject themselves with a mystery substance, they each die an extremely gory death.

After Marie’s escape, Andre attempted his own breakout, but died in the process, allegedly due to the condition his magnetism manipulation powers cause. After Perdomo’s sudden passing in March 2024, production was briefly delayed while showrunner and executive producer Michele Fazekas (Agent Carter) and the writing team rewrote season 2 to focus on his absence. Andre’s death motivates his father, Polarity (Sean Patrick Thomas), to hunt down the truth of what really happened in the facility. He’s much more prominent in the season, becoming somewhat of a reluctant leader to his son’s friends, who also want justice. 

Jordan, Emma, and eventually Marie are essentially forced to return to God U, where they have to go along with the false narrative created by Vought. The school is now under the leadership of aptly-named, enigmatic Dean Cipher (Hamish Linklater), who sees its current state as a “monument to mediocrity.” He strives to help (or more like force) gifted students to level up their abilities by any means necessary. Linklater always delivers multilayered performances (see: Midnight Mass and Legion), and he plays Cipher with the right amount of intensity, weirdness, and mystery. 

Homelander’s anti-human stance has increased on campus, with characters like Rufus (Alexander Calvert) still declaring Humans as inferior. Supes and Humans have separate entrances for God U, really driving home this idea of segregation, as do clips of Firecracker’s (Valorie Curry) alt-right show.

Aside from the usual politics and satire, this season has plenty of the franchise’s signature gross-out sex scenes and an abundance of male genitalia. Sometimes these scenes go on a bit too long just for the sake of it, but fans of The Boys and (maybe a little less so) Gen V should expect it at this point. The fight scenes, especially any with Marie and/or Jordan, are as entertaining and impressively executed as they are brutal. 

Gen V’s sophomore season delivers just as much gruesome action, dark humor, poignant themes, and engrossing drama as before, now with the added grimness of Homelander’s new world order. It’s dedicated to the immensely talented Chance Perdomo, whose untimely death becomes a major part of the season. 

The first three episodes of Gen V Season 2 hit Prime Video on September 17, 2025, followed by weekly episodes through October 22.

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Steve Martin and John Hoffman (The Larry Sanders Show) deliver yet another entertaining season of Only Murders in the Building with talented guest stars and a killer mystery. The creators and writers improved some of last season’s missing pieces and reestablished the bond between our three protagonists. 

Spoiler warning for Seasons 1- 4

In Season 4, Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) find out that a movie based on their Only Murders in the Building podcast is already underway. They fly to Los Angeles to meet with the Hollywood execs and their on-screen counterparts: Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria. Eventually, the production sets up shop inside the Arconia, specifically the penthouse that’s usually occupied by a celebrity.

Meanwhile, the trio is also investigating the tragic murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles’s longtime stunt double and close friend, whom they discover was shot in Charles’s apartment and later tossed into the building’s incinerator. Charles, Oliver, and Mabel venture over into the Arconia’s West Tower and meet more eccentric characters, including Vince (Richard Kind) and Rudy (Kumail Nanjiani). 

The season finale reveals the killer to be Marshall P. Pope (Jin Ha), an alias for the movie’s screenwriter and Sazz’s former stuntman protégé, Rex Bailey. He steals her script and sells it to Paramount. When Sazz threatens to reveal the truth, Rex breaks into a vacant Westie apartment and shoots her through the window. As he’s confronted by Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, he’s shot and killed by Jan (Amy Ryan), saving her former beau and avenging her deceased girlfriend. So far, Rex is the first Only Murders culprit to get the axe.

Season 4 almost ends on a happy note. Oliver and his long-distance lady, Loretta (Meryl Streep), exchange vows in a beautiful courtyard wedding at the Arconia. The next morning, our trio stumbles upon a gruesome sight: the lifeless body of the building’s longtime doorman, Lester (Teddy Coluca), in the fountain.

In addition to solving Lester’s murder, they’re set up for another season 5 mystery. Sofia Caccimelio (Téa Leoni) approaches Charles and Mabel, asking them for help finding her missing husband, who has ties to the mob. They turn her down since finding missing people isn’t their thing. Naturally, her husband is more important than they assume. 

When we catch up with Charles, Oliver, and Mabel in Season 5, it’s been less than a week after Oliver and Loretta’s wedding, and they waste no time going straight into the new case(s). Even though Lester’s death was officially ruled an accident, we know better than to believe that. Like Sazz, Lester doesn’t seem like someone with enemies, so building a list of suspects doesn’t come easily.

With each season of Only Murders, we’ve come to expect a stacked cast, especially when it comes to possible killers. The trio visits an exclusive casino, a potential crime scene, that’s as stunning as it is eerie. This is where they find their new suspects, who happen to be extremely wealthy.

Renée Zellweger plays Camila White, a Martha Stewart-esque lifestyle magnate who loves a beige ensemble. Christoph Waltz’s Bash Steed is a stoic tech billionaire obsessed with longevity and AI advancement. Logan Lerman portrays Jay Pflug, an aimless nepo baby downplaying his privilege. These roles could easily result in cartoonish stereotypes (looking at you, Squid Game!), but the talented actors give their characters a calm superiority.  

As Charles, Oliver, and Mabel dig into Lester’s life, they discover his suspicious ties to the mob, namely interactions with Nicky “The Neck” Caccimelio (Bobby Cannavale), aka the Dry Cleaning King of Brooklyn. Leoni reprises her role as Sofia, who’s still looking for her husband. 

While the main theme this season is the mob, the show also focuses on the residents of the Arconia as they mourn their affable doorman. Episode two dives deep into Lester’s origins and the life of New York doormen. At his wake in the Arconia lobby, we meet his widow, Lorraine (Dianne Wiest), and doorman-in-training Randall (Jermaine Fowler).

Some familiar Arconians make appearances, including Uma (Jackie Hoffman), Dr. Grover Stanley (Russell G. Jones), Ursula (Vanessa Aspillaga), and Teddy Dimas (Nathan Lane). Howard Morris (Michael Cyril Creighton) has steadily gotten more much-deserved screen time each year, as has Detective Williams (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), both of whom are more involved this season.

In terms of guest stars and subplots, Season 4 was very busy. It introduced the Westies, the trio’s on-screen counterparts, and Hollywood execs, along with the sister filmmaking duo and Sazz’s killer. There are still a few storylines to juggle this season and plenty of new characters, though not overwhelmingly so. 

Seasons 3 and 4 often separated Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, but this time, they stick together and don’t have any big arguments dividing them (at least not in the episodes available to screen). Season 5 has the coziness that was missing in last season, which was a big complaint among fans. 

Only Murders in the Building’s fifth season is a satisfying return to form, centering on our favorite trio as they explore the dark history of the mob in New York. The series’ writing, acting, wardrobe, and production design remain consistently impressive, letting viewers immerse themselves in a cozy mystery with character-driven humor and moments of absurdity. 

Only Murders in the Building season 5 returns September 9 on Hulu with three episodes, followed by weekly episodes through October 28.

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Continuity confusion aside, the eight-episode Season 2, all written by Gunn, continues to expertly balance dark humor and character depth, making it a standout among a sea of superhero media. 

The events of Peacemaker’s first season take place after 2021’s The Suicide Squad. Chris Smith, aka Peacemaker, is discharged from the hospital and returns to his life before being locked up in Belle Reve prison. He’s recruited by A.R.G.U.S. for an off-the-books contract job called Project Butterfly. We’re reacquainted with agents Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee), and meet the project leader and mercenary Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji) and Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), daughter of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who was put on the team as Waller’s spy. 

Peacemaker reluctantly agrees, since his only alternative is to go back to prison or have his head blown up via the chip implanted at Belle Reve. When he visits his dad, it takes less than a minute to understand their dynamic. August “Auggie” Smith (Robert Patrick) is aggressive, unloving, and, as we later find out, he’s also a white supremacist with a super suit of his own, calling himself the White Dragon. He’s a major antagonist in the season. More importantly, we meet Chris’s sidekick, Eagly the eagle. 

The series peeled back the antihero’s hard exterior and revealed a heap of unresolved trauma. As kids, Auggie had his two boys bare-knuckle fighting in front of a group of rednecks, placing bets. Chris accidentally kills his older brother Keith, which his dad blames him for. It explains why he’s been so distraught over killing Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman) in Corto Maltese. When he’s asked to take out Butterflies inhabiting the bodies of two children, he wavers, and his skilled and sociopathic friend, Adrian Chase / Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), has to take over. 

The team, later dubbed the 11th Street Kids (after Hanoi Rocks’ 1984 track), goes up against a talking gorilla, martial artist bodyguard Judomaster (Nhut Le), Auggie and his white-hooded Klan, and alien butterflies seeking world domination. In the end, Murn, revealed to be a Butterfly detractor, was killed by the leader of his species. Harcourt was on the mend after being shot. Vigilante healed from his various injuries and casually jumped out of a hospital window. Leota ends the season with more confidence and outs her mother’s shady dealings in a press conference, and Chris is still haunted by his father’s ghost. 

The season one finale surprised viewers with a cameo from the DCEU’s Justice League with Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ezra Miller’s The Flash, and silhouettes of the other members. As fans know, Gunn became the head of DC Studios after Peacemaker season one and has since retconned this scene. The superheroes are replaced with the Justice Gang, specifically Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Guy Gardner / Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion).

The two appear in the season two premiere episode alongside their benefactor, Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), to interview Peacemaker as a potential Justice Gang member. But they don’t take him seriously or see him as an asset of any kind. The situation only makes Chris feel worse about himself, setting up his journey for the season — “I don’t want to be a joke anymore. I want to be a real hero.”

Peacemaker season two follows the events of Creature Commandos and Superman. The former introduced Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), who was recruited by Waller to lead Task Force M, and now, he’s the new head of A.R.G.U.S., hellbent on avenging his son. Flag also works with agents Sasha Bordeaux (Sol Rodriguez) and Langston Fleury (Tim Meadows), and taps eccentric eagle hunter Red St. Wild (Michael Rooker) to handle Eagly. The character is pretty silly and intentionally culturally appropriative. However, his side quest pays off in a wild fight in the woods. 

Even though they’re more scattered and off doing their own things, it’s nice to catch up with the 11th Street Kids, who have become much closer friends (I still miss Murn). John is still employed by A.R.G.U.S., Leota is trying to get work as a mercenary, Emilia is less put together and purposely getting into bar brawls, and Adrian is still being Adrian. They saved the world from an alien invasion, though they’re not heralded as heroes. 

While we only got a glimpse of the Quantum Unfolding Chamber in Auggie’s house before, this season makes the dimensional portal a key element in the story. The focus is Chris Smith, the person outside the costume, and when he finds a parallel universe similar to his current reality but significantly better, he’s more than tempted to make that his life. Multiverses may be a bit tired in the comic book movie/show genre, but it’s intriguing that there’s a better timeline where he gets everything he wants, not to mention endless possibilities of other dimensions. 

The opening credits featuring Wig Wam’s “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” were a wonderfully strange, hilarious surprise in season one. Fans might not love the new intro set to “Oh Lord” by Foxy Shazam, but with many season one characters dying off and the addition of new faces, an update makes sense. 

In Peacemaker’s sophomore season, James Gunn builds on the character-driven narrative in season one with plenty of dark humor and exciting action scenes with impressive fight choreography and a decent amount of gore. While the energy feels a bit different than before, there’s still a lot to like, including the team’s close bond and all the blood-spattering, bone-crunching fun. 

Season 2 of Peacemaker premieres August 21, 2025, on HBO Max, followed by weekly episodes through October 9.

The post Review: James Gunn’s ‘Peacemaker’ Makes an Explosive Return with Highly-Anticipated Season 2 appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Well, here we are. After a nearly two-year hiatus, The Gilded Age,  one of our favorite shows returned. It promised a season packed with not just beautiful outfits and romance but with a bit of action as well. It didn’t disappoint. This season gave us so many beautiful performances, so much thoughtful writing, so many outfits that absolutely ate, that we couldn’t help but be overjoyed at the news it had been renewed for a fourth season. 

But before that season premieres, it’s worth dissecting and reminiscing on this past one to see what worked and what didn’t. Let’s look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of The Gilded Age season 3. But, first a quick recap.

This season saw many changes, but one that will likely stick out to viewers is that Marian (Louisa Jacobson) has stuck with a fiancé through the season finale, however shaky the ground she and Larry (Harry Richardson) are on. Conversely, Larry’s parents George and Bertha Russell (Morgan Spector and Carrie Coon) are worse than they’ve ever been. Despite being shot last episode, George still finds the strength to leave Bertha confused and in tears as he continues their separation (more on that below).

Oscar Van Rhijn (Blake Ritson) has potentially found a partner in the newly widowed Mrs. Enid Winterton (Kelley Curran), Bertha’s former maid who will do anything to maintain her current, monied position. And elsewhere in the Van Rhijn household, Agnes (Christine Baranski) has finally made peace with the fact that Ada (Cynthia Nixon) is the head of the household. Finally, for Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), things are looking very good, as Dr. Kirkland (Jordan Donica) has decided to ask for her hand in marriage despite his mother’s colorist and prudish misgivings. In all, it was an exciting season that had a lot to celebrate and a couple things we could have done without. Here they are. 

The Good

The Exploration of Black Life in Newport

When HBO announced casting additions when production began for this season, it was exciting to see more Black faces, especially when one of those faces belonged to Phylicia Rashad. With Rashad’s casting as Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkland, in addition to that of Jordan Donica and Brian Stokes Mitchell as her son and husband, it became clear that a show that had previously alluded to a larger, aristocratic Black society would now be representing it in full. This was an excellent choice both for how it expanded the in-show universe and for how it complicates notions of Black life in the 19th century. 

It is likely many viewers, Black or otherwise, may not have known about Newport’s tony Black history. When so much of what we know about American history is Eurocentric, painful, or both, it is almost shamefully fanciful to imagine wealthy Black societies that began building their miniature empires around the time of the Revolution. When representation is impactful, it doesn’t try to be merely “positive.” Rather, it attempts to complicate what we think we know about a group by presenting us with the facts — highs and lows, warts and all. It is beautiful and eye-opening to see grand waltzes, marble interiors, and family paintings quietly telling generational stories in Black Newport homes. It is uncomfortably relatable to see Black characters deal with relatives who, like Mrs. Kirkland, are obsessed with propagating colorism and texturism. Indeed, it’s even great to see Rashad as a soft-spoken, underhanded villain who might have found herself at home in the social circle of the equally devious Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) were there not a strict color barrier. 

For its educating the audience about an interesting piece of Black history and continuing the growing trend of complicating notions of Blackness, this part of the season is clearly The Good.

The Costuming (Obviously)

It’s almost perfunctory that if one mentions The Gilded Age, one must mention the top-tier outfits made possible by costume director Kasia Walicka-Maimone. However, just because something is routine does not make it needless. Of course every outfit in season 3 (with, perhaps, the exception of Marian’s season finale ball gown) is part of The Good because it enlivens, colors, and brightens an age that tends to exist in the collective imagination as monochromatic.

Think: before watching The Gilded Age, could you ever imagine someone saying “I love that 1880s look”? Of course you can’t, and anyone that says otherwise is either lying or Kasia Walicka-Maimone. But this season has continued the show’s trend of making one almost sorry that they missed the early 1880s, a historical period so obscure that it’s hard to state a notable president or event from it. The tireless work involved to make 36,000 pages of research come to life has been worth it. We might list every outfit we loved this season, but no website has the bandwidth. 

The Bad

The Times it Threatened to Become Monotonous 

Thankfully, Fellowes is self-aware enough to know that much involving Marian has been a variation on a theme: Boy meets girl, woos girl, loses girl. It was starting to seem like Marian’s trajectory was to be as a spinster of some sort or a new form of independent woman that could only be possible in an era of budding women’s rights and changing views on divorce. That would have been fine, but not if we had to see her live the same storyline every season to get there. Luckily, Fellowes and co-writer Sonja Warfield provide the Marian/Larry storyline the ability to grow into something more. Season four might be about them dealing with the pains of maturing as a couple rather than the less complicated pangs of ending a brief but powerful romance. However, because it made us fear that we knew where the story was going, this aspect goes into The Bad.

The Ugly

Bertha’s Treatment of Gladys

Let it be known: I’m not afraid of the Berthive. If the Bertha stans want to come for me for what I say next, then that’s okay. 

George is absolutely, one hundred percent right about Bertha. 

While George and Bertha Russell are both ruthless in their respective spheres, the age’s social values make it so that Bertha’s sphere of influence is mainly located within the family home. And she rules it like a despot. In his final scene with her this season, George was somewhat correct to point out that his unscrupulous behavior largely affects other businessmen. He neglects to point out that his robber-baron ways also affect workers toiling under his low wages and long hours, but the advantage he has is that those workers are elided and forgotten. They don’t live in his home or even his neighborhood.

Bertha, on the hand, has to see first-hand what misery her conniving creates. Although Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) seems happy now with her arranged marriage to the Duke, historical spoilers say that may not be the case forever. And all this emotional ruin is because Bertha Russell, the former working-class girl now living a dream existence, cannot help but to want more. And imposing that on your family is downright UGLY. 

The Gilded Age season 3 can be streamed in its entirety on HBO Max.

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Executive produced by Ryan Coogler, Ironheart is a 6-episode journey into the life of Riri Williams post-Wakanda. Due to missing classes and charging people to do their homework, Riri Williams is expelled from M.I.T., forcing her to move back to her hometown Chicago, Illinois. The first episode is focused on Riri’s return home, more of her backstory, and somewhat awkwardly reconnecting with her mother, Ronnie (Anji White), and friend/neighbor, Xavier Washington (Matthew Elam).

Behind every hero and villain is a traumatic event, and for Riri, it’s the deaths of her stepdad, Gary, and best friend Natalie (Lyric Ross), Xavier’s sister, who both died in a shooting she witnessed. Coming home stirs all the anger and pain up again, making a noticeable impact on her mental health. 

After he sees her flying around Chicago in armor, Riri is approached by John (Manny Montana) with a job offer. Although the whole situation is sus from the start, she agrees to meet John’s cousin Parker Robbins, aka “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos), who traps her in a gas-filled elevator with three minutes on the clock. He’s impressed by her ingenuity and invites her to join his ragtag team of criminals. The roster includes hacker queen Slug (Jaren Merrell aka Shea Couleé), pyro pro Clown (Sonia Denis), the head-bashing Blood siblings, Ros (Shakira Barrera) and Jerry Blood (Zoe Terakes), and tech specialist Stuart Clarke aka Rampage (Eric André). 

While the pay is excellent and she gets to improve her suit, the heist life isn’t for Riri. Parker pitched the team as a sort of Robin Hood band of well-meaning-but-violent-when-necessary misfits whom he saved from their lives. But the more he dons the red hood, which continues to create dark, veiny scars on his back, the more unhinged he becomes. Ramos delivers a fantastic performance as Parker, a character who is confident and subtly manipulative on the outside while fighting against an unseen evil force literally infecting his body. 

Parker and his cohorts are just some of the great characters introduced in Ironheart. Riri also bonds with Joe McGillicuddy (Alden Ehrenreich), a seemingly normal guy who happens to be a weapons expert in his spare time. His name is obviously fake, though he opens up to Riri about his real identity and the past he’s trying to hide. The legendary Cree Summers plays a friend of Ronnie’s whose daughter, excellently portrayed by Regan Aliyah, instantly became my favorite character. 

Other than her mom, Riri’s closest confidant is her suit’s Neuro-Autonomous Technical Assistant & Laboratory Intelligence Entity (N.A.T.A.L.I.E.), who, like in the comics, is created using her brain waves. Seeing a dead friend in hologram form is just as shocking as one would expect, and it takes Riri some time to adjust. Lyric Ross plays the real Natalie in flashbacks and memories, as well as the digital version. Her chemistry with Thorne is one of the series’ highlights, and their characters are hilarious together. 

Riri’s genius mind does make her cocky at times but it also means she puts a lot of pressure on herself to always have the solution. She’s not portrayed as a total introvert, though it’s clear she prefers working in a lab or her bedroom rather than socializing. It’s implied that Natalie was really her only close friend, and her absence left Riri closed off from relationships. It’s this loss that motivates her to be a protector and innovator, so that “help will never be too late.”

There’s been some doubt (or more like hate) about having both technology and magic in this grounded series. The debate is even expressed within the show repeatedly by multiple characters, including Riri herself. But the way this story unfolds makes sense. Tech and magic each have their purposes and limitations, allowing one to step in when the other isn’t cutting it. This makes the tension between Riri and Parker compelling.

Since it was announced that Sacha Baron Cohen was cast, there has been constant speculation about his secret role. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that he’s an excellent choice to play an alluring evil entity. The character’s inclusion in Ironheart instead of WandaVision or Agatha All Along has already put some people off, but I loved his reveal and performance. 

Ironheart is a compelling, grounded story that gives Riri Williams the introduction and in-depth character exploration she deserves. Dominique Thorne, the entire cast, and the series as a whole balance the whimsy and darkness of magic with the innovation of technology. The finale satisfyingly concludes this chapter for Riri and other characters, setting up intriguing storylines I can’t wait to see play out on the big screen, or (hopefully) in another season of Ironheart.  

Ironheart premieres its first three episodes June 24, 2025, on Disney+, followed by its remaining three episodes July 1.

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Season 5 explores You’s core themes — love, obsession, violence, abandonment, privilege, privacy, and toxic relationships — with a deep dive into remorse, regret, and being haunted by past mistakes. While I would’ve loved to see a few more familiar characters and callbacks, these ten episodes had me laughing, gasping, crying, and laughing some more.

Warning: Spoilers for Seasons 1–4

In You’s Season 4 two-parter, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) traded in the California suburbs of Madre Linda for the streets of London, England. He becomes a professor of American literature at Darcy College, going by his new identity, Jonathan Moore. He meets another professor, Malcolm (Stephen Hagan), who introduces him to his group of wealthy friends. From the start, Malcolm’s sort of girlfriend Kate Glavin (Charlotte Ritchie) is suspicious of Joe/Jonathan’s arrival. She isn’t like his other love interests (or victims) we’ve seen; she’s cold, blunt, and rightfully wary of his intentions, though he wins her over in the end. 

The end of Season 3 showed Joe trying to track down Marienne Bellamy (Tati Gabrielle) in Paris, which led him to a London art fair. She reacts appropriately, running at the sight of him. His way of proving he’s not a bad man is to let her go. We don’t see her again until Part 2, when we learn Joe put her in a new glass cage, all while in a dissociative state. It’s revealed that his antagonistic partner in crime, politician Rhys Montrose (Ed Speleers), was all in his head, and he’s never met the real Rhys. 

In a dream sequence, Joe has to face Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), who force him to confront the truth about himself — that he’s a delusional abuser and killer of women, not their chivalrous white knight. He attempts to kill himself by jumping off a bridge, but ultimately survives, thanks to the thick plot armor. He tells Kate a small fraction of his actual body count, leaving out that he also killed her controlling father, Tom Lockwood (Greg Kinnear). She accepts him, helps him frame his curious student Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman), and spins a “second chance at life” story that paints Joe as a victim. We end on an ominous note; even though he and Kate promised to “keep each other good,” Joe now fully accepts himself as a killer. 

For a more in-depth recap, check out Penn Badgley’s hilarious video.

Season 5 picks up three years later with Joe and Kate as a power couple. She’s now CEO of the Lockwood Corporation, while he’s sort of just there at her side. The public calls him Prince Charming, a perfect husband who holds his wife’s purse and vaguely helps her with philanthropic efforts. Kate also helped Joe get Henry (Frankie DeMaio), now a 6-year-old precocious book lover, back from his Madre Linda dads, Dante (Ben Mehl) and Lansing (Noel Arthur).

Joe married into a wealthy family before, but the Lockwoods aren’t the same as the Quinns. They’re vicious manipulators with endless money, resources, and influence. Kate’s half-sister Raegan (Anna Camp) resents her for being their father’s favorite and taking over as CEO. Camp gives a fantastic dual performance as the ruthless Raegan and her bubbly twin Maddie, two characters with very different agendas, personalities, and emotions. Kate’s only blood-related confidant is half-brother Teddy Lockwood (Griffin Matthews), who was only welcomed into the family when Kate became CEO. He likes Joe, and Joe (surprisingly) likes him; they both have a rags-to-riches trajectory and still feel like outsiders in this family. 

Kate and Joe’s relationship is seemingly stable. He hasn’t killed anyone since they left London, but when an opportunity, or more like a threat, presents itself, he tries to find a work-murder balance. Kate grew up watching her dad “handle” his enemies in violent ways, and now that her husband is starting to do the same, she’s conflicted.

Like most anti-hero stories, we’re rooting against the voice of logic and reason because we want to see the protagonist do awful things. When Kate tries to condemn Joe’s killer tendencies, the knee-jerk reaction is to roll our eyes and scoff at her moral superiority, even though she’s right. She’s like Love in that she calls Joe out on his hypocrisy and isn’t afraid to go head-to-head despite knowing what he’s capable of. She loves deeply and protects her friends and family, even the ones she hates. She doesn’t think of murder as a solution. 

Joe keeps himself busy restoring Mooney’s, which he bought with Lockwood money. He hires one employee named Bronte (Madeline Brewer), a young, spirited playwright who broke into the bookstore. She’s an endearing character, described by Joe as “frustrating and utterly captivating all at once.” Bronte regularly speaks in abbreviations and internet slang, which might turn some viewers off. However, she’s self-aware that she’s a mess, and we know Joe can’t resist a literary-loving woman with a complicated life. Brewer has already seen some backlash and expects more, telling Vanity Fair, “People aren’t going to like Bronte for one reason or another. They’ll love to hate her — or hate to love her.”

The return to New York in Season 5 is a nostalgic and fitting setting for Joe’s final chapter. It’s interesting to see him try to be the new him and the old him at the same time. He appreciates his headstrong, kindhearted wife and how she made it possible for him to come home and have his own name again. However, as soon as Kate starts to judge his actions, he goes back to his usual “no one will ever accept the real me” mindset. Delusional as ever, Joe begins to fixate on Bronte, someone he assumes would be more open to dating a man who’d kill for her because she likes dark romance fiction. 

Each season, Joe has had to adapt to a new environment, while we adapt to the shifts in tone and cinematography. The jump from Season 1’s warm and dreamy New York to bright, sunny Los Angeles in Season 2 was a bit jarring, but quickly proved to be a fun change of scenery. Season 3 maintained some of the LA brightness in Madre Linda, though muted. I definitely miss the Agatha Christie atmosphere of Season 4’s dark academia London setting. Season 5 sort of blends these different styles with a little of Season 1’s glow, Season 2’s liveliness, Season 3’s colorful claustrophobia, and the darkness of Season 4.

You comes to an end with a dramatic, suspenseful, darkly funny, and emotionally riveting fifth and final season. There’s a lot of pressure to stick the landing, and it’s hard to say how audiences will feel about the overall season, which has quite a few subplots and loose ends. However, the powerful performances, especially from Badgley, elevate the storylines. How much fans enjoy the mostly satisfying finale depends on their idea of justice, whether they actually want Joe to suffer the consequences, and who they want to see bring him down.

You Season 5 premieres April 24, 2025, on Netflix.

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Every character has their own dilemma to face over the course of the 12 episodes that keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The final season of Andor answers which characters will seek out their purpose, settle for an ordinary lifestyle, or meet their demise. At the forefront of it all, we are taken on a thrilling journey to uncover the truth as Cassian gets rid of his doubts and ventures into his newfound life from a nobody to a hero.

One of the most fascinating things about the series is its ability to have quite a few storylines that manage to keep you intrigued and interested the whole way. Oftentimes, when a project has a lot of character arcs developing simultaneously, it can become fairly overwhelming and thus leading to a loss of interest. Andor defies that as each story ties in to another, making it enjoyable to piece things together as the season progresses. You find yourself trying to predict what happens next as each episode opens up another hurdle for each mission they are individually on.

Despite the series title, it doesn’t place a primary focus solely on Cassian Andor, but instead sheds that attention on the entire cast. With that being said, it’s a must to point out that Luna shines as he delivers a standout performance, perhaps the best of his Star Wars appearances. His chemistry with Arjona is subtle and in no way overpowering to where this becomes a hero looking to save his damsel in distress. Instead, their romance pours into Cassian’s purpose, further fueling his actions and desire to lead the rebels to a victory.

Although the season spans over 12 episodes that range from 40 to 55 minutes each, you can tell much more was supposed to take place but was ultimately consolidated. Showrunner Gilroy tells SFX that the series was set to take place over over five seasons, but was reworked shortly after COVID. “We were halfway through shooting Season 1…and the monumental size of the show, the effort, and everything else was just dawning on us… I didn’t have enough calories to do it and Diego’s face couldn’t take the time because it just takes too long to make…”

This is likely in reference to Luna being around 50 years old at the conclusion of the original five-season plan. So to still capture the same story they wanted to convey, time jumps were sprinkled throughout this season. From a cinematic perspective, there are several shots that are fairly breathtaking, including one of Bix and Cassian walking out of a building at night and Syril standing in the courtyard with chaos erupting around him.

I bring that up to commend the manner in which Andor plays out like a big screen film rather than a TV series. Without naming names, some shows feel like just that; projects that were diluted and cheaply thrown together and rely on the lore alone to attract viewers. The action sequences are so reminiscent of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith and could arguably have been turned into a feature length film instead of a series (not that I’m complaining at all). Even the music in a few of the party scenes is solid and caught my attention as they were so current and upbeat, you wouldn’t think you’d find them in a Star Wars piece.

Andor coming to a close after only two seasons is both beautiful and bittersweet. It’s quite a treat to have been able to dive more into Cassian’s character, but sad that it ended so quickly. It would have been great to explore his relationship with Bix more, since every other character’s storyline wrapped properly ahead of Rogue One. The realistic sets and wardrobe lend to the series’ overall tone of being a bit more realistic than the space sequences we know and love. Luna leads an intense cast of bright actors and gives his career best. With its elite storytelling, Andor has concluded as the best spin-off that has come from the Star Wars franchise by an absolute longshot.

The final season of Andor premieres on Disney+ April 22, 2025, with the release of the first three episodes.

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Grosse Pointe Garden Society is NBC’s suburban drama, a unique blend of mystery and dark humor with a heavy dose of floral passive aggression. The series follows four members of an elite garden club in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, who become entangled in a murder cover-up that threatens to unravel their seemingly perfect lives. While the show may have some tonal inconsistencies and surface-level character work, it still manages to be… weirdly addictive.

Like Grosse Pointe Garden Society‘s predecessor, Desperate Housewives, this show is a character-driven story full of quirky comedy with some edge, heartfelt moments, and small-town charm. However, it doesn’t have the larger-than-life characters you might expect. The characters here are much more down-to-earth, an interesting take on the suburban drama genre. 

Plot and Structure

Grosse Pointe Garden Society‘s real competition isn’t horticulture; it’s social warfare. Secrets bloom, alliances wilt, and every twist roots you deeper into the characters’ lives. The story is told across two timelines: the present, where the group struggles with the aftermath of their crime, and six months earlier, leading up to the murder. This non-linear approach adds mystery and layers to each character. As a viewer, I am constantly challenged to decide which timeline to trust, as each raises more questions than answers. 

Characters and Performances

The ensemble cast delivers praise-worthy performances; each actor brings depth to their respective roles. Aja Naomi King (Lessons in Chemistry, How to Get Away With Murder) plays Catherine, a real estate agent involved in a complicated affair. Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn 99) shines as Birdie, a socialite with a penchant for trouble. AnnaSophia Robb (Carrie Diaries) portrays Alice, a high school teacher whose life spirals after her dog’s murder. Ben Rappaport’s (Younger) Brett is a landscaper and father navigating personal challenges.

The show begins with a subtle call to action: What if those who always got away with their wrongdoings — just because of their wealth, status, or connections — could no longer hide behind their privilege? What if their secrets were exposed, and their comfortable lives were turned upside down? It’s a simple enough concept that most audiences can get behind. But what makes Grosse Pointe Garden Society intriguing is that the “heroes,” Catherine, Birdie, Alice, and Brett, answer this call to action, and they are just as flawed (if not worse because at some point, the “heroes” will commit murder.)

The hypocrisy of these characters serves as the perfect lens to explore the themes of privilege, corruption, and the consequences of unchecked power. Catherine, Birdie, Alice, and Brett’s audacity and lack of self-awareness lend a natural levity to the show, perfectly balancing the plot’s heaviness. For example:

• Catherine takes down a serial adulterer, who she was having an affair with while she is actively married.
• Birdie attempts to reconnect with her son, who she put up for adoption, with the hopes of not disrupting his life, while engaging in an entanglement with her son’s adoptive mom’s husband.
• Alice decides to expose a bratty teenager for murdering her dog, only to discover that he indeed is a brat, but he did not murder her dog.
• Brett is a divorcee trying to expose his ex-wife’s husband for not being a good guy while contributing to the dissolution of his best friend’s marriage.

Grosse Pointe Garden Society might be the rare story where moral ambiguity reigns supreme — and I love every minute of it! We’re more than halfway through the season and I still don’t know who the actual victims or villains are.

Character Relationships

The character relationships are essential to the Grosse Pointe Garden Society. And the standout relationship is between Birdie (Fumero) and Catherine (King). They are two bookends to each other’s journey. Birdie is a wealthy socialite and bestselling author who joins the Garden Society to fulfill court-mandated community service after a reckless driving incident. Catherine (King) is the vice president of the Garden Society and a successful real estate agent.​ She projects an image of control and perfection, embodying the ideal suburban wife and mother.

When Birdie and Catherine first meet, it’s like planting a cactus and rose together — they don’t seem to mix. However, roses and cacti can be grown together in the right conditions. Birdie is beginning her journey of redemption, while Catherine is beginning her journey of betrayal and revenge. Then, six months later, they are paired together while transporting a dead body in the trunk of their car. This twosome creates a relatable and endearing relationship that raises the show’s emotional stakes and drives the plot forward. 

Conclusion

If you’re in the mood for a visually stunning show that combines beautifully manicured cattiness with a murder twist, Grosse Pointe Garden Society is the perfect choice. The show is a feast for the eyes, from its over-the-top garden displays to the posh production design of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, life. This series offers a fresh take on the suburban drama genre with its compelling cast and intriguing premise. With its unique visual appeal, Grosse Pointe Garden Society has the potential to cultivate a dedicated following.

Grosse Pointe Garden Society is available for streaming on Peacock.

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