Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

Star City soon establishes itself as an ideal kind of spin-off, replicating the strengths of its predecessor while thriving as a standalone drama.

Viewers can guess the identity of the main villain almost immediately, and as the season wears on, the later revelations aren't as exciting as they probably should be. It's just as well that the show's casting choices are so strong, making this an easy series to keep streaming to the end.

Off Campus is sometimes a little too glossy and derivative, but while it isn't necessarily original, Garrett and Hannah's relationship is sincere enough to win us over.

In a virtually plotless 48-minute story, we're treated to a tiresome retread of the Punisher's self-destructive grief, paired with another of his bloodthirsty killing sprees. Narratively speaking, One Last Kill is such a nothingburger that you may wonder why it exists at all.

Like The Rings of Power, it lacks the star power of its predecessor and often feels like a retread. It's hard to get invested in a show with this little creative personality, resting on the laurels of the Holmes brand instead of establishing a vision of its own.

Structured around well-paced twists, this show appreciates the trashy appeal of airport thrillers. Yet it still makes smart choices regarding realistic motives for dark and destructive deeds.

There's a lot of potential here, but given the uneven nature of the franchise under CBS/Paramount producer Alex Kurtzman, I think it's fair for fans to feel wary. If we're lucky, this could be the first modern Star Trek show to meaningfully engage with contemporary issues, but halfway through Season 1, the jury's still out.

It's easy to imagine a more entertaining version of The Abandons where Headey and Anderson really get to cook, but here they're just battling against unmemorable material.

Pitched as a thriller, it's low on excitement, not least because it struggles to inspire much investment in its central mystery.

Wayward sticks close to some familiar beats of the genre but thrives on its well-realized characters — most obviously with Mae Martin's socially awkward Alex and the relatable ensemble cast of Tall Pines students.