Reviews
This show has lost steam and, frankly, my interest in recent years. But no other U.S. reality show has delivered an actual music superstar. Kelly Clarkson FTW. y'all.
Ellen Page is smart, eloquent, and the perfect ambassador to some of the world's most interesting LGBT communities. She handles emotional moments with compassion and tense segments with assuredness. In short, she's a baddass. And this show is worthy of a Vice-hater's time.
Winsome, imaginative, funny. I'm not sure I want to see Martin at 17, though.
I'm not gonna say it's all about Gina, but it is mostly about Gina.
Sometimes "Jane" seems lightweight, but it's really super smart, playing with new storytelling elements all the time and putting together a really deep bench of acting talent. Gina Rodriguez FTW, obviously.
I really like this show, but Spanish-speakers know the (Brazilian) lead actor's accent is wack. Beyond that, it's a truly crazy tale that prompted me to take many Wikipedia breaks while binge-watching.
I know. Really, I know. But rest assured: the Kardashian clan's involvement is very limited, and the show doesn't shy away from big issues and awkward moments for its trail-blazing star.
This is investment TV. It takes some work to figure out what's going on, but it's a fun sort of confusion, and the return on that investment is nothing short of the season's most creative new drama.
Quickly approaching her 30th birthday, Issa Dee is unsure about her long-term relationship and her uninspiring job. As the season progresses, her friendship with her best friend (the fantastic Yvonne Orji) and periodic encounters with an ex keep her life complicated AF. Issa Rae created a character who is charmingly awkward, imperfect yet winning. The slice-of-life stories she tells are both specific and universal. They are smart, authentic, and very funny. It's a joy spending time in her world.
This version of Anne, from Emmy-winning Breaking Bad writer Moira Walley-Beckett, is darker and more realistic than some might expect. After opening on a beautiful expanse of Canadian Maritime countryside and shifting to the nervous Cuthbert siblings, who are expecting an orphan boy to arrive at Green Gables, we finally are introduced to Anne. We don't see lightness and excited curiosity, but rather a troubled reaction to a nearby baby's cries, leading to a dark flashback to life in an abusive home. The story, about this unwanted girl's slow but steady effort to win over the Cuthberts and the people of Avonlea, is over 100 years old but feels remarkable relevant, spotlighting themes of identity, sexism, and bullying.