Reel Perspectives January 14, 2026 Rue Bennett played by Zendaya; Eddy Chen/HBO Five years later, Rue and the crew are older, louder, and still running from the same damage. 😬💸 Euphoria Is Back — and the Mess Has a Mortgage Guess who’s back… back again? Rue’s back and running — from her life choices, her demons, and possibly the plot itself. That’s right, Euphoria   is clocking back in to terrorize our nervous systems, with Season 3 premiering Sunday, April 12 . HBO Max just dropped the trailer, and the chaos is already in a light jog — on a freeway, glitter-adjacent, ignoring consequences, and stressing out your mama. But before we lace up and spiral together, let’s rewind and rekindle our complicated affection for these reckless, law-breaking “teens” — played by adults pushing 30, thank God — because this mess has lore, flashbacks, Labrinth vocals, and a very  long memory. ⏪ A Quick (But Brace Yourself) Refresher: Seasons 1 & 2 Season 1: Rue, Relapse, and the Blueprint of Disaster At the center of Euphoria  is Rue Bennett  — beautifully, devastatingly played by Emmy winner Zendaya  — a teenager who tells us from jump that something in her brain has always  been off. Mood swings. Impulses. Numbness. And eventually, drugs — the kind DARE warned us ’90s kids about and still lost the room and  the assembly. Rue’s addiction starts young, quietly, and tragically: stealing her dying father’s painkillers while no one’s looking. By the time the series opens, she’s fresh out of rehab after a near-fatal overdose, already white-knuckling sobriety she doesn’t fully believe in. Hope is present. Faith is not. Lexi Howard played by Maude Apatow; Eddy Chen/HBO Season 1 unfolds like emotional whiplash — each episode zooming in on a different character, but always tethered to Rue’s POV. Around her orbits a cast of teens unraveling in their own personalized ways: Nate Jacobs  (played by Jacob Elordi ) weaponizes masculinity and control like a varsity sport; Maddy Perez  ( Alexa Demie ) mistakes volatility for passion — until she absolutely does not; Cassie Howard  ( Sydney Sweeney ) confuses validation with intimacy; Kat Hernandez  ( Barbie Ferreira ) experiments with online power before the show largely forgets she exists (yes, we clocked that); and Lexi Howard  ( Maude Apatow ) watches quietly from the sidelines, taking notes like she’s already drafting the third act. No matter where the camera drifts — carnivals, bathrooms, glitter-drenched breakdowns — it always snaps back to Rue and her relationship with Jules Vaughn  (played by Hunter Schafer ): intoxicating, codependent, and doomed from the pilot. Rue falls hard. Jules dreams bigger. They talk about running away together. Jules actually tries. Rue relapses instead. The season ends with Rue spiraling backward while Jules boards a train alone — a quiet, brutal thesis statement for the show: love doesn’t cure addiction, and wanting something badly isn’t the same as being able to keep it. Season 2 takes that truth, puts it on a Labrinth track, and lights the match. Season 2: Everyone Hits Rock Bottom (Some Multiple Times) Season 2 of Euphoria  wastes zero time lighting the fuse — then immediately throws the whole box of matches onto the freeway. Rue convinces everyone she’s sober. She is not. She’s using harder drugs, lying better, and quietly sitting on a suitcase full of narcotics she’s supposed to sell — not to build generational wealth, but to stay high. When Jules finds out (thanks to guitar-playing Elliot , played by Dominic Fike ) and tells Rue’s mom (emotionally played by Nika King ), the house of cards collapses instantly. No montage. No mercy. Just mess. What follows is one of the show’s most harrowing arcs: an intervention that detonates on contact, Rue verbally napalming everyone she loves, destroying her house, and sprinting through the city — barefoot, feral, and emotionally uninsurable — to avoid rehab. Somewhere between screaming at her family and dodging traffic, she also realizes she owes thousands of dollars to a woman who does not negotiate. Eventually, Rue is brought home — battered, furious, and hollowed out. By season’s end, she vows to stay clean through the school year. It’s not a comeback. It’s a ceasefire. Meanwhile, everyone else is also making decisions that should’ve stayed buried in their Notes app — password-protected. Cassie hooks up with Nate — her best friend Maddy’s abusive ex — and proceeds to spiral loudly, publicly, and with Olympic-level commitment. Nate tries to remake Cassie into a Wish-dot-com version of Maddy, down to the clothes, the makeup, and the emotional dependency. Cassie lets him. When the truth finally comes out, Maddy chooses restraint… which is  character development but also a very real threat. Cassie Howard played by Sydney Sweeney; Eddy Chen/HBO Nate, in a rare moment of moral clarity that lasts approximately one episode, retrieves a horrifying tape involving his father and Jules and gives it back to Jules — traumatizing Maddy in the process, but still managing to do exactly one decent thing before returning to menace. Speaking of dads: Cal Jacobs (played by Eric Dane ) fully implodes — drunkenly confessing that his entire life is a lie, peeing on the floor, and exiting his family like it’s an avant-garde performance piece. Nate’s mom later hints at darker truths about Nate’s childhood — threads the show dangles ominously, then refuses to resolve. Then there’s Fezco and Lexi — the season’s emotional soft spot. What starts as a New Year’s party conversation turns into a genuine connection. Long phone calls. Mutual respect. Actual tenderness. Fez , played by the late Angus Cloud , brings rare warmth to a show addicted to destruction — which is exactly why fans let their guard down. Which is exactly why it hurt. The season builds toward Lexi’s play — a meta, messy, truth-telling spectacle that drags everyone’s secrets under stage lights. Fez never makes it to opening night. The past catches up. Police surround his house. Violence erupts. And the fantasy collapses. Season 2 ends not with answers, but with exhaustion. Rue is sober — for now. Relationships are fractured. And Euphoria  makes one thing brutally clear: Adulthood doesn’t cure the damage. It just sends a bigger bill. 🔥 Season 3: Grown, Not Healed Season 3 of Euphoria  doesn’t ease back in — it time-jumps five years into the future , checking in on these former high school disasters as full-grown adults who absolutely did not  leave the chaos behind. The acne cleared. The problems evolved. The consequences now cost more. At the center, still: Rue Bennett , now living south of the border in Mexico — and still very much in debt to Laurie, the quietly terrifying drug dealer played by Martha Kelly . Rue narrates the trailer in the past tense, almost wistful: “I don’t know if life was exactly what I wished, but somehow, for the first time, I was beginning to have faith.” Which, in Euphoria  language, means the other shoe is already in the air. Sure enough, Laurie shows up to collect, reminding Rue that consequences don’t respect time jumps or fresh starts. Danger circles fast — and that’s before Rue crosses paths with her ex, Jules Vaughn , in a brief, loaded reunion that suggests old wounds never really closed. Distance didn’t save them. It just delayed the reckoning. Elsewhere, the futures are… bleak in brand-new ways. Hunter Schafer plays Jules Vaughn; Eddy Chen/HBO Cassie Howard  and Nate Jacobs  are engaged, suburban, and deeply miserable — a jump scare in beige. Cassie is making NSFW content online. Nate is furious. “I work all day, and my bride-to-be is spread-eagled on the internet,” he snaps. Cassie’s response? Calm, chilling, and extremely 2026: “I was just making content.”  Yes, their wedding is in the trailer as well. Pray for everyone involved. Maddy Perez  is working at a Hollywood talent agency, serving looks and proximity to power as if she were born for it. Lexi Howard  is now an assistant to a showrunner — played by new cast addition Sharon Stone  — which feels dangerously on-brand for the sister who’s always been watching, observing, and quietly writing it all down. Maddy Perez played Alexa Demie ; Eddy Chen/HBO After more than four years away — delayed by packed schedules, behind-the-scenes tensions, and creator Sam Levinson ’s own detours — Euphoria  isn’t pretending things get easier with age. They just get louder, lonelier, and significantly more expensive. 🎬 Behind the Camera — and the Guest-Star Chaos If Euphoria  has always been about bad decisions, Season 3 is about what happens after  the excuses expire. Creator Sam Levinson  has been clear about the pivot: this season exists outside the safety net of high school. No bells. No lockers. No “they’re just kids” loopholes. The five-year time jump drops these characters into adulthood — or at least something adjacent — where consequences don’t reset and damage compounds. That shift matters. And it’s why we’re locked in. Season 3 also carries a quieter weight. The absence of Fezco isn’t just narrative — it’s emotional. Angus Cloud  brought humanity and restraint to a world addicted to excess, and his loss lingers over the series in ways Euphoria  doesn’t rush to explain or replace. Rather than filling that space, the show mutates — and the guest list proves it. Season 3 introduces a stacked slate of new faces, including Sharon Stone , Natasha Lyonne , Danielle Deadwyler , Rosalía , Eli Roth , Marshawn Lynch , Sam Trammell , and Asante Blackk . And yes — before anyone pretends this isn’t important — Trisha Paytas  is also part of the season. No character details. No explanation. Just vibes, discourse, and a collective gasp. Which feels extremely on brand. So why are we still watching? 🎭 Why Euphoria  Still Has Us Hooked Yes, Season 3 of Euphoria is finally — actually  — happening, and the trailer makes it clear the show didn’t come back calmer, kinder, or interested in your peace. And that’s the quiet cruelty of Euphoria . It doesn’t promise much in the way of character growth — it promises exposure, vulnerability, and the utmost in drama. Season 3 traps these characters between who they were and who they pretend to be now, asking how long denial can go on before it becomes a lifestyle choice. So yes, we’re running (and tuning in) again. Not because we expect progress. Not because we believe in happy endings. But because Euphoria  understands a hard truth: growing up doesn’t save you — it just takes the training wheels off the damage. Watch the trailer below: Euphoria Season 3 premieres Sunday, April 12, on HBO Max. Proceed with caution and lowered expectations. 😮‍💨🔥

Reel Perspectives January 8, 2025 HBO MAX The sophomore season of the MAX original The Pitt , created by R. Scott Gemmill and starring Noah Wyle, drops on January 8. Season 2 reminds us why the highly acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning series is the best medical drama and one of the best shows on television, thanks to its outstanding writing and exceptional performances by the cast. The Pitt  doesn't try to reinvent itself; instead, it digs deeper into what made it work. Season 2 confidently builds on the raw intensity and emotional depth that made its debut so compelling, cementing the series as one of the most gripping medical dramas in recent years. Once again, Noah Wyle delivers a captivating performance as the show found new ways to explore humanity and compassion without losing its pulse-pounding momentum. If you haven't seen Season 1, Reel Perspectives  strongly encourages you to binge-watch it, as it has carved out a unique niche by covering one hour of the work shift per episode. It's back with 15 fantastic episodes this season. With 9 episodes available for review, the series hasn't missed a step, and the new season, hailed for its gritty realism and the challenges facing healthcare workers, continues to be impressive. It's bolder and leans into refreshing character dynamics without falling into repetition, anchored by all the ingredients that made Season 1 such a huge success. Season two takes place over an extremely chaotic July 4th weekend, ten months after the events of Season 1 with Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) and Charge Nurse Evans (Katherine LaNasa) , leading the staff of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center through sweltering heat, new residents, articifcial intelligence, robust medical cases, and suddenly being thrust into going analog keeping the series fresh and exciting. Robby is on his last day before his three-month sabbatical, but first, he has to contend with his replacement, the new attending, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) , who is intent on implementing significant changes at the hospital, creating palpable tension between the two. Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) , fresh out of rehab, is back navigating his comeback and hoping to make amends with everyone, despite Robby's disapproval. Trust is earned, and Langdon has definitely broken that trust. We get it. HBO MAX The Pitt  does an exceptional job of creating tension without dialogue. You can literally feel  the tension in the quieter moments. You feel the emotion, and you also feel the disappointment between the characters that often goes unsaid. While other medical shows and procedurals focus on the personal lives of their characters, The Pitt  delves into its characters through their interactions and relationships with patients, defining the show organically. And while we do know more about the characters and their backstories in Season 2, it's always done in quick scenes that never linger, which actually makes you want  to know more about their lives outside the hospital.   The returning cast includes Supriya Ganesh (Dr. Mohan) , Fiona Dourif (Dr. McKay) , Taylor Dearden (Dr. King) , Isa Briones (Dr. Santos) , G erran Howell (Whitaker) , and Shabana Azeez (Javadi) . The death of a patient first seen in Season 1 provides an emotional arc for the team that is incredibly impactful. The way Robby and his team respond to the loss highlights their compassion and reminds us why we love the show and why Wyle won last year's Emmy. There's a quiet heaviness to his performance — the kind that comes from experience, exhaustion, and still showing up every day. A look, a pause, or a line delivered just slightly offhand carries as much weight as the bigger dramatic moments. HBO MAX The continued dedication by Robby and his team is among the best of many outstanding scenes, filled with emotional moments that elevate the series and raise the bar. Another exceptional performance came from LaNasa's Dana, who was phenomenal throughout the season. She gave a multi-layered performance rich in nuance and subtlety, especially while tending to a victim of sexual assault. Santos (Isa Briones) and Whitaker (Gerran Howell) help anchor the second season with new dynamics, while many familiar characters return from Season 1, including Supriya Ganesh (Dr. Mohan), Fiona Dourif (Dr. McKay), Taylor Dearden (Dr. King) , and Shabana Azeez (Javadi) . New additions blend into the chaotic kinetic energy, and rather than becoming distractions, they fit right in without detracting from the focus or the chemistry between the main characters. The chaos of the ER is still there, but it's balanced with smaller, more personal moments that feel real rather than manufactured for drama. The brutal honesty of our flawed medical system gives the show its edge. It is messy, exhausting, and often unfair — and that's exactly what makes The Pitt  compelling. The show doesn't shy away from difficult themes but thrives in the spotlight and handles them with empathy. Visually, The Pitt  maintains its grounded, immersive style, pulling viewers directly into the hospital's urgency with brisk pacing and emotional payoffs. Each episode flows seamlessly between high-pressure emergency room chaos and quieter, character-driven moments that allow the ensemble cast to shine. By midseason, you don't just feel entertained, you feel like you've been through something with these characters. With the announcement that the series has already been renewed for Season 3, the medical drama still has plenty of life - and heart- left in it. Season 2 premieres Thursday, January 8 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO Max.

Reel Perspectives January 6, 2026 Spring semester brings rekindled romances, loud consequences, and a campus where therapy is apparently optional. 💔🎓 Tell Me Lies Is Back to Ruin Our Peace (Again) If you’ve ever watched a relationship implode in slow motion and thought, “I hate this, but I can’t look away,”  congratulations — Tell Me Lies  was made just for you. And with its Season 3 premiere next Tuesday, Hulu’s messiest campus drama returns just in time to remind us that toxic relationships don’t disappear after winter break — they just come back louder, meaner, and in a major need ot therapy.  Disney/Ian Watson Season 3 picks up with Lucy Albright ( Grace Van Patten ) and Stephen DeMarco ( Jackson White ) doing what they do best: rekindling a romance they swear will be “different this time.” Dear Reader, I promise you... It won’t be. Trust. ⏪ A Quick (But Painful) Refresher: Seasons 1 & 2 Season 1: The Lie That Started It All Told through dual timelines — college years in 2008 and adulthood in 2015 — Season 1 introduces Lucy as a freshman desperate to feel chosen, and Stephen as a walking red flag with a charming smile and zero accountability. What starts as an intense campus romance spirals quickly into manipulation, gaslighting, and secrets that infect the entire friend group. Stephen’s emotional cruelty. Lucy’s moral compromises. A death shrouded in silence. By the finale, the message is crystal clear: no one escapes this relationship untouched. Disney/Josh Stringer Season 2: Consequences Catch Up Season 2 opens right after Lucy and Stephen’s brutal summer breakup and immediately proves that time apart does not equal healing. As both try (and fail) to move on — Lucy with Leo, Stephen with… Stephen — the fallout spreads. Bree’s relationship with Professor Oliver crosses every ethical boundary imaginable. Diana’s storyline deepens around loyalty and survival. Pippa and Wrigley circle each other like unresolved trauma with a Spotify playlist. And then there’s that  finale — a devastating cliffhanger at Bree and Evan’s wedding in the 2015 timeline that recontextualizes everything. Joy, grief, betrayal — all colliding in one unforgettable gut punch. 🔥 Season 3: Same Campus, New Scandals Season 3 wastes no time  dragging us back into the chaos. Lucy and Stephen reunite just in time for the spring semester at Baird College, promising honesty, growth, and emotional maturity — words that have never survived more than five minutes in Stephen DeMarco’s presence. The trailer opens with Lucy recording a forced apology tape:  “I need to apologize… to everyone.” Disney / Ian Watson And just like that, the vibes are off. This season introduces a major new wrinkle: Lucy becomes entangled in a controversy she wants absolutely no part of — one that threatens her reputation and exposes just how fragile her support system really is. Meanwhile, Stephen’s past refuses to stay buried, dragging everyone else down with him. Friendships fracture. Secrets metastasize. And the consequences from last year finally come knocking — loudly. 🧨 The Friend Group Fallout Season 3 isn’t just about Lucy and Stephen’s toxic spiral. It forces the entire friend group to confront the damage they’ve been pretending isn’t there: Bree  ( Cat Missal ) struggles to move forward after Oliver, grappling with shame, grief, and a sense of lost innocence. Evan  ( Branden Cook ) finally challenges Stephen in ways we haven’t seen before — and the tension is combustible. Pippa  ( Sonia Mena ) and Wrigley  ( Spencer House ) attempt reconciliation, proving some bonds are harder to untangle than others. Disney / Ian Watson And then there’s Alex, a new character played by Costa D’Angelo , who boldly claims, “College is the most unserious part of your life.” Oh, sweet, sweet summer child. 🎬 The Creative Team Behind the Chaos Season 3 continues under the steady (and slightly diabolical) guidance of creator and showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer , with executive producers Emma Roberts , Karah Preiss, and Matt Matruski under Belletrist, alongside Laura Lewis for Rebelle Media. The series remains adapted from Tell Me Lies , with Lovering returning as a consulting producer, which explains why the emotional wreckage still feels disturbingly  authentic. 🎭 Why Tell Me Lies  Still Has Us Hooked What Tell Me Lies  does better than most shows is refuse to glamorize toxicity — even as it makes it impossible to stop watching.  Season 3 sharpens that blade, shifting from youthful recklessness to accountability, and asking what happens when lies outlive the people who told them. At this point, these kids don’t need closure — they need therapy, Black Jesus, and sobriety in that exact order. If you’re not caught up yet, consider this your final warning. And if you are? Buckle up. The spring semester is about to get ugly. Watch the trailer here:

Reel Perspectives January 6, 2026 Significant changes are coming to Tyler Perry's Sistas,  as it has been confirmed that Novi Brown and Ebony Obsidian will not return for the tenth season, as we celebrate its milestone on January 7th. The news comes as a significant blow to fans, as both actresses have been part of the series since its premiere in 2019. The show has become a staple of Black entertainment, ranking as the #1 scripted series on cable among Black adults aged 18-49 for five consecutive years, and the #1 series on cable among all Black viewers for three consecutive years. KJ Smith, Mignon, and Crystal Renee Hayslett return, with Jordan Coleman and Tunde Oyeneyin, who will join the cast as Series Regulars to continue the weekly drama the series is known for. This series follows a group of high-powered single women in their 30s as they navigate their complicated love lives, careers, and friendships through social media and societal pressures. Season 10 of Tyler Perry's Sistas  picks up with the gut-wrenching aftermath of a car bomb, and the fallout is far from over. This season, silence is louder than words, loyalties are tested, and as each woman wrestles with the past, not everyone will make it to the other side the same.  Coleman will star as Cheyenne Barnes, a fiercely confident hairstylist whose bold sexuality and razor-sharp wit command attention, masking the emotional scars she's carried for years. Though driven by a desire for luxury and ease, her reunion with her sister Andi slowly peels back layers of guarded vulnerability she's long tried to bury. Oyeneyin stars as Madison Truitt, a powerful, self-assured entrepreneur whose commanding presence and unapologetic ambition have carved her a space in a male-dominated world. Beneath her polished exterior lies a yearning for love and partnership — one that matches her strength, despite whispers that her standards are too high. "The longevity of Sistas  is a testament to the incredible audience who has so deeply connected to the show. I know they will be invested in every plot line, every character, and a lot is going to happen this season. As always, we've got some big surprises, twists, and turns. It will not disappoint!" said Tyler Perry, Creator and Executive Producer. When speaking of the increible milestone for the series, president Louis Carr, President of BET, released in a stement, "We are profoundly grateful for our enduring partnership with Tyler Perry, whose vision continues to deliver compelling, must-watch television, and we are equally proud of the amazing talent, both returning and new, who bring these dynamic characters to life." Don't miss the season premiere on Wednesday, January 7 at 9 PM ET with all-new episodes dropping Wednesdays on BET. Tyler Perry's Sistas  comes from Tyler Perry Studios and is executive-produced by Perry, written by Courtney Glaude, and directed by Armani Ortiz. Also returning for its fifth season is the hilarious comedy The Ms. Pat Show , premiering on Wednesday, January 7. The series follows Patricia Williams-Lee's stand-up comedy and memoir, "Rabbit, The Autobiography of Ms. Pat" - a former convicted felon turned suburban mom and stand-up comedian, whose hustle and resilient spirit were forged on the streets of Atlanta. To much reserve, she now finds herself in conservative middle America alongside her penny-pinching husband played by J. Bernard Calloway ("City On A Hill"), a struggle of a sister played by Tami Roman ("The Family Business"), and two distinct sets of kids played by Theodore Barnes ("The Prince of Peoria"), newcomer Briyana Guadalupe, Vince Swann ("50 Central") and Brittany Inge ("Boomerang"), the latter two raised under very different circumstances. The first four seasons of the groundbreaking R-rated sitcom unpacked everything from drug addiction and abortion to sexual abuse and dysfunctional family cycles. Season 5 continues that trend as the multi-dimensional Carson family tackles topics including scars left by absent parents, scars created by present parents, and following your dreams through all of it. In their wildest, most uproarious season yet, the Carsons discover that the only constant is change.  Returning series regulars include J. Bernard Calloway, Tami Roman, Vince Swann, Briyana Guadalupe, and Theodore John Barnes, with Brittany Inge recurring this season. Notable guest stars include Raven-Symoné, Tisha Campbell, Tristan "Mack" Wilds, Omeretta, Sandra Caldwell, Emmy award-winning actress Loretta Devine, and the multi-platinum, Grammy®-nominated vocal trio SWV.  The Ms. Pat Show is created by Patricia "Ms. Pat" Williams-Lee and Jordan E. Cooper, who also serve as executive producers. Brian Grazer, Lee Daniels, President of Imagine Television, Samie Kim Falvey, and Anthony Hill (who serves as the series' showrunner) will executive produce, alongside Patricia "Ms. Pat" Williams and Jordan E. Cooper.

Reel Perspectives January 5, 2025 FX The sizzling trailer for Ryan Murphy's new series "The Beauty" was released today, and it looks slick, twisted, and irresistibly bold. The trailer teases a glamorous nightmare where perfection comes at a terrifying cost, blending high-fashion visuals with unsettling sci-fi edge. With a razor-sharp premise, striking imagery, and that unmistakable Murphy flair for excess and provocation, The Beauty  already feels daring, stylish, and wildly addictive. Following the success of "All's Fair," which delivered Hulu's best streaming numbers in three years, the prolific director has teamed up with Matthew Hodgson to explore the dark realities of the fashion industry, where beauty comes at the ultimate price. The trailer features Ashton Kutcher as a sketchy tech billionaire who created the world's first super drug to make supermodels beautiful with disastrous side effects. FX The world of high fashion turns dark when international supermodels begin dying in gruesome and mysterious ways. FBI Agents "Cooper Madsen" (Evan Peters) and "Jordan Bennett" (Rebecca Hall) are sent to Paris to uncover the truth. As they delve deeper into the case, they uncover a sexually transmitted virus that transforms ordinary people into visions of physical perfection, but with terrifying consequences. Their path leads them directly into the crosshairs of "The Corporation" (Ashton Kutcher), a shadowy tech billionaire who has secretly engineered a miracle drug dubbed "The Beauty," who will do anything to protect his trillion-dollar empire—including unleashing his lethal enforcer, "The Assassin" (Anthony Ramos). As the epidemic spreads, "Jeremy" (Jeremy Pope), a desperate outsider, is caught in the chaos, searching for purpose as the agents race across Paris, Venice, Rome and New York to stop a threat that could alter the future of humanity. With guest stars Bella Hadid, Isabella Rossellini, Ben Platt, Jessica Alexander and Vincent D'Onofrio,  The Beauty  is a global thriller that asks: what would you sacrifice for perfection? 'The Beauty' premieres Wednesday, January 21, at 9 p.m. ET on FX and Hulu with its first three episodes. Watch the sizzling trailer below: Created and written by Ryan Murphy & Matthew Hodgson, FX's  The Beauty  is executive produced by Murphy, Hodgson, Peters, Ramos, Pope, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, Michael Uppendahl, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Gitter, Peter Schwerin and Jeremy Haun. It is based on the comic book series written by Haun and Jason A. Hurley, who serves as a consultant.  The Beauty  is produced by 20th Television.

Reel Perspectives January 5, 2025 Mayor of Kingstown , the popular crime drama on Paramount+ co-created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, is coming to an end. Starring Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner, the series has been renewed for a fifth and final season with eight episodes. Paramount broke the news, which will certainly come as a surprise to many, given that the fourth season was arguably the best to date. Per the official logline, the series follows the McLusky family – power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry.  Tackling themes of "systemic racism, corruption, and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither." The fourth season currently boats a 100% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes and ended its season on December 28 with a dramatic cliffhanger that saw Kyle (Taylor Handley) execute Merle (Richard Brake) his wife's killer teasing lasting emotional trauma for Kyle and setting the stage for futher chaos as Mike's (Renner) control over Kingstown was threatened with new power players ready to lay claim to Kingstown. When  Reel Perspectives  spoke to Handley ahead of the season four finale, he shared that there were only two ways he could see his character continuing beyond Season 4. In addition to Renner, the series also stars BAFTA Award winner Lennie James, Tony Award winner Laura Benanti, Hugh Dillon, Taylor Handley, Tobi Bamtefa, Derek Webster, Hamish Allan-Headley, and Nishi Munshi, with Golden Globe winner Edie Falco added in the fourth season. Sheridan is responsible for many of Paramount+'s hits, creating the Sheridan-led universe, which includes Yellowstone  and its prequels, Landman, Tulsa King , and  Lioness. Additional seasons have already been confirmed for the latter three series. The first 4 seasons of Mayor of Kingstown are available on Paramount+ . Mayor of Kingstown  is produced by Paramount Television Studios, 101 Studios, and Bosque Ranch Productions. Sheridan executive produces with Dillon, Renner, Antoine Fuqua, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Michael Friedman, Dave Erickson, Christoph Schrewe, Wendy Riss, Evan Perazzo and Keith Cox. Erickson also serves as showrunner. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Reel Perspectives January 4, 2026 FOX's new dramedy series, Best Medicine , premieres tonight with a special advance episode before settling into its regular Tuesday slot. Balancing humor and nostalgia, the series already promises to be one of FOX's standout series. Emmy-nominated Josh Charles (The Good Wife)  steps into the role of Martin Best (previously Martin Clunes in the original) as an uptight Boston surgeon who relocates to the seaside town of Port Wenn, Maine, with fond memories of summer vacations with his Aunt Joan. Upon his arrival, he's immediately confronted by the quirky personalities of the town's residents who constantly test his patience. FOX The new series is based on the beloved, long-running British series Doc Martin , which ran from 2004–2022. Doc Martin  had a global following adapted in several countries, including the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. The American version is created by Liz Tuccillo and follows Martin Best, a brilliant surgeon who abruptly leaves his illustrious career in Boston to become the general practitioner in a quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent summers as a child. Unfortunately, Martin's blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, and he quickly alienates the town, even though he's all they've got. Although Martin can expertly address any medical ailment or mystery in this idiosyncratic town, he's really just desperate to be left the hell alone. Instead, he keeps getting dragged right smack into the middle of their personal chaos, feuds, and fantasies. What the locals don't know is that Martin's terse demeanor masks a debilitating new phobia and deep-seated psychological issues that prevent him from experiencing true intimacy with anyone. But tenacity is the creed of everyone in their small village, and the people who live there may be exactly what the doctor ordered. FOX Rounding out the supporting cast, the series also stars Annie Potts ( Designing Women, Young Sheldon ) as Aunt Sarah, Josh Segarra ( Sirens ) as Sheriff Mark Mylow, and Cree ( Twinless ) as Elaine Denton. Recurring guest stars include Didi Conn as councilwoman Geneva Potter, Clea Lewis as pharmacist Sally Mylow, Stephen Spinella and Jason Veasey as the happily married proprietors of The Salty Breeze, Greg Garrison and George Brady, Cindy De La Cruz as the schoolteacher Jeannie, John DiMaggio as the handyman Bert Large, Carter Shimp as Bert's son Al Large, and Wattson as the stray but loveable Copernicus. And Martin Clunes ( Doc Martin ) makes a special guest star appearance as Martin Best's father, Dr. Robert Best. Best Medicine's special premiere airs   on Sunday, January 4, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. The regular time slot premieres on Tuesday, January 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT with all episodes available to stream the next day on Hulu.

Reel Perspectives January 3, 2026 Marvel Television Marvel turns the camera inward with a superhero story about ambition, identity, and who gets to be seen. Power, Perception, & the Price of Being Exceptional If you’re already mapping out what deserves space on your 2026 watchlist, go ahead and circle Wonder Man  — because Marvel’s next Disney+ series looks ready to shake things up in a very different way. Premiering January 27, the eight-episode Marvel Television series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II  as Simon Williams, an aspiring actor hustling for his breakthrough while quietly developing superpowers he never asked for. Created by Destin Daniel Cretton  ( Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ) and Andrew Guest  ( Community , Hawkeye ), Wonder Man  blends superhero spectacle with a sharp, self-aware look at the entertainment industry itself. And yes — Ben Kingsley  returns as Trevor Slattery, the washed-up performer we first met in Iron Man 3  and later Shang-Chi , now serving as both mentor and mirror to Simon’s struggle. Hollywood Dreams, Superpowered Consequences In the official trailer, Simon is told, “You got this, man. You just gotta go out there and crush it.”  It’s the kind of motivational mantra Hollywood thrives on — until the show starts peeling back what that pressure actually costs. Marvel Television When Simon crosses paths with legendary (and possibly unhinged) director Von Kovak ( Zlatko Burić ), he’s pulled into a reboot of the in-universe superhero film Wonder Man  — a role that could change his life. But as the trailer makes clear, Simon’s journey isn’t just metaphorical. His powers erupt at the worst possible time, putting him on the radar of the Department of Damage Control and Agent Cleary ( Arian Moayed ), who quickly brands him an “extraordinary threat.” The result is a Marvel series that plays like a backstage pass to Hollywood ambition — where fame, fear, and identity collide under the brightest lights. Why Wonder Man Hits at the Right Time What makes Wonder Man  especially compelling is how openly it wrestles with performance — not just on screen, but in real life. For BIPOC creatives in particular, Simon’s story hits close to home: the grind, the gatekeeping, the pressure to be exceptional just to survive, and the question of who gets labeled “dangerous” the moment they finally step into their power. It’s also part of a growing pattern worth paying attention to. Disney+ has been quietly building some of its most interesting Marvel stories around BIPOC leads — from Ironheart  to Wonder Man  — yet these projects rarely receive the same sustained hype, discourse, or cultural patience as shows like WandaVision  or Agatha All Along .   Marvel Television The ambition is there. The creativity is there. The spirit is ready and willing. What’s often missing is the collective rally to meet it. Wonder Man  isn’t just about saving the world. It’s about being seen in it — and deciding which stories we show up for when the spotlight isn’t automatically guaranteed. When and Where to Watch All eight episodes of Wonder Man  debut January 27 at 6 PM PT / 8 PM EST  on Disney+, with international release following shortly after. The series’ soundtrack, featuring an original score by Joel P. West, arrives January 30 via Hollywood Records. Marvel has promised something bold, weird, and self-reflective — and if the trailer is any indication, Wonder Man  might be one of the studio’s most quietly daring swings yet. 👉🏾 Watch the trailer below, and get ready — this one’s about more than capes.