Take a look atThe Handmaid's TaleSeries Graph (episodes ranked by fan rating), and you'll see a near-impossible feat: back-to-back 9.0 and 5.7 ratings for the final two episodes of season 6. Translated, that's a Game of Thronesscale of reaction to the show's final-ever episode.
Given that the season 6 finale was an outright setup for new Hulu and Disney+ sequel seriesThe Testaments, things didn't look too rosy. Thankfully, the reality is completely different — and I genuinely think The Testaments is as good as season 1 of The Handmaid's Tale.
For starters, the spinoff has nailed the art of reintroducing us to somewhere we already know (the totalitarian regime that is Gilead) and making it feel fresh. There are still secrets buried beneath the surface that we're none the wiser about, and a simple anti-regime stunt from Mayday isn't going to get any answers this time.
Then there's the casting. We already knew that Ann Dowd is absolutely blistering as the impenetrable Aunt Lydia, but newbies Chase Infiniti and Lucy Halliday mould the show into their own creation. We're looking at a major star on the rise after One Battle After Another with Infiniti, people.
If that's not enough to win you over to The Testaments, its main downside (feeling like it's just getting going) gives way to its biggest positive... surprises galore.
The Testaments is the journey to revolution that The Handmaid's Tale season 6 wanted to be
Some 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, a lot has changed in the Republic of Gilead. Aunt Lydia has rescued herself from imprisonment by being handpicked to oversee the laws and uniforms governing Gilead's women in the form of a new school.
Here, students are separated into four colors: Pinks for elementary age, Plums for young tweens who haven't come of age, Greens for those who have and are eligible for marriage, and the so-called 'Pearl Girls,' who have recently transferred in from the outside.
Where Margaret Atwood's book follows Aunt Lydia's perspective, Hulu's version homes in on devout Plum Agnes (Infiniti), who completely believes in the regime and what it's trying to achieve. She hates her stepmother, however, with her Commander father also constantly absent from the home.
One day, Aunt Lydia assigns her a Pearl Girl called Daisy (Halliday), prompting Agnes' friends to think she's done something wrong. Neither trusts the other, and while Daisy arrives with Gilead with secrets, Agnes begins to see the light.
It stands to reason that a school inside a totalitarian regime creates instant intrigue, but it's the ensemble performances that elevate it. Main cast aside, our Aunts and Plums have been picked to perfection, straddling the line between deranged and oblivious as, for the first time, men begin to feel the bulk of capital punishment.
Aunt Lydia could make or break what happens in The Testaments season 2 — which I'm convinced is coming
The golden trio. (Image credit: Disney+)
Ann Dowd remains the class act that we've known she is for years, and I'm overjoyed that Aunt Lydia is the character that both Atwood and Hulu chose to continue. Season 6 saw her allegiance to Gilead finally falter, but this time around, I don't trust her.
Why? When we meet her again in The Testaments, her faith in Gilead appears to be completely restored. However, she clearly knows more than she's letting on, and that makes her completely opaque when it comes to potentially betraying the regime further down the line.
It's a slippery business, and Aunt Lydia could either help or hugely hinder Agnes and Daisy on their upcoming journey. Obviously, there are no spoilers here, but the entire season of The Testaments feels like a starter for the main course still to come, and I'm convinced season 2 already has to be being developed.
Wishing for more of a fictitious dictatorship while living through politically perilous times feels bizarre at best, but I'm hoping for as many instalments of The Testaments as I can handle.
In the meantime, what we already have is a heady and moreish binge dressed up in a coloured uniform. The soundtrack is bonkers yet effective, and you can never let your guard down — particularly when it comes to plot details fans have been theorizing might come true. Frankly, I'd stream it over The Handmaid's Tale itself any day of the week.
It's obvious that we're getting them for more reasons than I've listed, and if The Handmaid's Tale spinoff continues to live up to the level of brilliance we see across these 10 episodes, totalitarian TV will never have been better.
Take a look atThe Handmaid's TaleSeries Graph (episodes ranked by fan rating), and you'll see a near-impossible feat: back-to-back 9.0 and 5.7 ratings for the final two episodes of season 6. Translated, that's a Game of Thronesscale of reaction to the show's final-ever episode.
Given that the season 6 finale was an outright setup for new Hulu and Disney+ sequel seriesThe Testaments, things didn't look too rosy. Thankfully, the reality is completely different — and I genuinely think The Testaments is as good as season 1 of The Handmaid's Tale.
For starters, the spinoff has nailed the art of reintroducing us to somewhere we already know (the totalitarian regime that is Gilead) and making it feel fresh. There are still secrets buried beneath the surface that we're none the wiser about, and a simple anti-regime stunt from Mayday isn't going to get any answers this time.
Then there's the casting. We already knew that Ann Dowd is absolutely blistering as the impenetrable Aunt Lydia, but newbies Chase Infiniti and Lucy Halliday mould the show into their own creation. We're looking at a major star on the rise after One Battle After Another with Infiniti, people.
If that's not enough to win you over to The Testaments, its main downside (feeling like it's just getting going) gives way to its biggest positive... surprises galore.
The Testaments is the journey to revolution that The Handmaid's Tale season 6 wanted to be
Some 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, a lot has changed in the Republic of Gilead. Aunt Lydia has rescued herself from imprisonment by being handpicked to oversee the laws and uniforms governing Gilead's women in the form of a new school.
Here, students are separated into four colors: Pinks for elementary age, Plums for young tweens who haven't come of age, Greens for those who have and are eligible for marriage, and the so-called 'Pearl Girls,' who have recently transferred in from the outside.
Where Margaret Atwood's book follows Aunt Lydia's perspective, Hulu's version homes in on devout Plum Agnes (Infiniti), who completely believes in the regime and what it's trying to achieve. She hates her stepmother, however, with her Commander father also constantly absent from the home.
One day, Aunt Lydia assigns her a Pearl Girl called Daisy (Halliday), prompting Agnes' friends to think she's done something wrong. Neither trusts the other, and while Daisy arrives with Gilead with secrets, Agnes begins to see the light.
It stands to reason that a school inside a totalitarian regime creates instant intrigue, but it's the ensemble performances that elevate it. Main cast aside, our Aunts and Plums have been picked to perfection, straddling the line between deranged and oblivious as, for the first time, men begin to feel the bulk of capital punishment.
Aunt Lydia could make or break what happens in The Testaments season 2 — which I'm convinced is coming
The golden trio. (Image credit: Disney+)
Ann Dowd remains the class act that we've known she is for years, and I'm overjoyed that Aunt Lydia is the character that both Atwood and Hulu chose to continue. Season 6 saw her allegiance to Gilead finally falter, but this time around, I don't trust her.
Why? When we meet her again in The Testaments, her faith in Gilead appears to be completely restored. However, she clearly knows more than she's letting on, and that makes her completely opaque when it comes to potentially betraying the regime further down the line.
It's a slippery business, and Aunt Lydia could either help or hugely hinder Agnes and Daisy on their upcoming journey. Obviously, there are no spoilers here, but the entire season of The Testaments feels like a starter for the main course still to come, and I'm convinced season 2 already has to be being developed.
Wishing for more of a fictitious dictatorship while living through politically perilous times feels bizarre at best, but I'm hoping for as many instalments of The Testaments as I can handle.
In the meantime, what we already have is a heady and moreish binge dressed up in a coloured uniform. The soundtrack is bonkers yet effective, and you can never let your guard down — particularly when it comes to plot details fans have been theorizing might come true. Frankly, I'd stream it over The Handmaid's Tale itself any day of the week.
It's obvious that we're getting them for more reasons than I've listed, and if The Handmaid's Tale spinoff continues to live up to the level of brilliance we see across these 10 episodes, totalitarian TV will never have been better.
Something Very Bad is Going to Happen had me at hello. With an ominous title like that, how could I resist diving straight in and binge-watching the new Netflix show?
While it's a great title, it also basically gives away the plot, which means that when the titular bad thing does happen, it better be worth it.
Trust me, it is. I love a slow burn and have long been drawn to some of the best horror movies like Hereditary and Midsommar, which build to an awful yet satisfying conclusion. People looking for a fast pace and loads of scares will be disappointed with Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, but for those who like to be pumped full of lingering dread, this should be a blast.
The Netflix series follows Rachel Harkin (Camila Morrone) and Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco), who are getting married in five days. In the build-up to the big day, the couple is traveling to Summer House, the ancestral home of Nicky's family, for gatherings and celebrations ahead of time.
The Cunningham family gather together before Adam and Rachel get married. (Image credit: Netflix)
My favorite horror movie of all time is The Silence of the Lambs, so seeing Ted Levine in the cast as Adam's father was great. Additionally, The Haunting of Hill House's Victoria Pedretti stars in an important role (you will find out who she is, don't worry!), so there's plenty for horror fans to enjoy star-wise.
The rest of the cast is great, too, and the ensemble creates this difficult family dynamic where Rachel questions whether she is really supposed to marry into this family. The Cunninghams are well off, Rachel comes from a different background, and plenty of the usual pre-marital anxieties arise.
But there's something deeply wrong here. Over the course of the five days before the wedding, Rachel witnesses some very disturbing things. Bad omens seem to be everywhere, and what should be an exciting time turns into one that's filled with dread.
Not just for Rachel, but for us as the viewers, too, as I found myself feeling very uncomfortable when watching this. And when you're discussing horror, that's like the highest praise you can give.
Tension and unease are at the heart of Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, and you can expect unsettling visuals, plenty of blood and disturbing scenes, found-footage style framing that puts you right in the center of it, and yes, a couple of decently executed scares too. It has all the right ingredients for a tense horror that creeps along towards a horrific finale.
This is where things will no doubt divide viewers. After such a slow burn, the finale may not satisfy everyone. But it is the biggest, bloodiest episode of them all, so it certainly makes a statement, helped by some excellent special effects and a creepy score.
Something Very Bad is Going to Happen ultimately plays on our real-life anxieties of fitting in, big decisions like marriage and a family, and worries around our own identities. Despite the supernatural elements, at its core, it can feel very relatable at times.
But that's what well-written horror does, and I was happy to experience it, even if I do need to go and watch something more lighthearted now.
Something Very Bad is Going to Happen had me at hello. With an ominous title like that, how could I resist diving straight in and binge-watching the new Netflix show?
While it's a great title, it also basically gives away the plot, which means that when the titular bad thing does happen, it better be worth it.
Trust me, it is. I love a slow burn and have long been drawn to some of the best horror movies like Hereditary and Midsommar, which build to an awful yet satisfying conclusion. People looking for a fast pace and loads of scares will be disappointed with Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, but for those who like to be pumped full of lingering dread, this should be a blast.
The Netflix series follows Rachel Harkin (Camila Morrone) and Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco), who are getting married in five days. In the build-up to the big day, the couple is traveling to Summer House, the ancestral home of Nicky's family, for gatherings and celebrations ahead of time.
The Cunningham family gather together before Adam and Rachel get married. (Image credit: Netflix)
My favorite horror movie of all time is The Silence of the Lambs, so seeing Ted Levine in the cast as Adam's father was great. Additionally, The Haunting of Hill House's Victoria Pedretti stars in an important role (you will find out who she is, don't worry!), so there's plenty for horror fans to enjoy star-wise.
The rest of the cast is great, too, and the ensemble creates this difficult family dynamic where Rachel questions whether she is really supposed to marry into this family. The Cunninghams are well off, Rachel comes from a different background, and plenty of the usual pre-marital anxieties arise.
But there's something deeply wrong here. Over the course of the five days before the wedding, Rachel witnesses some very disturbing things. Bad omens seem to be everywhere, and what should be an exciting time turns into one that's filled with dread.
Not just for Rachel, but for us as the viewers, too, as I found myself feeling very uncomfortable when watching this. And when you're discussing horror, that's like the highest praise you can give.
Tension and unease are at the heart of Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, and you can expect unsettling visuals, plenty of blood and disturbing scenes, found-footage style framing that puts you right in the center of it, and yes, a couple of decently executed scares too. It has all the right ingredients for a tense horror that creeps along towards a horrific finale.
This is where things will no doubt divide viewers. After such a slow burn, the finale may not satisfy everyone. But it is the biggest, bloodiest episode of them all, so it certainly makes a statement, helped by some excellent special effects and a creepy score.
Something Very Bad is Going to Happen ultimately plays on our real-life anxieties of fitting in, big decisions like marriage and a family, and worries around our own identities. Despite the supernatural elements, at its core, it can feel very relatable at times.
But that's what well-written horror does, and I was happy to experience it, even if I do need to go and watch something more lighthearted now.
With its predecessor having been subjected to a creative overhaul midway through production, Born Again's debut season was the embodiment of the saying "too many cooks spoil the soup". This time, though, the show's cast and crew are all singing from the same hymn sheet — and Marvel fans won't accept any excuses if its new chapter similarly turns out to be a Frankenstein's Monster of a season.
Having watched all eight episodes, it gives me great pleasure to say that Born Again season 2 is devilishly great — but, haunted by the ghosts of its past, it's not the knock-out masterpiece that some might be hoping for.
Hell on Earth
Half a year has passed since Born Again's season 1 finale (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney+)
Six months on from Daredevil: Born Again's season 1 finale, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and his allies are engaged in a guerrilla war against Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio), the dictatorial Mayor of New York City and Murdock's long-time nemesis.
Born Again season 2 is as bone-crunchingly brilliant as its forebear and Netflix's Daredevil TV series
Fisk's calculated crackdown on vigilantes like Daredevil has not only continued apace, but has also been used a smokescreen to Fisk's other criminal activities. However, when our eponymous hero and right-hand Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) learn of — and disrupt — a multi-million dollar arms shipment on the Hudson River, the stakes of this cat-and-mouse game grow in dramatic and violent fashion.
A show renowned for its brutality, season2 is as bone-crunchingly brilliant as its both forebear and Netflix's Daredevil TV series that Born Again is a continuation of.
From the moment our titular hero storms the arms-ferrying freighter in the season premiere's opening sequence, to this season's incredibly intense, blood-soaked finale, Born Again 2 doesn't hold back in the action-spectacle department.
Wilson Fisk takes part in a so-called charity boxing match in this season's fourth chapter (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
Equipped with numerous in-your-face, chaotic, and smile-inducing set-pieces, I'd argue it even gives the original show's innovative action a run for its money.
Indeed, episode 3's final 15 minutes include some of my favorite fight scenes since Daredevil's infamous season 1 hallway, season 2 stairwell, and season 3 prison-escape sequences — no small feat when you remember how utterly absorbing those are. And, don't worry; Born Again 2 includes the requisite seasonal duel between Murdock's alter-ego and Fisk, albeit we're made to wait for the latest in a series of bruising, must-see showdowns between them. Enjoy it while it lasts, too, because scenes shared by the show's main characters are once again kept to a minimum.
Gruesomely entertaining as these action-packed episodes are, this season's fifth chapter is all but devoid of set-pieces — and yet, it's my favorite episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project's latest season.
Episode 5's dual narratives are equal-parts sanguine, deeply intimate, poignant, and soul-crushing
An entry that splits its time between the past and present, its dual narratives are equal parts sanguine, deeply intimate, poignant, and soul-crushing. Through flashbacks, episode 5 cleverly fills in narrative gaps from the Netflix show, and serves as a timely reminder of how excellent Daredevil was.
That's particular true of the much-missed dynamic between Matt and Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson (Elden Henson), the latter of whom died in last season's premiere. With Henson's return confirmed in Born Again season 2's trailer, though, said relationship is resurrected in pleasing albeit bittersweet fashion.
On the present-day story front, it's the mark of great writing when audiences find themselves empathizing with a movie or show's villain(s). Episode 5 nails this with its current-day Fisk-led plot, with the events that transpire turning him into an even more of a terrifyingly loose-cannon of an antagonist in the season's final three chapters.
Bullseye continues to be one of the MCU's most fascinating and multifaceted characters (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney+)
The same is true of episode 5's primary present-day subplot involving Murdock and the sociopathic Benjamin Pointdexter/Bullseye (Wilson Bethel), the latter of whom continues to be one of the most fascinating characters in this show and the wider MCU.
An individual with a superiority complex and newfound moral ambiguity who, like all great villains, views himself as the hero of his own story, Bullseye reinforces the case that Marvel should permanently adopt a returning nemesis policy. Multi-layered individuals like Bullseye and Fisk have proven it works so, if there's more than enough character-development fuel in the tank, there's no reason for Marvel not to put it into practice in future projects.
Vive la Résistance
Matt Murdock and Karen Page's dynamic is given much more screentime in season 2 (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
With Daredevil: Born Again's first season severely underutilizing the Murdock-Page dynamic, it's great to see this pairing share much more screentime this time around, too. It's a bond that initially seems to be watertight, but cracks soon appear. Indeed, their opposing ideals become a breeding ground for lots of mandatory melodrama that, while mostly engaging, isn't explored to its full potential.
Murdock and Page's opposing ideals become a breeding ground for lots of mandatory melodrama
Regardless, it's extremely gratifying to see Woll's Page have a more substantial role in season 2, and put her extensive investigative and combat skills to use. Similarly, it's satisfying to see Murdock fully embrace his rage-filled, acrobatic vigilante persona — in his new Shadowland comic book-inspired black suit, which symbolizes this season's sobering mood, no less — after trying to avoid it for large portions of last season.
The pair aren't the only members of this cadre. Returning allies in Murdock's law-firm partner Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki James), retired NYPD cop Cherry (Clark Johnson), on-the-beat reporter B.B. Urich (Genneya Walton), and Angela del Toro/White Tiger 2.0 (Camila Rodriguez) have roles to play in fighting the good fight.
Krysten Ritter reprises her role as Jessica Jones for the first time in seven years (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
It's the return of Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones in Born Again season 2 that's the real headline-grabber, though. It's a homecoming previously teased by Marvel Head of TV Brad Winderbaum as being "filled with very cool surprises", although the hard-drinking private investigator disappointingly doesn't show up until this season's latter half. Nevertheless, it's terrific to not only see her back in action and at her wisecracking best, but also teaming up with Daredevil again to cause some chaos and re-forge the fun-filled dynamic they had in Netflix's The Defenders crossover miniseries.
It's terrific to see Jessica Jones back in action and at her wisecracking best
Other new characters — ones who operate in Wilson and Vanessa Fisk's (Ayelut Zurer) orbit, much to the former's annoyance — also inject fresh energy into proceedings.
The mysterious Mister Charles (Matthew Lillard), an amusingly abrasive and delightfully detestable individual brimming with chaotic energy, is a highly entertaining foil to the Fisks. Meanwhile, New York Governor Marge McCaffrey (Lili Taylor) is a serious political adversary whose administrative roadblocks regularly threaten to detail the criminal couple's activities. The Fisks, though, routinely find ways to spin the narrative in their favor, which often puts them one step ahead of everyone else in the fantastically fraught chess game that plays out in the Marvel Phase 6 project.
Mister Charles (right) inserts himself directly into the Fisks' affairs in season 2 (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
To reiterate what I teased in my introduction, Born Again 2 isn't without fault — and, irritatingly, a lot of the issues that afflicted Daredevil: Born Again season 1 haven't been resolved, especially in episodes 1 through 4.
For starters, the oft-used harsh cuts between scenes and jarring addition of The B.B. Report, aka Urich's filmed vox pops, remain. Okay, it can be argued that the latter's inclusion is necessary from a worldbuilding viewpoint, but each installment eats up valuable time that would've been better used elsewhere.
And, hoo boy, are some side-stories and character arcs in dire need of being expanded on. From the predictable and ponderous nature of Heather Glenn's (Margarita Leveiva) journey, to the lack of discernible pay-off in Daniel Blake's (Michael Gandolfini) individual tale due to the inconsistent manner in which it's approached and told, Born Again 2 doesn't devote the necessary time to these subplots to give them the emotional weight they deserve.
My verdict
Daredevil: Born Again season 2's good aspects easily compensate for the bad, but it's arguable that the latter hold it back from being its best self.
Nonetheless, it's a higher-stakes, drama-fueled continuation of the Mayor Fisk story arc that further aligns the show with its Netflix predecessor. And, thanks to its emotionally impactful and much more cohesive back half, it builds towards an incredibly intense crescendo that's set to take the series in an intriguing new direction ahead of its already in-development third season.
Some of you might question why Born Again2 scored lower than its forebear, which I gave four and a half stars out of five in my Daredevil: Born Again season 1 review. Simply put, that evaluation didn't cover the full season — if it had, I'd have dropped its rating by a whole star.
In that sense, then, Born Again's latest installment is an improvement on what came before — and if it can raise its game next season it might finally banish its story- and production-based demons for good.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a direct continuation of the 2019 horror comedy Ready or Not, and a sequel I was very surprised to see on our new movies list.
When I rewatched the original movie on Disney+, I was reminded how great it is. Laugh out loud funny, plenty of shocking moments, and a concluding line that's just perfect. With that in mind, I thought it would be a great standalone movie.
But this is the horror genre, folks. We never seem to get just one movie, do we? Sequels are everywhere, some good, some bad. When it comes to Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, I'd consider it to be decent for what it is, and there's plenty to like about it.
When we pick up, it's right after the ending of the first movie. After surviving the deadly game of hide and seek, resulting in the deaths of her husband and in-laws, Grace (Samara Weaving) wakes up cuffed to her hospital bed. She's not going anywhere because she's now a suspect in the deaths, considering they all, you know, exploded except for her. Very suspicious.
Of course, we know that Grace was innocent, and she was due to be sacrificed to the devil Le Bail, as part of the family's deal with him. And you thought your in-laws were bad, huh?
Anyway, police interrogation would feel like a walk in the park compared to where Grace ends up. After briefly reuniting with her sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), the two are kidnapped, where they learn that the wealthiest and most influential families on Earth have to kill both of them in a new game, or they'll risk losing their power and fortunes.
So, the games begin again. Admittedly, there are plenty of fun sequences here, especially if you want some gruesome kills, which are arguably better than the ones in Ready or Not. Best seen with a crowd, these are definitely crowd pleasers.
The new additions to the cast are very fun to watch, too. Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Ursula, opposite her on-screen twin, Titus (played by Shawn Hatosy). Horror legend David Cronenberg rounds out this truly awful family as Chester, the patriarch of the Danfords. It was great seeing him in front of the camera, and he's as good there as he is behind it, directing body horror masterpieces such as The Fly.
Gellar has so much fun in this role, too, a far cry from her role as Buffy Summers (no one talk to me about the Buffy reboot cancellation, by the way). She's evil here, and has a blast doing it, as she joins the others in trying to hunt down Grace and Faith.
The movie is strong because of its ensemble cast, which is worth the theater trip alone. Elijah Wood stars as "The Lawyer", an equally fun role that you definitely haven't seen him in before.
Despite all these positives, though, the sequel does feel unnecessary and convoluted in places as the lore has now expanded to accommodate these new families and rules, to the point where it feels a bit silly, even for a horror comedy.
This would be a good place for Ready or Not to stop, in my opinion, as you can easily watch the two back to back and have a good time doing it. Adding another installment with more stakes and more games would feel like a too many cooks situation.
You will very likely have fun with this movie due to its cast, kills, and tense moments. But it does build to a conclusion that never reaches the highs of its predecessor, so unfortunately, round two is by far the weakest.
That doesn't mean it's terrible, though, just don't expect to be blown away like you were last time.
Mild spoilers follow for Invincible season 4 episodes 1 to 6.
Few Amazon TV Originals can claim to be as consistently excellent from season to season as Invincible.
Indeed, few shows can match the level of acclaim it's received since it first season, which holds a 98% approval rating on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes (RT), arrived in March 2021. Seasons 2 and 3's critically perfect ratings of 100% further prove the high level at which it continually operates compared to its Prime Video peers, too.
As the saying goes, though, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Thankfully, Invincible season 4 delays any potential fall from grace for another year, with the series' latest chapter arguably its most intense and epic installment so far.
Hello darkness, my new friend
Mark is in full-on survival mode after last season's finale (Image credit: Prime Video)
Picking up almost immediately after the Invincible season 3 finale, the popular show's latest entry reunites us with the eponymous hero — aka Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) — as he struggles to deal with the fallout of the Invincible War and his death-defying duel with Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
Given the personality-altering impact that the aforementioned near-deadly exchange has had on Mark, it's not surprising that season 4 marks yet another tonal shift for the series. Tangible from the get-go with its premiere's gloomy cold open, Invincible 4 cuts a more pessimistic figure than prior installments as it sets out its stall to be the program's darkest entry so far.
Invincible 4 cuts a more pessimistic figure than prior installments
That's not to say previous chapters weren't melancholic in their makeup but, off the back of last season's ending, Invincible's latest eight-part installment dials up the somberness and moral ambiguity to 11 — themes perfectly personified by a heavy-hearted and oft-times self-destructive Mark.
As a connoisseur of multifaceted heroes, I devilishly reveled in seeing Mark wrestle with his newly-established worldview — that being, permanently erase anyone who threatens him or his family — and the idealistic superhuman he still identifies as at his core.
Dinoasaurus (right) is one of many new villains we see this season (Image credit: Prime Video)
Whether it's the telling shift in the dynamic between our progressively cynical protagonist and his now-teen half-brother Oliver (Christian Convery), the increasingly negative public perception of him following the Invincible War, and death-dealing and near-lethal actions he takes in season 4's opening half, even as a superfan of the show's comic book namesake, I was fascinated and struck by Mark's slow unraveling.
Even as a superfan of the comics, I was fascinated and struck by Mark's slow unraveling
Here's an individual who's spent the last two seasons trying to evade the suggestion that, as the son of Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) — more on him later — he'll eventually become as bloodthirsty and uncompromising as his dad. Seeing that play out in real time is easily one of season 4's earliest highlights.
Mark and Eve's relationship keeps the former grounded and sane (Image credit: Prime Video)
As in past seasons, the only thing anchoring Mark amid the internal chaos raging within him — mother Debbie (Sandra Oh) and half-brother Oliver notwithstanding — is his girlfriend and fellow superhuman Eve Wilkins/Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs).
Even here, though, the pair's now-established romance isn't immune to turbulence. Indeed, the malfunctioning of Eve's molecular transmutation abilities — and the resultant root cause — provides the requisite melodrama we've come to expect from their dynamic, which is as fertile as ever.
Episode 4 introduces a brand-new subplot for Invincible fans to lap up (Image credit: Prime Video)
It's demon detective/immortal warrior Damien Darkblood (Clancy Brown), rather than Eve, who empowers Mark to snap out of his self-imposed funk, though.
Indeed, this season's fourth episode — one centered on a side story not present in the comics — sees Mark literally dragged to Hell to help Darkblood and the latter's allies tackle the seemingly unkillable Volcanikka (Indira Varma) and her goons. It's an intriguing and funny, albeit occasionally banal, chapter that allows Invincible co-creator Robert Kirkman realize his vision for a subplot he couldn't work into the show's literary namesake, and I enjoyed seeing more of Darkblood and the contemplative nature of this episode's tale.
Sins of the father
"We need to talk again, Mark..." (Image credit: Prime Video)
Mark's circumstances aren't aided by the reappearance of Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) who, alongside the ever-likeable Allen (Seth Rogen), who return to Earth to recruit the titular hero for the Coalition of Planets' forthcoming war against the Viltrum Empire.
The increased screen time afforded to Invincible's fan-favorite bromance... is much needed
The increased screen time afforded to Invincible's fan-favorite bromance after their bit-part roles in seasons 2 and 3 is not only much needed, but also long overdue.
Sure, given how the story plays out in the source material, it was inevitable that we'd see more of Nolan and Allen as they embark on a quest to seek out new allies to join the fight. Nonetheless, it's pleasing to see their roles expanded, with this season's second episode — a near-full detour from the primary plot to focus on said ally-locating mission — serving as proof.
Nolan and Allen have much more to do in season 4 (Image credit: Prime Video)
Even as someone who's read the comics and knew we'd spend more time with them, I was delighted all the same. Nolan and Allen's partnership is one of the series' best selling points, and its humor- and action-filled second chapter is a welcome distraction from the lugubrious nature of the Mark-centric storyline.
Nolan and Allen's partnership is one of the series' best selling points
That's not to say it's a total joke fest with these two. Allen deals with the occasional emotionally devastating incident, while Nolan's redemption arc continues apace as Mark's remorseful dad attempts to reconcile with the loved ones that he wronged.
Families, amirite? (Image credit: Prime Video)
Indeed, one of this season's most incredibly moving scenes — and, in my opinion, one of Invincible's most well-acted sequences to date — sees Nolan try and fail to make peace with Debbie. Their first encounter since season 1, it's an intensely painful scene to watch play out and, thanks to Oh and Simmons' vocal performances, is far more impactful than its literary counterpart.
Nolan experiences similarly strained relationships with his sons, especially Oliver, whose trademark teen traits and abandonment issues imbue their father-son dynamic with understandable angst. However, events that occur in the final throes of episode 5, as well as the bulk of its follow-up chapter, provide hope that this estrangement won't be a permanent and thematically hackneyed fixture moving forward.
The empire strikes back
Season 4 finally introduces Invincible's primary villain in the form of Thragg (Image credit: Prime Video)
The Coalition of Planets needs synergy, too, because of the universal threat posed by the Viltrum Empire.
After three seasons of slowly pulling back the veil on this extraordinarily powerful race, Invincible's latest arc once again highlights their uncompromising and barbaric culture. By way of an extensive flashback sequence in episode 2, we also learn the full truth behind their desire to rule all, and the near-extinction-level event that may briefly strike a compassionate chord with some viewers.
Invincible's latest arc once again highlights the Viltrum Empire's uncompromising and barbaric culture
And I say "briefly" because of what comes next. Led by the Prime Video series' Big Bad in Grand Regent Thragg, who's played with real menace and villainous stoicism by Lee Pace, the Viltrum Empire is, despite its vulnerable state, still a force to be reckoned with. That much is clear when, like a cornered and wounded animal, it hits back — and hard — at the Coalition of Planets in one of Invincible's now-customary intense, frenetic, and catastrophic action set pieces.
Tech Jacket made their animated debut via a brief cameo in season 3 episode 7 (Image credit: Prime Video)
Away from its primary narrative, Invincible also continues to maintain a highly satisfying balance between the old and the new.
The introduction of ominous new villains including Universa (Danai Gurira), Dinoasaurus (Matthew Rhys), and Volcanikka spice things up in the rogues gallery department, and ensure that the raft of recurring villains never fall into the overused category. Meanwhile, fresh heroes in legendary cosmic nomad Space Racer and the idealistic Tech Jacket — I won't ruin who voices these characters because, well, spoilers — add some welcome humor, theatrics, and suspense to the equation.
Universa (left) is another of this season's secondary antagonists (Image credit: Prime Video)
I did have a couple of gripes with Invincible season 4. For one, some entries feel a little long for the section of the main story and the subplots they cover. I oftentimes beat the drum for episodes to have more substantial runtimes but, in this instance, I think a few minutes could have been shaved off one or two of its chapters.
Taking some key players off the board and relegating others to the sidelines was also a tad irksome. Okay, the removal of some characters from the playing field, plus the downgraded screen time afforded to others, is dictated by the narrative Invincible season 4 tells.
I'm a proponent of adapting any form of literature as accurately as possible but, for a show that's done a stellar job of expanding on its source material, and updating outdated aspects of the graphic novel's plot and characters, I could've lived with the odd change here or there.
My verdict
Its last two episodes notwithstanding, Invincible continues to prove it's the best R-rated animated show around with its most emotionally heightened and ferocious season yet. The way its story evolves, and the curveballs it throws, and which will shock fans of the show and comic books, make it second to none in the genre space.
If the final pair of episodes are as strong as its other six, season 4 will further cement its position as top dog. And, should it draw to a close in the way I think it will, the already-announced Invincible season 5 will have a huge job on its hands to similarly surpass its forebears — but I have every confidence that it will.
Invincible season 4 launches with a three-episode premiere on Wednesday, March 18. New chapters air weekly until the finale on April 22. For more ahead of its arrival, find out everything we know so far about Invincible season 4.
How to Make a Killing was one of my most anticipated new movies of 2026. Unfortunately I was left feeling underwhelmed by A24's latest venture, which doesn't stand up against a catalog of greats.
Remakes are risky enough as it is, but Kind Hearts and Coronets is an especially tough act to follow. The iconic 40s movie brought something new to the table, with Alec Guinness especially stealing the show as he played eight members of the same wealthy family.
It was a solid black comedy that even stands up today, making How to Make a Killing feel unnecessary and sadly, boring. Unlike its predecessor, the 2026 movie offers nothing new, aside from a fresh cast of modern day actors that do their best. But it really is difficult not to compare it to the source material, and that's where the disappointment lies.
Had this been an original thriller movie, perhaps my opinion would've differed. But unfortunately, How to Make a Killing feels very soulless and it doesn't have the charm of the movie that inspired it.
Even Glen Powell, who has previously delivered great performances in Twisters and Chad Powers, can't really save this movie. His leading role as Becket Redfellow shouldn't feel boring, especially as he's a serial killer with an intriguing motivation.
Director John Patton Ford impressed audiences with Emily The Criminal, which has a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score. So it's disappointing that How to Make a Killing has fallen flat, when we know he's capable of creating a really great movie.
Considering this is a movie about a man who murders his wealthy family as an act of revenge, it is disappointing that it ended up being as boring as it is. Becket's mother was exiled after she became pregnant as a teenager, and on her deathbed, told a young Becket that he should fight for the life he "deserves" to have. He does, but it's not all that exciting to watch.
There are some positives to be found in this movie, though. Margaret Qualley always delivers a great performance, no matter what she's in. She blew me away as Sue in The Substance, which I called the best body horror of 2024.
She's entertaining to watch here, too, as Julia Steinway, Becket’s childhood friend and crush, whom he hopes to win the heart of. Scenes involving them are perhaps my favorite part of the movie, and I did like some of the humor, but ultimately, this is a disappointment for A24, a studio I usually have a lot of love for.
If you're in the mood for a run-of-the-mill dark comedy with a few laughs and some notable names, you might want to see this now that it's out in theaters, or perhaps wait to see if it arrives on any of the best streaming services.
Disappointingly, it's one of those forgettable movies that you'll likely watch just once. But perhaps it will do its job of keeping you entertained for a couple of hours.
How to Make a Killing is in theaters worldwide now.
After Paramount+ dropped the first trailer for The Madison, I knew that Taylor Sheridan's new standalone series would be heading in a completely different direction to anything we've seen before. In short: less Yellowstone and Marshals, moreRansom Canyon and Virgin River.
I love being right as much as the next person, but this tonal shift could have gone one of two ways. With The Madison being so widely (and incorrectly) reported to be a direct Yellowstone spinoff early on, fans have willingly shaped their own misconceptions of what might be waiting in store.
Truthfully, the fact that the Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell-led drama is a world away from Kevin Costner and co's legacy is the ace up it's sleeve... and Sheridan's jump into new TV territory has arguably gifted us his strongest show of all time.
Pfeiffer plays Stacy Clyburn, a well-to-do New Yorker who comes from the Upper East Side social scene, and is frankly rolling in money. She's married to Russell's Preston, a reluctant city bod who wants nothing more than to retreat to the cabins he's built in the Montana wilderness.
After a family tragedy, the entire gang is uprooted, including begrudging daughters and grandchildren who have clearly never seen a blade of grass in their entire lives. What ensues is a messy outpouring of grief, loss and love that immediately tugs at the heartstrings.
Life is cruel, overwhelming and unpredictable, which is something that Sheridan has always impeccably understood. It's only further testament to his craft — and why the 'Sheridanverse' exists in the first place — that he can effortlessly transition from cowboy feud to everyday tragedy.
Marshals: A Yellowstone Story wishes it could be as good as The Madison
The Madison is beautiful simply because it's got the basics right. Our inciting incident is completely unexpected, as is the following resolution. As a result, one family, who couldn't seem more like strangers if they tried, face an impossible situation.
I've not seen anybody portray grief on TV as vulnerably and honestly as Pfeiffer does in a long time. There are no dramatic crash outs, no sitting on the bathroom floor in floods of tears, and no sudden realizations that actually, everything is going to be okay.
Instead, Stacy goes through the motions in a catatonic state. Devoid of emotional range and ability to feel, she reminds us that grief is something you have to learn to move forward with, rather than move on from. Pfeiffer bares all (metaphorically) to get this across, and it's incredibly easy to see why she's the talent of a generation.
Stacy's daughters, standoffish Abigail (Beau Garrett) and hapless Paige (Elle Chapman) are the ideal, if not insufferable, companions. Each teaches the other something about themselves they don't want to address, resulting in literal catfights, harsh truths and even harder lessons learned.
Amazingly, Sheridan and his cast balance out the scales of searing drama with genuinely laugh-out-loud humor. Episodes 2 and 3 amp the comedic factor up to the max as living in a wooden cabin (complete with an outdoor toilet) becomes less of a novelty.
'Soap opera' isn't a negative — and it's certainly not beneath us
Any still is basically Michelle Pfeiffer looking moody in a beautiful setting. (Image credit: Paramount)
Of course, Yellowstone fans are bound to say that The Madison is too soft or far-fetched for them, but as we well know, there's nothing that signals strength quite like emotional honesty. Team this with wildlife living and the jaw-dropping Montana views that we already know and loved, and Sheridan's melding the best of both worlds into something unmissable.
Yes, it's all a bit soap opera-y. But when did that become such a dirty term? Back in the day, it was the main TV format for building community, championing representation and allowed us to access thoughts and feelings we didn't always realize were there. Get off your high horses, people... we're not in serious cowboy town anymore.
Frankly, Marshals: A Yellowstone Story must be wishing for this kind of magic. It's been absolutely astonishing to watch how much public interest has dropped off since its debut episode was released, with fans hailing it as nothing more than a run-of-the-mill CBS police procedural. With my pessimistic hat on, they're right, with Marshals straying too far from the core beliefs that made Yellowstone the success it was.
Think of The Madison as the Western redo that's up there with Landman in terms of star quality. Sometimes you have to go back to the beginning to get something right, and I think streaming and society are both all the richer for having the Clyburns around.
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Every time a new season of Virgin River is in the offing, my mum and I have a collective, excited freakout until we can binge-watch all 10 episodes. Virgin River season 7 has been right on schedule — but this time, I'm left feeling slightly empty.
If I had to rank the hit Netflix show's existing six seasons, the latest (season 6) would be right at the top. It marked longtime lovers Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson) finally getting married, and boy, did their friends and family bring the best drama along as wedding gifts.
We saw Brady (Ben Hollingsworth) declare his undying love for Brie (Zibby Allen) like the worst kept secret that it is, Brady's girlfriend Lark (Elise Gatien) steal thousands of dollars from under his nose, Brie fending off a marriage proposal from police chief Mike (Marco Grazzini), and Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) going missing and, potentially, being killed off.
For the final 20 minutes of that epic season finale, I didn't know whether I was coming or going, and it might go down as one of my favorite TV moments of all time. Of course, Virgin River can't sustain that level of drama all the time (no show can), but the newly skewed stakes leave a somewhat sour taste.
The best way to describe it is eating an undercooked steak when you ordered it well done. You know that the potential to have exactly what you want is right there, but it's not fully materialized. While that's less than satisfying for season 7, I think it's a tactical decision — meaning that Virgin River season 8 is going to be explosive.
Don't get me wrong — Virgin River season 7 delivers what it needs to
Sure, there might not be the same level of fireworks in Virgin River season 7, but there are resolutions. This is easily the best year of Mel and Jack's relationship yet, settling into married life like a duck to water.
Between these two and the on-off again situationship between Brie and Brady, things certainly feel steamier than ever. Usually, Virgin River intimacy feels shrouded in wholesomeness, rose-tinted to the point that it hardly feels sexy at all. But in season 7, some seriously primal passion starts to take over, and I'm here for it.
While Mel and Jack are steadying the ship, Brie and Brady are daring to dream. If you've been a fan of theirs since season 1, you'll likely feel inclined to do a victory lap of your house soon enough, without giving too much away. They're both wearing their hearts on their sleeves and communicating well, and it finally feels like the entire town has nailed how to truly connect to one another.
As for the remaining season 6 cliffhangers, you'll get answers to all of them. There will be new problems that take their place, even if they currently feel lukewarm in comparison.
It's worth streaming Virgin River season 7 for Mel and Jack's honeymoon alone. It takes them almost 8 episodes to even decide where they're going to go, but the final decision is perfect (and likely one you can guess based on earlier filming location leaks).
The set change also proves that you can never truly run away from your problems... but you can get a tan and kiss a cute guy on a golden beach while being stressed. Frankly, it's the level of life I dream of.
The finale is season 7's biggest letdown, but I'm choosing to see the positives
They've also introduced a rodeo this season. (Image credit: Netflix)
Virgin River has me believing that fairytale-style love is possible, but that doesn't always mean that I'm falling for the show itself. I think the biggest issue lies with the season 7 finale, which falls impossibly short compared with what we were treated to last time around.
No spoilers here, but there are still two big twists to be unveiled at this stage. However, I'm pretty sure both are non-starters, with bad outcomes so unlikely to unfold in a fictional world where fatal scenarios are avoided like the plague.
Still, there's every chance season 8 could prove me wrong, but you see what I mean about these 10 episodes acting as a setup for something more exciting down the line. It's all verging on soap opera silliness, but it's what we've signed up for.
Then there are a few uninspired hitches in the current storyline itself. New character Clay (Cody Kearsley) feels like a rinse and repeat of Jack Schumacher's Yancy Grey in Ransom Canyon. In fact, they both have the same introductory narrative — a hot, closed-off outsider who clearly has family troubles and a gambling debt they need to pay off by entering a rodeo competition.
It's not an amazing sign that Netflix is borrowing ideas from itself, but it's also not the end of the world. It's textbook craft like this that feeds the people what they want, and who am I to deny what works?
