Television has always been a place for both mocking and celebrating the rich, sometimes in the same show. Recently, the trend has been satires of the ridiculous lives rich people lead. Netflix’s new miniseries Sirens is born from that mold. The program plays like a mix of The White Lotus and Big Little Lies combining dark comedy with soap opera twists. It’s an intriguing premise with a star-studded cast to back it up.
Created by Molly Smith Metzler and based on her play Elemeno Pea, Sirens is the tale of two sisters who reunite over a hectic weekend at the lavish beach estate of a billionaire couple. Younger sister Simone (Milly Alcock) works for philanthropist Michaela (Julianne Moore) as her assistant. Michaela is the wife of the ultra-wealthy Peter Kell (Kevin Bacon) and spends most of her time on the aforementioned estate nestled on an island that they also own. Simone’s life on the estate takes a turn when her sister, Devon (Meghann Fahy) pays an unexpected visit. Will she be able to convince her sister to leave, or will she fall under the strange spell of this world of wealth?
Sirens is held together by the strength of its lead trio. Alcock does great work as the eager to impress Simone. She doesn’t come from money and she tries very hard to keep that a secret. Fahy’s Devon is her opposite to a comic degree. Brash, loud, and uncaring about how these people feel. She knows she doesn’t belong, and she actively flaunts it. Julianne Moore rounds out the group with a role tailor made for her. Both mystical and inscrutable, she plays Michaela as more than your typical rich housewife. It’s easy to see why she’s something of a cult of personality.
This is more than just your surface-level satire. Metzler and her team clearly have a lot of ideas regarding wealth, class, and the power dynamics involved. What ultimately holds the show back is that those ideas never coalesce into a workable whole. The more the plot zigs and zags from your expectations, the more muddied the messaging gets. The twists build on top of each other in interesting but rarely satisfying ways.
There’s enough here to hold your interest through the series’ densely packed 5 episodes. The show definitely doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you’re a huge fan of the lead actors or like your comedies to have a dash of melodrama to them, you’ll likely enjoy Sirens more than me. It’s got a fun cast and an intriguing premise, but it fails at bringing those elements together. In many ways, this is the ideal binge watch. Fun in the moment with nothing that will stick in your mind longer than a week.
Quality Television is a space for me to talk about returning series that are still worth your time. As such, expect some light spoilers for older seasons.
Cassian Andor’s destiny is to die. We’ve known it to be true from the start and it colors much of Andor, the prequel series that follows our hero right up to the events of Rouge One. Like any prequel worth its salt, Andor uses our knowledge of future events to drive home the tragedy. It also, wisely, puts other characters into Cassian’s path whose fates are less certain. This is a show primarily about the sacrifices one makes to achieve a brighter tomorrow, which means you can expect a certain amount of character death. With this second season also being the last, that number increases significantly.
If Andor season one was all about Cassian’s growth from self-serving smuggler to joining the cause of the Rebellion. Then, season two is about setting him on the path to being a full-fledged leader. To accomplish this, the writers make the bold decision to dive through his 4 years in the rebellion with a series of 3 episode arcs, each taking place roughly a year apart. These arcs trace not only Andor’s development, but countless other characters as well. It’s a testament to the show’s strong writing that these all flow together as well as they do.
The sheer number of compelling characters in Andor often leads to Cassian being perceived as a background player, a frequent criticism. This doesn’t change in season two, which features more prominent roles for Rebel informant Lonni Jung (Robert Emms) and Luthen’s assistant, Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau). Not to mention returning characters like Rogue One villain Orson Krennic (A delightfully campy Ben Mendelsohn) and radical Saw Gerrera (Forest Whittaker). Add in the current cast and you have a daunting ensemble for a 12 episode season. No wonder it feels like our titular spy is stuck in the backseat.
Despite the name, Andor is as much a story about the birth of the Rebellion as it is about the man himself. As he’s told late in this season, Cassian is a “messenger” and his message is resistance. Diego Luna continues his magnificently subtle work this season as Cassian struggles between the life he wants and the mission he’s sworn himself to. Andor understands the toll the Rebellion takes on normal people like him. He sees it in his partner Bix and in the people he loses along the way. The moments of doubt are crucial because they make the scenes where Andor is inspiring others hit even harder. There’s a reason our first glimpse of him this season is a pep talk he gives to an Imperial informant. It’s a moment of grace and humanity that Luna sells with sincerity.
Luna is the glue holding together an incredible cast of actors. Dulau’s work as Kleya further elevates her from the background player she was in the first season. Stellan Skarsgard continues to reveal new facets of Luthen, showing just how deep his hatred of the Empire goes. Genevieve O’Reilly gets her best showcase yet as Mon Mothma. Then, there’s the sickly warped Imperial couple Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) and Deidra Meero (Denise Gough). Soller gets to shine early in the season, but it’s Gough’s Deidra who remains the closest thing to a flat-out villain. Her ambition leads directly to the events of the series’ final arc and her eventual fate is one of the most deserved you’ll see on TV this year.
Photo: Lucasfilm
This is a show about sacrifice, but this is also a show about small actions that build to lasting consequences. Every character has a role to play and part of the series’ appeal is seeing how they intersect. As a wise man once said, “tyranny requires constant effort.” This season shows us the effect that has on the Empire and how it leads to their undoing. It’s a slow burn, but one that leads to incredible payoffs.
Andor remains visually stunning too. With a sharp eye toward the composition of a scene, the program is one of the best looking on TV. Whether it’s the terrifying image of a squadron of robots stalking towards protestors or a dark apartment illuminated only by the city lights outside, there is always something interesting on the screen. The action scenes also sizzle with a very real, violent feel to them, including the most intense hand-to-hand fight sequence you’ll likely ever see in a Star Wars property.
Often referred to as the “adult” version of Star Wars, Andor certainly lives up to that moniker this season. Creator Tony Gilroy and his team remain committed to showing the violence and terror that the Empire commits regularly. It feels visceral in a way that few shows manage and all too timely. The writers deliberately crib from human history in their depiction of both the Empire and the growing Rebellion. It deepens the world and adds nuance to what was once a straightforward conflict.
Ultimately, that’s Andor’s lasting legacy. A prequel that takes what we already know and enriches it. It’s the story of the people who don’t get to be the heroes of legend, but who pave the way for them. Not every part of this franchise needs to be gritty and mature, but they should carry this show’s spirit. The great character work and the tight plots that build to high stakes payoffs. It isn’t just a great Star Wars tale, it’s great science fiction television. Like all great sci-fi, Andor shows us the future while calling to the present. How we choose to respond is up to us.
What would you do if you suddenly gained autonomy? More specifically, what would you do if you gained independence after years of seeing the absolute worst of humanity? Apple TV+’s new series Murderbot answers that question pretty quickly. While our titular robot doesn’t commit any actual murder (that we know of), they think about it a lot. Which proves to be a problem when you need to protect a group of humans.
Based on the book series The Murderbot Diaries, the show follows the self-titled robot, referred to by others as Sec Unit (short for security unit), as it tries to hide newfound autonomy. Sec Units are programmed with a “governor’s module” that prohibits them from disobeying commands and disabling it is grounds for a trip to the acid bath. This means our Murderbot must hide their freedom from those around it. Which usually entails watching cheesy television and interacting with the human crew as little as possible. A problem that grows trickier once it’s revealed there are hostile creatures in the area.
The supreme talent of Alexander Skarsgard holds Murderbot together. Skarsgard’s dry wit takes over much of the show as he narrates the human’s antics and shares his, often exasperated, thoughts. It’s a joke that could easily grow stale, but there’s just enough nuance to the interactions with crew members to make it work. Where Skarsgard’s real skill comes in is his facial expressions. More accurately, in the lack of them. As a robot, there aren’t many authentic emotions we see from Murderbot, but the discomfort from interacting with humans is clear even as they try to hide it. It’s a tricky act to pull off, but part of the program’s joy is seeing it all in action.
As a half-hour series, Murderbot keeps a brisk pace. It works out wonderfully for the plot, which involves the mystery of these hostile creatures and why all the team’s maps have missing spots. Where the format falters is with the human cast. The series mostly sticks to Murderbot’s perspective. Even when they’re not in a scene, they’re usually able to see and comment on it thanks to the security feeds. It’s a fun idea, but hampers our understanding of some of these characters. As a team of scientists, nobody is what you’d call “traditionally dumb,” but they’re all prone to avoidable mistakes that our robotic protagonist can see coming.
So far, the only real standout is David Dastmalchian’s Gurathin. Gurathin is an augmented human which allows him to process data at a faster rate. Not as fast as Murderbot, as they helpfully point out, but still pretty fast. Naturally, he’s the first one to notice something off with our hero. This adds some much needed tension and an interesting dynamic to their interactions.
Whatever Murderbot lacks in heart, it more than makes up for with big ideas. There’s a clear theme here with autonomy and how one uses their free will. Not to mention the interesting planetary mystery that seems to be this season’s arc. Even without diving into those heavier topics, it’s hard to deny the relatability of a robot who just wants to spend its time distracted by television. That charm is what keeps the series going and, hopefully, what keeps you watching.
Murderbot is currently streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes release on Fridays.
Throughout most of the 00s, J. J. Abrams was one of the biggest names in television. The back-to-back success of Alias and Lost made him a force in the industry. His focus on long-term, “mystery box” style storytelling has influenced countless shows for better and worse. Abrams left TV in 2010 to focus on reviving and then subsequently killing both the Star Trek and Star Wars film franchises. Now, he’s back with Duster.
Co-created by Abrams and Into the Badlands’ LaToya Morgan, Duster feels like Abrams’ past work and not just because of Greg Grunberg’s presence. Set in 1972, the series follows Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson), the FBI’s first Black female agent. Hayes is on the trail of crime boss, Ezra Saxton (Keith David) and needs the help of his most trusted getaway driver, Jim Ellis (Lost alum Josh Holloway). Ellis suspects that Saxton may have ordered the murder of his brother, which provides the show with an element of mystery.
Duster operates as something like a “double throwback.” 70s action series like The Dukes of Hazard and Starsky & Hutch clearly inspired the show. It’s jam-packed with era specific references that occasionally verge on too obvious, such as when Ellis flips on the radio to a news report about Watergate. It also, like fellow HBO Max hit The Pitt, harkens back to the heights of broadcast TV. There’s a series arc, but that doesn’t stop the show from getting up to episodic antics. This also helps further develop the cast.
The show’s primary hook is Holloway, using the same rugged charm that made Sawyer one of Lost’s breakout characters. Finally, given the vehicle (pun very much intended) that he’s been missing, Holloway makes even the more ridiculous moments land. The program takes its time building up to the eventual meeting between Ellis and Nina. It soars to a new level whenever the duo is on screen. Holloway and Hilson have the type of fiery chemistry that instantly elevates a series like this.
There’s also a host of reliable character actors from Corbin Bernsen as Jim’s father Wade to Donal Logue as a corrupt cop. We even get a fun guest appearance by Patrick Warburton as an Elvis-obsessed mobster. The cast goes deeper, including Nina’s partner on the case, Awan (Asivak Koostachin) and Ezra’s adult children. The series occasionally feels overstuffed with the amount of characters it juggles, but it’s a small price to pay for this much fun.
Abrams sticks to writing with Duster, which allows other directors to take a crack at his ideas. Steph Green handles the first two episodes and establishes the look and feel right away. There’s a retro charm to the show’s action and the dusty trappings of the American Southwest make for a captivating setting. Where the directing falters is in the car chase scenes, which often lack the type of kinetic pace you want. Maybe it was easier to film a good car chase back when we were less concerned with the safety of cast and crew?
Not everything here lands. Nina experiences a great deal of racism and sexism at her FBI field office. While it is true to the era, the stories examining this often feel shallow and prone to cliche. The show works best as campy, escapist television. It’s a drive into the past that succeeds when it isn’t slowing down. Duster may not be the nicest ride, but it has a lot of fun along the way.
Duster is currently streaming on HBO Max. New episodes release on Thursdays.
It’s hard to believe it now, but the original The Four Seasons, a romantic comedy written and directed by Alan Alda, was one of the biggest hits of 1981. The movie was even big enough to inspire a short-lived CBS series. Whatever pop culture cache the film once had is now long gone. Oddly enough, that makes it the perfect candidate for a remake. Something fondly remembered by a select few, but not big enough to attract rabid fans annoyed at any changes made. This is 2025 though, so a movie won’t work. Better make it a streaming series!
This version of The Four Seasons, created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, follows the same basic premise with a few modern updates. Three middle-aged couples go on a series of different vacations (one for each season) as they adapt to various changes in their lives. Like the film version, the show is a comfort watch. It asks only that you enjoy its cozy vibe and capable cast of actors playing off one another.
The Four Seasons assembles a group of gifted comedians and simply asks them to hang out. Tina Fey and Will Forte play Kate and Jack, the traditional married couple. They do great work at conveying the type of relationship where you know exactly what to expect of each other. We even get a few Forte freakouts. The always excellent Coleman Domingo plays Danny, who is in an open relationship with his husband Claude (Marco Calvani). The show wisely sidesteps any potential drama that would bring and instead focuses on Danny’s upcoming heart surgery. Unsurprisingly, Domingo is the strongest actor of the bunch, bringing gravitas to a relationship that occasionally feels under-baked. Steve Carell and Kerri Kenney-Silver round out the couples as Nick and Anne. Nick reveals early on that he plans to divorce Anne and that revelation is the impetus that drives much of the plot.
As a show, The Four Seasons is a “soft comedy,” more concerned with the interplay and banter between the characters than crafting big comedic moments. It works thanks to the cast’s chemistry, but it helps to go in knowing you won’t be getting anything too zany. There’s also a tendency for the series to veer into drama, what with all the middle-age angst swirling around these characters. It’s a tricky tonal balance to hit and there are plenty of misses throughout the episodes I’ve seen.
Still, there’s a lot to love, even if it comes in fits and starts. The show is warm and inviting with a cast that you want to spend time with. The changing seasons and different locations help provide a visual boost as well. Would this have made a better movie? Probably, but that’s not the world we live in. As it stands, The Four Seasons is a pleasant way to spend 4 hours. By the end, you might even feel like part of the gang.
The Four Seasons is currently streaming on Netflix.
