The Best TV of 2021 (So Far)We survey the high points of a sprawling television landscape, from lush cinematic dramas to fleet streaming comedies and all points in between.
TV’s White Guys Are in CrisisThey’re no longer the main characters, but they’re still around. So what happens to them?
tv review
Heels Can Be Clunky But Also WinningThe new Starz wrestling drama about brothers-in-well-toned-arms is a show that knows itself but doesn’t trust its audience to figure it out.
Physical Hurts, Sometimes on PurposeBeneath its superficial pleasures, the Rose Byrne–starring Apple TV+ series is a bottomless hole of bad feelings.
tv review
Loki Is a Litmus Test for Marvel TVThe MCU’s third Disney+ series makes its debut as a playful storytelling variant, but can it sustain the fun?
endings
Mare of Easttown Kept It All in the FamilyThe HBO miniseries’ dual fixation on crime-solving and family drama makes for a finale reveal that is startling but also immediately right.
Halston, An Unwitting Cautionary TaleA Ryan Murphy-produced series about a creator whose brand gets diluted to the point it no longer carries a guarantee of his signature style. Hm.
Mythic Quest Returns, Imperfect But Easy to LoveSeason two of the Apple TV+ comedy sets a high creative bar for itself, and even when it doesn’t quite clear it, it’s fun just to watch the attempt.
Shadow and Bone Almost Gets Lost in the DarkNetflix’s adaptation of the Grishaverse novels pulls it together in the end, but only after traversing a vast, foggy muddle of exposition.
Trust Me, You Want to Watch Couples TherapyOnce you make peace with its voyeuristic premise, Showtime’s fly-on-the-wall reality show is far and away one of the best docuseries on TV.
