Kaiya Shunyata

Although it gets stronger as the season unfolds, “War” takes too long to get its gears turning. That’s not to say the series doesn’t improve greatly over its eight episodes, because it certainly does. It’s just unfortunate that it takes so long to fully flesh out the identity that will inevitably continue on into the show’s second season.

Netflix has delivered another rendition of “Monster” that doesn’t quite know what it wants to be and, like the others in this anthology, desperately tries to justify its macabre, compelling existence.

While it takes the series a handful of episodes to get there, “The Gentlemen” reinvents itself and ultimately becomes an unstoppable force.

With each well-crafted sequence, this new series proves itself a singular experience, showcasing the intricacies of music, community, and survival in a time of upheaval. .... “The Drop: A Snowfall Saga” manages to stand alone, bringing forth its own remarkable merit.

Scaling back its most excessive parts has made “Dark Matter” one of the best science fiction series of the year.

The series is as magnetic as it is trite, and somehow, despite certain narrative setbacks and flaws in particular performances, the show shakes out to be one of the most entertaining shows of the summer.

A thrilling character drama that trumps every other crime series released this year. Rossum and Petticrew are both phenomenal in the series, and they are joined by a fantastic ensemble.

With its second season, “X-Men ‘97” has become a more complex yet refined version of itself. .... The series embarks on a stunningly crafted journey that delivers some of the most thrilling arcs in a genre in desperate need of rejuvenation.

A more refined and bolder version of the show that premiered in 2024. .... The editing and pacing of the first couple of episodes may feel frenetic, but as we go back and forth between the past and present, the story that shapes up in season two is one of this year’s most engaging.

Things may come to a head slowly in this second endeavor, but once the explosive secrets each of these characters harbors begin to fester, nothing can stop them from igniting.