You Don't Get To Rush This

And here's a brief catch up on some of the shows I've been watching the last few weeks.

9-1-1: Oh god, the second half of this season was going pretty well, in terms of stories. You had Maddie dealing with a serial kidnapper, Bobby reuniting with his mother, Eddie rebuilding his family in Texas, Buck/Tommy hooking up, Hen's birthday, Chimney's excitement for fatherhood again, Athena taking another boat trip and Ravi popping up again. Then a contagion two parter aired and with it, possibly the most short sighted decision the show has ever done. Yup, they killed Bobby Nash and there's three episodes left. How the fallout from this plays out will determine if the show has true staying power.

Daredevil: Born Again: I'll admit that for the most part I have enjoyed Disney+ revival of this show but at the same time, something feels missing and it's not just Karen and Foggy. The handling of the Muse story in particular was bad, Fisk really reverted to form too quickly (though Vanessa has emerged as a more complex character) and the Matt/Heather relationship just fizzled out. I did however like the Daredevil/Punisher team up in the finale and Bullseye on the loose does have potential for next season.

The Last Of Us: Two episodes into the show's second season and they went for the most controversial moment out of the gate. Then again, given Pedro Pascal's increasingly full dance card, perhaps sooner was better than later for that scene to happen. Hats off to Pedro , Kaitlyn Dever and Bella Ramsey because the scene where Abby killed Joel and Ellie couldn't prevent it was easily one of the most brutal death scenes in 2025. With five episodes left, it's going to be interesting to see if the show can sustain the momentum now that they've played their biggest hand. The show has been renewed for a third season. 

The White Lotus: The second half of the third season proved a few things. You can't escape financial ruin, some friendships are a mystery, brothers shouldn't be that physically intimate with one another, good people aren't above taking bribes from bad people and the two graves saying about revenge is true. All of these things came to pass in those final few episodes and they made for some of the best and most shocking moments. Season 3 might have taken a bit longer to find it's footing but it got there and I cannot wait for next season.

Toxic Town: While everyone everywhere was hyping Adolescence, there was another Jack Thorne Netflix miniseries that had been released two weeks beforehand and with less fanfare. Featuring a cast that had Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood, Karla Crome, Claudia Jessie, Brendan Coyle and Robert Carlyle to name but a few. The four part miniseries took a good look into the Corby toxic waste case. I can see why this might have gotten lost in the shuffle but you should check it out if you've already seen Thorne's other miniseries that has stirred such debate.

Yellowjackets: Season 3 hasn't quite hit the heights of the first season but it's not been without it's shocking moments. There was the resolution to Lottie's murder and then Van got killed by Melissa in the present day. Hillary Swank is going to have quite the task on her hand next season getting audience to like Melissa next season. Add some more appearances from Jackie, Shauna showing her awful side in both timelines along with her own family, Taissa and Misty being done with her and that Natalie scene in the picture above, where else can this show go? It should end next season.

• Chris O'Donnell and Jessica Capshaw will lead upcoming series, 9-1-1: Nashville for ABC this autumn. 9-1-1 itself was renewed for a ninth season
• Grey's Anatomy has been renewed for twenty second season on ABC.
• Wednesday Season 2 will be released on Netflix in two parts - Episodes 1-4 from August 6th and Episodes 5-8 from September 3rd respectively.
• Heartstopper will conclude with a movie for Netflix, based on Alice Oseman's upcoming sixth volume. Joe Locke and Kit Connor will be executive producers.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar has signed up for upcoming series, Bad Summer People.
• Dexter: Original Sin has been renewed for a second season by Showtime/Paramount+. Dexter: Resurrection will premiere in June.
• Tom Ellis has signed up as the lead for FBI: CIA for CBS.
• Will Sharpe and Ayo Edebiri will lead upcoming Apple TV+ romantic comedy series Prodigies. 
• Amazon have We Were Liars for June 18th.
• Season 3 of And Just Like That will premiere on Max from May 29th. The Gilded Age Season 3 will on HBO in June. Both feature Cynthia Nixon.
• Stranger Things will be getting an animated spin off titled, Stranger Things: Tales from 85. 
• Outlander: Blood Of My Blood will air from August 8th on Starz.
• Lindsay Logan will star in Count My Lies for Hulu.

Off To Thailand, Back To Hell's Kitchen Or The Wilderness

Yup, a lot of shows have popped up in the last few weeks with at least one ending for good and others getting their latest seasons in full swing.

9-1-1: Lone Star: Those last three episodes really came and went by so fast, didn't they? While it's baffling that FOX axed the show after five seasons, I'm glad the show went out on a strong note. TK and Carlos adopted the former's half brother, Owen went to New York, Tommy survived, Marjan got married and Judd took over the fire house. Not to mention some crazy antics involving an asteroid. At least the main show will still be around for the foreseeable future.

Daredevil: Born Again: It's felt like an eternity since the announcement of this show and the massive retooling that happened between filming but yesterday, Disney+ released the first two episodes and the reviews were a bit more mixed compared to its Netflix predecessor. Personally, I liked both episodes though I'm over the show trying to find ways of keeping Charlie Cox out of his costume more than that spoiled death. Still, I am enjoying Matt's new dynamic with various new characters as well as the mayoral story with Wilson Fisk and the White Tiger story. So far, I think the good outweighs the bad here.

Dexter: Original Sin: I'm genuinely impressed with how this prequel series has managed to become as entertaining as the original. I'm also impressed with how Patrick Gibson has embodied the role of Dexter Morgan as well as Michael C. Hall back in the day (and again this summer). Hiring Patrick Dempsey to play the main villain so depraved he'd mutilate his own child was also a clever move along with the death of Laura in flashbacks and arrival of Brian Moser in the current day. The Deb plot did falter a bit but I loved her scenes with Tanya and Maria in the penultimate episode.

Prime Target: Have you ever sat through an entire season of a show and not had a bloody clue why you bothered? Apple TV+ attempts of a conspiracy show with Leo Woodall as gay mathemacian Edward could have been a thrilling show or even mildly entertaining if it leaned a bit sillier but sadly, it took itself too seriously, was very dull and plodding and wasted a lot of talented actors like David Morrissey, Martha Plimpton, Harry Lloyd, Stephen Rea and so on. The finale tried to inject a bit of edge into it but it was a case of too little and too late. I'll be surprised if this gets a second season.

The White Lotus: It's been over two years since we've had this show dominating the conversation and trading Sicily for Thailand, we've got the returning Belinda from the first season and a slew of new characters. There's the very rich and very dodgy Ratliffs, with some sexually inappropriate siblings while age gap couple Rick and Chelsea spent most of their time getting bitten by snakes, interacting with other age gap couples and one of them taking an overt interest in Sritala (the manager). I am loving the bitchy friend trio - Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie but the staff haven't been as dynamic as some of the past ones. As usual, there's the mystery of a dead body and right now, it could be any of them. 

Towards Zero: Over the last few years, there's been a mixed reception towards the BBC's adaptations of Agatha Christie books. Usually some complain because the casting has been more diverse than in the past or because the person adaptating usually changes too many elements from the source material. Of course, there's no exception with the same criticisms but honestly, it's a pretty decent take on the novel. You've got a disgraced tennis star with both his former and current wives, a bed ridden matriarch, estranged family members, a sympathetic lawyer, a world weary detective, beleaguered staff and a murder where you probably guessed the killer and motive without having read the book. I do think these adaptations should be done as 90 minute TV movies than three hour long episodes but it's a decent if slowish take on the classic novel.

Yellowjackets: Season 3 so far has been entertaining but it's also raised the question of how much gas is left in the tank for this show. In the present day, Natalie's death barely had time to register when Lottie also ended up being dead. Shauna and Misty clashed while Taissa and Van had some better news and both Callie, Jeff and Walter had their moments. In the flashbacks, there was the girls setting up camp outdoors, Ben's trial and Shauna getting closer to Melissa and becoming more antagonistic towards everyone else along with some more screentime for Mari. It's a solid start but I'm still waiting for the likes of Joel McHale and Hilary Swank to show up. 

• Drew Starkey and Anya Taylor-Joy will play a married couple in upcoming Apple TV+ series, Lucky.
• The Recruit has been cancelled after two seasons by Netflix.
• Uma Thurman, Peter Dinklage, Krysten Ritter and Neil Patrick Harris will appear in Dexter: Resurrection, which will premiere in June on Showtime/Paramount+.
• Harry Lawtey won't be returning for the fourth season of Industry but Kit Harrrington will and Max Minghella has also joined the HBO/BBC series.
• The second season of The Last Of Us will premiere on HBO from April 13th.
• This month on ABC will see a crossover event between 9-1-1 and Doctor Odyssey, factoring Angela Bassett's Athena Grant.
• 9-1-1: Nashville will be the new spin off and will premiere on ABC in the autumn. Expect casting news very soon.
• Mid-Century Modern will premiere all ten episodes on Hulu from March 28th.
• Filming for the second season of Daredevil: Born Again has begun while Vision has added Ruairidh Mollica in an undisclosed role to its cast.
• James Norton has been cast as Ormund Hightower for the third season of House Of The Dragon. Lucas Aurelia has also been cast in an undisclosed role.
• The fate of Heartstopper on Netflix is currently unknown. 
• Netflix have ordered limited series Vladimir, which will start Rachel Weisz as a woman who becomes obsessed with her new colleague.
• The fourth season of The Bear is currently in production and will premiere on FX/Hulu during the summer.

Nevermore, The Gays Are Trying To Kill Me

Well, nearly all the shows I'm covering have some rather murderous gay content as I'm doing my last TV Jumble Blog for 2022. There will be a year overview blog on New Year's Eve though.

Chucky: If ever there was a movie horror franchise that proved it could be as successful as a TV series, it was certainly this one. The first season turned out to be an unexpected delight with Jake, Devon and Lexy making for a strong group of protagonists. Transferring them into a religious school and giving them characters like Father Bryce, Nadine and Sisters Catherine and Ruth along with Dr Mixter and a few different versions of Chucky certainly made the season into exciting television. It wasn't just them though. Tiffany became more unhinged as her fixation on Nica intensified, the returns of Glen and Glenda were delightful to watch and even Andy and Kyle had their moments as did Caroline finally embracing her dark side. This season started with Halloween and ended on a Christmas note and with any luck, a third season will be announced fairly soon.

Interview With The Vampire: Speaking of movies that made a successful television transfer, the first season of this Southern Gothic classic certainly hit all the right notes. The absolute perfect castings of Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid and Bailey Bass as Louis, Lestat and Claudia to the highs and lows of the trio's turbulent relationship in the seven episode first run was gripping to watch from start to finish. Not to be outdone was the present day interview itself between both Louis and Daniel as the two of them managed to get under each others skin while the reveal of Armand and his relationship with Louis was a fantastic way to set up the second season. Easily one of the best vampire shows we've had since True Blood and pretty damn gay as hell too.

The White Lotus: HBO have certainly been living the high life these last few months. Not only did House Of The Dragon blow up the way they hoped it, but the second season of this show (formerly intended as a one off series) gained a somewhat bigger audience than before. Audiences might have loved the events of Hawaii in the first season but moving the action to Sicily and the slew of new characters along with a returning Tanya definitely did the show the world of good for round two. We had dysfunctional couples such as Ethan/Harper and Cameron/Daphne, a generational look at womanisers with Bert, Dom and Albie, a flustered assistant in Portia, the scheming duo of Mia and Lucia, hotel manager Valentina, Jack the rent boy and some killer gays to boot. This season was a joy to watch from start to finish and I can't wait to see where creator Mike White takes things next season.

Wednesday: Netflix might be a bit too cancel happy for their own good these days but that doesn't mean there aren't shows they really want people to get behind. This delightful take on Wednesday Addams certainly felt like Riverdale met Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina but a captivating lead performance from Jenna Ortega, a decent group of supporting characters along with Christina Ricci as a strong enough baddie and this show was rather enjoyable to watch. I mean there's definitely room for some improvements (notably the CGI) but I definitely feel like Netflix have a hit on their hands with this one so I expect it'll be renewed fairly soon.

• HBO have renewed Industry for a third season. The show also airs on BBC2 for UK and Irish viewers.
• HBO however have cancelled the likes of Westworld and The Nevers as well as removing them from their service.
• House Of The Dragon will begin filming it's second season in March 2023.
• The White Lotus third season will take place in Asia and will explore the theme of death.
• Netflix have cancelled shows such as Warrior Nun, Blockbuster and The Bastard Son And The Devil Himself.
• Mayfair Witches, starring Alexandra Daddario will premiere on AMC from January 8th. It is a spin off of Interview With The Vampire.
• Queer As Folk US reboot has been cancelled after one season.
• Paramount+ have renewed Tulsa King for a second season.
• Billy Magnussen, Jessica Hynes, Isaac Powell and Lolly Adefope are among the cast for Sam Mendes HBO superhero movie themed series, The Franchise.
• The Last Of Us premieres on HBO from January 15th and the next day on SkyAtlantic.
• Henry Cavill will star and executive produce a Warhammer 40, 000 series for Amazon. 
• The Never Game, starring Justin Hartley has been ordered to series by CBS.
• Showtime have renewed Yellowjackets for a third season. The second season will premiere on March 24th.

Aloha, Do Come Again

Yup this one has been a while but you know the drill, folks.

911: Season 4 has flown by quickly and with the fifth season just starting on US television, it'll be a while before I catch up with it. The latter half of this season had Bobby and Athena's nearly in jeopardy, Eddie getting shot, Buck reconnecting with Taylor, Hen's mother arriving as well as Maddie and Howie becoming parents. Not to mention Josh getting his own flashback episode. Four seasons in and this show still has it.

911: Lone Star: I wasn't entirely blown away with the first season of this show but what a difference a second season has made. I felt a stronger connection with the characters and Gina Torres has been a revelation as Tommy. TK an Carlos relationship has developed nice, Owen got a great plot with the mystery arsonist, Mateo stepped up as a character and the flashback episode with Judd and Grace was a season highlight. I'll definitely be tuning in next season.

Pose: Relegated to double bills on a Sunday night, BBC2 finally got around to airing the last season of this groundbreaking series. There's a part of me that wishes this show had gotten another season but at the same time, this felt like a perfect closing chapter. We got to see Blanca, Elektra, Angel and Lulu live their best lives, even if Pray Tell himself did not make it in the end. I really hope it's not long before we see this talented cast in other things.

Supergirl: With a lengthy absence, the second half of the final season has aired and it's been a modest adventure so far. Kara's settled back into National City, her father left for Argo, the Superfriends are a strong unit and Nxyly has proven to be a strong foil while Lena, Kelly and Nia are all coming into their own power. William and Andrea remain the weak link of the show.

The White Lotus: Aside from a certain starring vehicle from Kate Winslet, this six part anthology series became the other big deal for HBO this year and suffice to say, I can see a lot of Emmy nods next year, especially for Murray Bartlett. The show might not have had the most sympathetic of characters (Shane and those two teenagers being particularly awful), but it definitely had some of the sharpest writing and acting this year. I'm wary about it coming back for seconds but will undoubtedly give it a go.

What If?:  So far in the MCU, courtesy of Disney+, we've had three excellent live action and while this animated series has prompted some interesting ideas (T'Challa being Star Lord, Doctor Strange really messing with fixed events, zombie apocalypse, etc), the whole thing has felt a bit like a distraction until the next live action event. It's a mildly diverting show but the weakest MCU streaming entry so far.

• The second half of Gossip Girl's first season will be released on HBO Max from November. The show was renewed for a second season.
• HBO Max however did cancel Generation after one season.
• Krysten Ritter has joined Elizabeth Olsen and Lily Rabe for HBO Max's upcoming limited series Love And Death.
• Virgin River has been renewed for a fourth and fifth season on Netflix.
• Disney+ has renewed Only Murders In The Building for a second season.
• The CW will end The Outpost after four seasons.
• Motherland: Fort Salem will end with its third season.
• Matthew Fox and Joanne Froggatt will start in upcoming series Last Light for peacock.
• The third season of Succession will premiere on HBO from October 17th.
• The third season of You will be released on Netflix from October 15th.