Recommendations: Week of 9/16/24

September Preview (ok, most of these shows are out already)

It’s September (mid-September, even) so it’s time to turn our attention to the new, the returning, and the reboot. I used to try to watch the first episode of every new show premiering on a network (this was before streaming and is now impossible) to get an idea of the state of television. But now we live in a world where I can instead binge nine seasons of Million Dollar Listing Manhattan so I am grateful to you, reader, for keeping me honest and giving me a good reason to, say, watch Zachary Quinto in what seems like a psychic reboot of House?

As a note, there are like a million Ryan Murphy shows premiering this month, including Doctor Odyssey, AHS Grotesquerie, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez (OK, four). I will continue my annual tradition of watching the first two episodes (not AHS; I’ve finally learned my lesson) and being really into it and then feeling betrayed by the third episode and falling into a rage by the fifth. I will finish none of these but will happily produce a few ranting Wednesday posts about how his untrustworthy shows represent the death of quality genre storytelling on television.

Here’s a short list of what I am most interested in that’s new or returning this September. More to come once I finish learning everything there is to know about luxury Manhattan real estate.

Bold indicates a new show, italics indicates a returning show.

Rings of Power (Amazon) Out now: I wrote about season one here and I loved it! I thought it fulfilled the promise of the original films and generally walked around with its heart on its sleeve in a way I rarely see anymore. Sincerity is making a comeback! I have heard a lot of chatter about how this show is mid for the budget it commands, which I think is ridiculous and will be addressing in a future post once I watch season two. My bottom line with this is if you like the original three films and are open to a long, complicated journey then I suggest you take this one. It is worth the effort.

Tulsa King (Paramount+) Out now: Season one of this show premiered two years ago, so you’re forgiven if this one hasn’t been in your consciousness recently, but I highly recommend it. It stars Sylvester Stallone as a mafia don release from a 20-year prison stint who has to readjust to the world as it is now, and do it all from Tulsa, OK. It is a good Taylor Sheridan intro show: it is far less graphic and far far far less dark than most of his other content.

English Teacher (FX) Out now: Look at me! I am recommending a comedy to you! This basically never happens, so take a screenshot. I mostly get my comedy from reality television these days and am far too ignorant of the many surely wonderful comedies coming out on the regular. But I did watch the first two episodes of this show and it is good and I did laugh, proving there is a soul tucked in me somewhere.

The Old Man (FX) Out now: This is another show that premiered two years ago and took its sweet time coming back for a second season (I know, the strike, but this has also become more and more of a trend). This show is about an ex-CIA agent (Jeff Bridges) who has grown old in hiding, but still has many tricks up his Carhartt sleeves. This show has flown under the radar, but FX doesn’t really make bad television (Ryan Murphy excepted) and I predict it might pop off this year especially in concert with Tulsa King, which has something of a similar vibe.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu) Out now: Dear Lord. I am so sorry I am even putting this on the list but I can’t ignore the zeitgeist, people! This show is about the aftermath of a swinger scandal among Mormon mommy TikTokers. That sentence is either going to sell you on the show or the absolute opposite. I found this show hypnotic at first, but in a can’t look away form a car crash type of way. It quickly got boring, though, as there wasn’t enough content to sustain a full series. Would have been better as a documentary film rather than a full on reality show, in my opinion, but there’s clearly an attempt being made to follow up on the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s viral success. Unfortunately, the fact that this show focuses on so many young women who come across as being more victimized by their culture than able to escape it through the excess of rich lady reality TV, kind of kills the enjoyment. And yet, I did watch.

Tell Me Lies (Hulu) Out now: This is an adaptation of the dark romance novel of the same name and is very angsty. I enjoyed the first season, but watched it over a long period of time because you have to be in exactly the right mood to enjoy it. It follows the story of two people who meet in college and have a highly addictive, unhealthy sexual relationship, but is told from the perspective of their older selves when they meet at a wedding almost a decade later. Sometimes this type of vibe is exactly right for the moment, but I wouldn’t watch it unless you’re ready for what it’s selling, which is hella angst.

From (MGM+) September 22: This is the third season of a show I only watched one season of, but I do recommend it. It is about a town where once you cross its borders you cannot ever leave and at night virtually unkillable monsters come out and hunt anyone not behind very strong closed doors. It involves some people who were involved with Lost and it has some of that show’s energy. It is a bit of a downer (see above for premise) but handles the atmospheric claustrophobia of its premise really well. Good show to get you pumped for spooky season.

Slow Horses (Apple) Out now: It’s hard to talk about this show because it’s virtually perfect. I don’t have any notes. If you’re looking for a funny, absolutely cracking spy thriller starring Gary Oldman then you already know that is the type of thing you like and hopefully you’re already watching this. If not, what are you doing?

The Perfect Couple (Netflix) Out now: I don’t know about this show. I watched the first episode only, so I’ll reserve total judgement until I’ve seen more, but I am starting to think maybe Nicole Kidman is committing fraud. Are these shows all just the same show? Did she just go to Atlanta for a month and film 10 of these mini-series in front of the volume wearing different wigs and coats and accents and then they just remixed the footage whenever they needed another one? This show has a stacked cast but I found the first episode just weird and her sort of British accent and large hair incredibly distracting.

My Brilliant Friend (HBO) Out now: This show is my guiltiest blind spot. I have watched TWO episodes of the first season, making me a failure and a fraud. But I genuinely feel that on the basis of those two episodes alone (and other critics who are actually watching it) that this show is 100% worth your time. It follows the lives of two best friends over the course of several decades in Fascist Italy and beyond. It has always been a show I wanted to watch, but I think the attention it requires has scared some people off. It is in Italian and is a rich character study that very much requires you to put the second and third screens down. This is the final season, so now is a great time for you and me to catch up and give it the attention I believe it deserves.