https://www.cbr.com CBR TV reviews offer the insight you demand in the golden age of television and the exciting landscape of the streaming world. Thu, 29 Jun 2023 17:33:58 GMT en-US hourly 60 Paul Wesley took on the role of Star Trek icon James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, or rather an alternate timeline version of the character in the Strange New Worlds Season 1 finale. Wesley reprises his role as Kirk in Strange New Worlds Season 2 as yet another alternate version in the season's third episode. Titled "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," the episode pares down the usual Strange New Worlds' ensemble for a tighter team-up story across time and space, running the gamut of tones Season 2 has brought to the forefront to great effect.

]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 17:33:58 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-episode-3-review/ Season 3 of Netflix's The Witcher is finally here, bringing with it actor Henry Cavill's final performance as Geralt of Rivia before he is replaced by Liam Hemsworth. Before the show's premiere, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich assured audiences that this season will provide Cavill with a heroic sendoff and please fans of Andrzej Sapkowski's novels by adhering more faithfully to the source material.

]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:44:24 GMT https://www.cbr.com/witcher-season-3-review/ After months of speculation about the future of the series, Superman & Lois closes out its third, and thankfully not final season, with a major showdown and its main ensemble each at personal crossroads. With scenes that not only pay off longstanding character arcs but building to a massive cliffhanger to close out the season, the Season 3 finale, ominously and accurately titled, "What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger," doesn't waste a minute of its runtime. With behind-the-scenes news of the series potentially significantly trimming its main cast for the planned fourth season, hopefully this finale won't whiff on the payoffs it sets up across the episode.

]]> Wed, 28 Jun 2023 22:23:57 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-season-3-episode-13-review/ With its second episode, Marvel's Secret Invasion solidifies its identity as a part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe and as a series unto itself, for better or worse. While there are certainly some bright spots in this episode, it sees Secret Invasion's creative team doubling down on some of the biggest problems with the first episode in disappointing fashion. Already one-third of the way through the series, what should feel like the coalescing of Secret Invasion as a creative work feels increasingly disparate and incoherent.

]]> Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:53:21 GMT https://www.cbr.com/secret-invasion-episode-2-review/ After a rousing reunion for its Season 2 premiere, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds moves to resolve its shocking cliffhanger from the Season 1 finale in this season’s second episode. Titled "Ad Astra Per Aspera," the sophomore episode gives Rebecca Romijn her grandest showcase as Una Chin-Riley yet as the Enterprise's Number One faces a Starfleet Command tribunal. Though largely staged like a courtroom drama, the episode is no less gripping and effective than any of the more cosmic adventures that the Enterprise normally embarks on as part of their exploration of the final frontier.

]]> Thu, 22 Jun 2023 19:22:44 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-episode-2-review/ It's been a few years since poor Kong got sucker punched by Godzilla. However, fans can go straight back into the MonsterVerse thanks to Netflix's Skull Island animated series. It's an eight-episode exploration of this mysterious lost world and the introduction of a new cast of characters. Surprisingly, while it does add something more to the Kong mythos, its greatest strength lies in the human characters -- and Dog.

]]> Thu, 22 Jun 2023 18:29:34 GMT https://www.cbr.com/netflix-skull-island-kong-review/ The seeds for Superman & Lois' upcoming fourth season are prominently planted in the third season's penultimate episode, which also deals with the fallout from Bruno Mannheim's defeat. Titled "Injustice," the episode finally provides the long-awaited debut of the show's version of Lex Luthor, played by Michael Cudlitz, who is poised to have a major role in the series moving forward. While building up Luthor as a truly intimidating threat, the episode also explores a strain between Superman and his sons.

]]> Wed, 21 Jun 2023 21:19:30 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-season-3-episode-12-review/ The Walking Dead: Dead City's premiere episode, "Old Acquaintances," starts with a binocular shot of New York City, the unmistakable Empire State Building being consumed by vegetation along with the surrounding buildings. It's an almost serene vision of a silent, faraway place. But this is The Walking Dead's latest spinoff series, Dead City, and just a moment later, the binoculars moved down to espy a long procession of reanimated dead moving like a slow-motion marathon along the river. Holding the binoculars is Maggie (Lauren Cohan), last seen in The Walking Dead season 11, episode 24, "Rest in Peace, in which she seemed set on forging a new path in this post-apocalyptic world.

]]> Mon, 19 Jun 2023 02:00:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/walking-dead-dead-city-review/ The latest addition to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, Secret Invasion, is a high-octane streaming series event that looks to blend the more fantastical science-fiction elements of the MCU into the political paranoia thriller wheelhouse the MCU has dabbled in before on projects like Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The first episode of the series has plenty of ambition but mixed results.

]]> Fri, 16 Jun 2023 21:49:54 GMT https://www.cbr.com/secret-invasion-premiere-review/ Written by George Kay, directed by Jim Field Smith, and starring international treasure Idris Elba, Hijack is the latest addition to Apple TV's stacked roster of under-the-radar series' made with real passion and craft.

]]> Fri, 16 Jun 2023 19:22:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/hijack-premiere-review/ After a triumphant debut season last year, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its second season with an action-packed premiere episode. Titled "The Broken Circle," the season premiere encapsulates much of the second season's strengths and relative shortcomings as it brings its main ensemble back together. Fortunately, there are significantly more hits than misses with Strange New Worlds Season 2's big swings, signaling a continuation of what made the inaugural season so endearing to fans and critics alike.

]]> Thu, 15 Jun 2023 22:39:49 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-episode-1-review/ Boots Riley doesn't seem like the type of person who'd want to take on a Marvel or DC adaptation, but there are clearly a lot of superhero comic influences on his new Amazon Prime Video series I'm a Virgo. Riley filters those influences through his radical anti-capitalist perspective and skewed surrealist sensibility, as previously expressed in his 2018 feature film Sorry to Bother You. I'm a Virgo is also set in Oakland, California, at the intersection of political activism and magical-realist absurdity. Riley packs in a lot of both of those elements, making I'm a Virgo unwieldy but compelling and full of strange, unexpected twists.

]]> Wed, 14 Jun 2023 23:05:34 GMT https://www.cbr.com/im-a-virgo-review/ Going boldly where no show has gone before, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds made a splash with fans and critics alike when the series debuted last year, charting the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike and his Enterprise. Strange New Worlds Season 2 returns for its second season this June more confident and varied in its storytelling while going deeper with its main characters this time around. While some of the shifts in tone may catch audiences a bit off-guard, the growing likability of the ensemble cast and continued strength of the series overall is sure to have fans coming back for more.

]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2023 21:03:24 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-review/ The end of Superman & Lois Season 3, and potentially the entire series, looms on the horizon as the conflict with Bruno Mannheim and Onomatopoeia escalates. The season's eleventh episode, titled "Complications," lives up to its moniker as the Kent family faces issues on all fronts, both of the personal and supervillain variety. By balancing these crises, Superman & Lois leans into the emotional strengths it's known for, providing an episode that feels like a conclusive payoff, albeit perhaps a couple of episodes early.

]]> Wed, 07 Jun 2023 20:12:01 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-season-3-episode-11-review/ Given the success of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, it's not surprising that another comedy series is taking on true-crime podcasting, although Peacock's Based on a True Story takes a much darker approach to the subject matter. Based on a True Story places the main characters in a no-win situation that shifts from amusingly morbid to unpleasantly nasty without the range of quirky characters that makes Only Murders in the Building so enjoyable to watch. There's no mystery to solve on Based on a True Story, just two terrible people desperately exploiting the victims of a psychopath.

]]> Tue, 06 Jun 2023 15:05:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/based-on-a-true-story-review/ The Kent family faces pressures from all sides as Superman & Lois Season 3 nears its climactic conclusion, from the family secret facing fresh scrutiny to its central villains reuniting. For all the super-powered action, the show maintains a clear focus on the Kents themselves, from Lois Lane's recovery to Clark Kent's parenting struggles. The season's tenth episode, titled "Collision Course," masterfully balances a number of subplots and avoids the melodramatic flourishes preceding episodes have suffered from.

]]> Wed, 31 May 2023 21:14:10 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-season-3-episode-10-review/ Arnold Schwarzenegger and the action-comedy genre can't quit each other. Almost three decades after True Lies, the former Terminator actor revisits a similar formula in Netflix's FUBAR. The first season features eight episodes of guns and guffaws that don't venture too far from the expected.

]]> Thu, 25 May 2023 17:04:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/fubar-season-1-review/ After nine seasons, The Flash has made its final run, closing out the series and the entire Arrowverse, where The CW's DCTV programming has maintained a shared continuity for the past decade. The series finale, titled "A New World, Part Four," concludes the four-part storyline that saw the show reexamine its history with a full-on supervillain reunion. It isn't a perfect episode, but The Flash delivers a satisfying finale, putting a solid cap on an uneven series.

]]> Thu, 25 May 2023 15:13:26 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-finale-review/ Superman & Lois Season 3 has introduced a villain in Bruno Mannheim that has as many personal stakes for John Henry Irons and his daughter Natalie as he does for the Kent family. The differences in how Clark Kent and John Henry address the threat Mannheim presents come to a head in the season's ninth episode, titled "The Dress," kicking off the third season's final act. Bringing more action than the preceding episodes, the episode gives Steel a slightly questionable character arc that may put off viewers as some unnecessary or forced friction between the heroes.

]]> Wed, 24 May 2023 22:36:52 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-season-3-episode-9-review/ The Flash is down to its penultimate episode, poised to wrap up the series and the entire Arrowverse that unified The CW's DCTV programming for a decade. The third installment of the concluding storyline, titled "A New World," sets up its final confrontation with a time travel trip to 2049. However, like the episode preceding it, The Flash's usual bad habits continue to make this end run an uneven mess and squander the storyline's potential.

]]> Thu, 18 May 2023 17:34:28 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-12-review/ It's always risky to take a breakout supporting character from a franchise and give them their own solo project. Sometimes you end up with Frasier, and sometimes you end up with Joey. Thankfully, XO, Kitty falls closer to Frasier on that spectrum. It's a mostly entertaining spin-off from Netflix's To All the Boys movies, although it loses some of its title character's charm when she's required to carry all the emotional weight. After three movies as the bubbly, snarky little sister of To All the Boys protagonist Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor), Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) is now a high school junior with complex romantic problems of her own.

]]> Wed, 17 May 2023 20:47:09 GMT https://www.cbr.com/xo-kitty-review/ One of the biggest cult horror comedy favorites from the '80s is Gremlins, which debuted as a feature film directed by Joe Dante in 1984. A prequel animated series is coming to Max to help launch the rebranded premium streaming service this May, titled Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. Vibrantly animated and voiced by an all-star cast, Secrets of the Mogwai is a family-friendly gateway into the Gremlins franchise while retaining the same charm of the classic movies.

]]> Wed, 17 May 2023 19:38:48 GMT https://www.cbr.com/gremlins-secrets-of-the-mogwai-review/ Starting with 30 Rock, writer-producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock have collaborated on an impressive string of comedy series, and Netflix's Mulligan takes their work in a new direction as their first animated series. Created by Carlock and the duo's longtime collaborator Sam Means, Mulligan features plenty of the layered, referential humor reminiscent of Fey-Carlock productions like 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Great News, and Girls5eva, along with an expanded opportunity for world-building thanks to the possibilities of animation. Mulligan isn't quite as funny or instantly memorable as some other Fey-Carlock shows, but it makes a promising start that could eventually land it alongside the duo's best work.

]]> Fri, 12 May 2023 14:00:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/mulligan-tv-review/ The Flash continues its countdown toward its series finale, with Barry Allen transported away from the rest of Team Flash after being targeted by a resurgent Negative Speed Force. The ninth season's eleventh episode, titled "A New World, Part Two," focuses on the team's reaction to Barry's disappearance while enduring a harrowing attack from the Negative Speed Force. Running heavy on melodrama and edited together unevenly, the episode falls into The Flash's worst habits and stands as a major stumbling block on the way to the show's conclusion.

]]> Thu, 11 May 2023 17:55:54 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-11-review/ After a rollercoaster ride of a season, the Titans series finale is finally here, closing out the superhero series that began in 2018. Though the season's overarching antagonist has been a mixed bag, particularly with the decision to hold off on the full heel turn until late into the season, the show gives each of its main ensemble one last chance to shine. Titled "Titans Forever," the series finale feels a bit rushed in trying to resolve so much and provide a sense of closure but does offer a happy ending of sorts along with a solid climactic set piece.

]]> Thu, 11 May 2023 16:09:27 GMT https://www.cbr.com/titans-season-4-episode-12-review/ As Superman & Lois Season 3 enters its final act, the battle lines are drawn and emotional stakes are higher than ever, not just for the Kent family but for those caught up in the ongoing struggle against Bruno Mannheim. The season's eighth episode, titled "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," shatters the fragile ceasefire and blossoming friendship between the families at the center of the story with heartbreaking implications. While the start of the episode is one of its weaker moments, it rapidly escalates and sets the stage for the last stretch of episodes.

]]> Wed, 10 May 2023 22:32:34 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-and-lois-season-3-episode-8-review/ The Titans series finale is within sight as the final season's penultimate episode sets up the climactic confrontation with the fiendish Brother Blood. Titled "Project Starfire," the episode features the longest runtime in the entire series, using them for some major payoffs while drawing the battle lines for its concluding showdown. Although the episode feels like it could've ultimately worked better shaving off a few minutes to improve its pacing and focus, there are enough solid moments to keep audiences from being overly preoccupied by the time.

]]> Fri, 05 May 2023 12:00:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/titans-season-4-episode-11-review/ The Flash is coming to an end with a four-part storyline kicking off with the final season's tenth episode. Titled "A New World, Part One," the episode whisks Barry Allen away to a pivotal moment in his personal history while raising questions about alternate realities and timelines as a boatload of familiar faces return. The episode has some of the flaws that have held The Flash back in recent seasons, but revisiting where it all began is a genuine treat for longtime fans of the series.

]]> Thu, 04 May 2023 19:15:55 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-10-review/ As Superman & Lois moves into the back half of its third season, the show takes a more emotionally focused interlude before diving into bombastic action set pieces. Despite this, the stakes remain as high as ever as the season continues to lean into more shocking plot twists while giving its principal cast the room to showcase their chops as the characters explore the fallout from their recent struggles. Titled "Forever and Always," the season's seventh episode leans more into the somberly contemplative reflection that has defined Season 3 while deftly balancing multiple subplots and character arcs.

]]> Wed, 03 May 2023 21:35:34 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-season-3-episode-7-review/ The past several seasons of The Flash, including its ninth and final season, have been a decidedly mixed bag in regard to quality, with unfulfilling subplots and poor attempts at humor. It is then with great pleasure to report that the final season's ninth's episode, titled, "It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To" is the best episode the show has had in years, certainly all season. Featuring the return of Arrow star Stephen Amell, reprising his fan-favorite role as Oliver Queen, the episode feels like a fitting dénouement to the Arrowverse and a reminder of the close friendship between Ollie and Barry Allen.

]]> Thu, 27 Apr 2023 20:51:26 GMT https://www.cbr.com/the-flash-season-9-episode-9-review/ Like its gripping first season, Netflix's Sweet Tooth Season 2 brings muffled answers, more questions, and plenty of wholesome adventures. Based on Jeff Lemire's DC comic book series and produced by Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Amanda Burrell, Jim Mickle, and Linda Moran, the series follows a post-pandemic world where Last Men are hunting hybrids (a mix of animal and human children).

]]> Thu, 27 Apr 2023 20:13:36 GMT https://www.cbr.com/sweet-tooth-season-2-review/ Citadel has the potential to be a game-changing series. Created by David Weil with the Russo brothers serving as Executive Producers on the show, the action-thriller is the bedrock for a potential universe of spy thrillers made across the world, with spin-offs produced by Indian and Italian studios already in varying stages of production. For that to work, Citadel needs to be strong enough to spawn a franchise. While it may suffer from some of the same flaws that typically befall this genre, Citadel is luckily a fun enough time to warrant the chance, especially as it's anchored by a strong cast and fun central dynamic.

]]> Thu, 27 Apr 2023 19:06:52 GMT https://www.cbr.com/amazon-prime-original-citadel-tv-review/ After taking a fun-filled detour through the Red and the wider DC multiverse, Titans Season 4 focuses back on the continuing battle against Brother Blood and Mother Mayhem. Titled "Game Over," the episode takes the typically timid Sebastian Sanger and marks his unabashed transformation into a supervillain as the Titans regroup to stop him. Benefiting from a tighter focus than the first couple of episodes since Titans' midseason return, "Game Over" lays the foundation for the season's impending showdown and conclusion.

]]> Thu, 27 Apr 2023 17:25:53 GMT https://www.cbr.com/titans-season-4-episode-10-review/ Ever since the start of Superman & Lois Season 3, the Man of Steel and supporting cast have been menaced by the soundwave-altering supervillain Onomatopoeia as part of Bruno Mannheim's increasingly illicit activities. The season's sixth episode, "Of Sound Mind," reaffirms Onomatopoeia as an especially formidable threat and reveals her true identity in a shocking cliffhanger. More than just providing a thrilling showcase for Onomatopoeia, the episode lets Tyler Hoechlin lean more into the emotional aspect of his performance as even Clark Kent feels the toll of this season's overarching storyline.

]]> Wed, 26 Apr 2023 21:17:26 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-and-lois-season-3-episode-6-review/ Although it features a mysterious death at a fancy resort, with a range of wealthy guests who could all be suspects, Hulu's Saint X barely resembles HBO's hit The White Lotus. Adapted from Alexis Schaitkin's 2020 novel, Saint X takes place across two different time periods 20 years apart, one at an upscale resort on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint X, the other in present-day New York City. They're connected by the possible murder of teenager Alison Thomas (West Duchovny). The underwhelming mystery of her demise drags out over the course of the meandering eight episodes.

]]> Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:00:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/saint-x-review/ Epix's From -- now available on MGM+ -- was an effectively creepy series in its first season. Focusing on the residents of a mysterious dilapidated town in the middle of nowhere, the series juggles solid character drama between the citizens trapped in the area and the terrifying sense of tension. At night, a group of vicious and perpetually grinning creatures walk the roads and try to make their way into houses to rip people to pieces. The danger only deepens in Season 2, with the season premiere, titled "Strangers in a Strange Land," working as a solid slow-burn of things to come.

]]> Fri, 21 Apr 2023 17:59:09 GMT https://www.cbr.com/from-season-2-premiere-review/ After an impressive streak standing heads and shoulders above its preceding two seasons, Star Trek: Picard has finally come to a conclusion with its third season finale. The series finale, titled "The Last Generation," brings together the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew as the last line of defense in saving Starfleet and the United Federation from total annihilation at the hands of the Borg Collective and Changeling conspiracy. With the longest episode of the entire season, the series ends on a high note, exceeding expectations with a cinematically satisfying capper to the adventures of Jean-Luc Picard and his longtime friends while leaving the door open for a possible future to explore.

]]> Thu, 20 Apr 2023 19:22:24 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-picard-finale-review/ The first half of Titans' fourth and final season concluded with Gar Logan being whisked away into the Red, the extra-dimensional force connecting all animal life in the multiverse and the source of his powers. This plot thread is picked up in the final season's ninth episode, cheekily titled "Dude, Where's My Gar?" and written by series co-creator Geoff Johns, his first writing credit on the show since the Season 3 premiere. What starts as a journey of self-discovery for Gar quickly escalates into a shocking revelation from his past before becoming a full-on celebration of the possibilities of the wider multimedia adaptations of the DC Universe in one of the best episodes Titans has ever had.

]]> Thu, 20 Apr 2023 15:36:58 GMT https://www.cbr.com/titans-season-4-episode-9-review/ After a season of false starts, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's The Mandalorian seemed to finally find its groove last week with "Chapter 23: The Spies". There was forward momentum, authentic character development, and huge Star Wars galaxy-altering stakes all wrapped up in a sleek package with some of the best action setpieces of the season. However, where "The Spies" ended on a cliffhanger ending that felt as if it left its characters and the audience dangling on the precipice of something new and exciting, the Season Three finale, "Chapter 24: The Return," does little to capitalize on this.

]]> Wed, 19 Apr 2023 14:00:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/mandalorian-season-3-finale-review/ It's morphin' time! After debuting three decades ago, the original Rangers team is back in the Netflix one-hour special episode Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always. It's the ultimate slice of nostalgia; however, the absence of key actors from the show left a lot of questions surrounding how their characters would be treated. In the end, the special does exactly what the original series did: adapt.

]]> Wed, 19 Apr 2023 13:30:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/power-rangers-once-and-always-review/ Prolific television writers Tara Hernandez and Damon Lindelof link up to create the new Peacock original series Mrs. Davis, revolving around the clash between religion and artificial intelligence. Starring GLOW's Betty Gilpin as a wry and off-kilter nun named Sister Simone, the series blends crisis of faith drama and high-octane action with quirky self-aware humor. Expertly crafted, Mrs. Davis won't be everybody's cup of tea but stands as one of the more unique shows on television and a fantastic showcase for Gilpin's acting range.

]]> Tue, 18 Apr 2023 15:00:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/mrs-davis-peacock-review/ The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are no strangers to TV. The four mutant brothers have been the stars of several shows, and every fan has their favorite take on the turtles. Back in 2012, Nickelodeon relaunched the marketable mutants in a CGI series that brought back classic animated series voice actor Rob Paulsen as Donatello while introducing Sean Astin as Raphael, Greg Cipes as Michelangelo, and Jason Biggs, who would later be replaced by Seth Green, as Leonardo. Some older fans feared this animated version would leave them in the dust and focus purely on younger audiences. Thankfully, they were wrong, and the show did a tremendous job balancing action, comedy, and emotional storylines that could be enjoyed by fans of any age.

]]> Fri, 14 Apr 2023 21:07:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/tmnt-complete-series-review/ After coming out the gate with an oddly understated return, the two-part Titans midseason premiere for its fourth and final season continues with the season's eighth episode. "Dick & Carol & Ted & Kory" continues to focus on Dick Grayson, Kory Anders, and Rachel Roth as they try to escape from the pocket dimension community they're trapped in. Providing more of the expected superhero spectacle than its preceding episode, "Dick & Carol & Ted & Kory" still offers a strange detour for the show as its series finale looms increasingly closer on the horizon.

]]> Fri, 14 Apr 2023 19:52:29 GMT https://www.cbr.com/titans-season-4-episode-8-review/ Thanks to their accomplishments, the most successful stars often get to indulge in their personal passions. From Jay Leno's collection of classic cars to Nicolas Cage's infamous dinosaur skull, celebrities have the chance to indulge in their personal collections. But it's not necessarily as common to see these singular fascinations turn into something genuinely positive.

]]> Thu, 13 Apr 2023 21:01:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/rennervations-season-one-disney-plus-review/ After closing out the first half of Season 4 this past December, Titans is back with a two-part midseason premiere resuming the HBO Max series' final season. Picking up right where the midseason cliffhanger left off, the Titans are at their lowest point following a disastrous defeat against the supernatural Church of Blood. The first episode of this two-part return is titled "Caul's Folly," gently resetting the board while struggling to give its ensemble cast things to do right out the gate.

]]> Thu, 13 Apr 2023 19:55:23 GMT https://www.cbr.com/titans-season-4-episode-7-review/ As the familiar Star Trek: The Next Generation crew are finally reunited and ready to save the United Federation from an overwhelming threat one last time, Star Trek: Picard reaches its penultimate episode. The full scope of the Changeling plot and the mystery behind Jack Crusher's true nature and unique abilities stand revealed while the Titan races to stop it from coming to fruition. Establishing dire stakes while tightening the narrative focus to the TNG cast, the season's ninth episode, titled "Vox," manages to stand on its own while setting the stage for the series' grand finale.

]]> Thu, 13 Apr 2023 14:58:43 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-9-review/ After veering into the small town drama of Smallville, Superman & Lois brings Lois Lane face-to-face with the villainous Bruno Mannheim as she and Clark Kent return to Metropolis. The confrontation is a long time coming but, not only is Mannheim fully prepared for the fearless investigative journalist, but he has an agenda of his own to escalate against the Man of Steel. The third season's fifth episode, titled "Head On," gives Bitsie Tulloch a wide range of material to work with, which she takes full advantage of, while balancing its small town elements led by Emmanuelle Chrique's Lana Lang.

]]> Wed, 12 Apr 2023 20:46:48 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-season-3-episode-5-review/ In its penultimate episode, the third season of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's The Mandalorian finally settles into the story it's been wanting to tell all along. While that certainly makes for a thrilling episode, with director Rick Famuyiwa's "Chapter 23: The Spies" being a clear highlight of the season, it is also immensely frustrating as it pertains to the overall storytelling of the season as a whole.

]]> Wed, 12 Apr 2023 15:58:48 GMT https://www.cbr.com/mandalorian-season-3-episode-7-review/ The final season of The Flash is rapidly approaching its conclusion, and with it, the ending of the Arrowverse for the foreseeable future, which is what makes installments like Season 9's eighth episode, titled "Partners in Time," all the more frustrating. The season feels like it's spinning its wheels rather than delivering any sense of scale or celebration for the show and its shared universe. The cast does their best with the material they've been given, but The Flash is definitely on a creative skid, as chapters like this feel like filler and aren't even particularly entertaining in the first place.

]]> Thu, 06 Apr 2023 19:12:50 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-8-review/ Star Trek: Picard has officially entered the home stretch, with the core Star Trek: The Next Generation cast reunited and ready to take on the Changeling conspiracy together. After scrambling to get the season's opening antagonist Vadic on board the USS Titan for a face-to-face showdown with Jean-Luc Picard and his allies, the season's eighth episode delivers the inevitable payoff. Titled "Surrender," the episode is a top-to-bottom crowd-pleaser that knows when to lean into the fan service while advancing the overarching story ahead of the series finale.

]]> Thu, 06 Apr 2023 13:00:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-8-review/ After putting the focus on Lois Lane and her her shocking cancer diagnosis, Superman & Lois Season 3 broadens its perspective to the rest of its ensemble cast for its fourth episode. Titled "Too Close to Home," the episode gives most of the main characters solid material to work with, including the welcome return of Chad L. Coleman's villainous Bruno Mannheim. Like the preceding episode, Episode 4 veers into melodrama on occasion in finding directions for its supporting characters, but it feels much more balanced and organic here.

]]> Wed, 05 Apr 2023 21:49:06 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-season-3-episode-4-review/ After a lethargic start, last week's episode five of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's The Mandalorian finally got things moving with a story that coalesced many of the previously disparate threads and gave the overall season's story some much-needed forward momentum. This week's "Chapter 22: Guns for Hire" continues this progress, as director Bryce Dallas Howard delivers the most cohesive and thrilling episode of the season thus far, with a story that is reminiscent of Obi-Wan's noir-tinged subplot in Attack of the Clones, I, Robot, and Andrew Stanton's Wall-E. It's pulpy, ambitious, and highly entertaining.

]]> Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:57:52 GMT https://www.cbr.com/mandalorian-season-3-episode-6-review/ After a brief hiatus, The Flash is back to continue its ninth and final season, bringing another fan-favorite character from the Arrowverse to join in with its farewell tour. Dreamer, from Supergirl, makes a guest-starring appearance in the season's seventh episode, titled "Wildest Dreams," with Nicole Maines reprising her superhero role. "Wildest Dreams" is a step up from most of the Season 9 episodes that have preceded it in a Nia Nal/Iris West-centric adventure.

]]> Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:00:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-7-review/ Star Trek: Picard Season 3 embarks on its final act with the situation more dire for Jean-Luc Picard and his allies than ever as the Changeling conspiracy continues. As the season maneuvers Vadic and her minions to confront Picard directly for a more personal rematch, the pacing takes a hit, feeling a bit rushed and uneven. While the season's seventh episode, titled "Dominion," works as a showcase of the principal cast, it also has several characters make questionable decisions that could leave audiences puzzled by these errors in judgment.

]]> Fri, 31 Mar 2023 13:10:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-7-review/ The latest episode of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's The Mandalorian is the strongest episode of the season thus far. While there are still some weak spots, Favreau's writing finally begins to coalesce into a forward-moving, present-tense story for the season, and Peter Ramsay's absolutely inspired direction capitalizes on this with aplomb.

]]> Wed, 29 Mar 2023 20:52:11 GMT https://www.cbr.com/the-mandalorian-season-3-episode-5-review/ Superman & Lois has been taking some big narrative swings ever since its third season began, most notably with Lois Lane being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in the season's second episode. The follow-up episode, titled "In Cold Blood," explores the fallout from this shocking news but also mires itself in the interpersonal drama between its main characters. This leads to some risky narrative moves and character decisions, some of which feel organic and earned, while some don't quite hit the mark as they steer Superman & Lois into outright melodrama for the sake of interpersonal friction.

]]> Wed, 29 Mar 2023 19:32:08 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-and-lois-season-3-episode-3-review/ With its two-part finale of "The Summit" and "Plan 99," Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Bad Batch delivers a jaw-dropping ending to its stupendous second season that makes the season as a whole even stronger. In a media landscape full of sequels eager to namedrop The Empire Strikes Back as a source of inspiration, The Bad Batch's second season truly earns the title of being the Empire of this series.

]]> Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:16:07 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-bad-batch-season-2-finale-review/ Available on Apr. 4, South Park: The Complete Twenty-Fifth Season is releasing at an interesting point in the show's history. Debuting in 1997, South Park has been a foundational piece of modern western comedy for decades. In the years since its debut, South Park's creators have been met with plenty of awards and acclaim, with no clear end in sight. In 2021, the show was renewed through Season 30, with the promise of over a dozen original made-for-streaming movies in the near-future. Befitting that split focus, Season 25 is shorter than previous years of the show, playing out across six episodes as opposed to earlier seasons.

]]> Tue, 28 Mar 2023 19:01:37 GMT https://www.cbr.com/south-park-the-complete-season-25-review/ The first season of Apple TV+ musical comedy series Schmigadoon! told such a satisfying self-contained story that there seemed to be no reason for the show to continue. Schmigadoon!'s second season never quite justifies its existence narratively or thematically, but it's still a delightful pastiche of classic musicals from creators Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. The loving homage to musical theater is so funny and creative that it's easy to ignore the weaker storytelling and character arcs in the second season.

]]> Tue, 28 Mar 2023 16:36:26 GMT https://www.cbr.com/schmigadoon-season-2-review/ Developed by Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and the series star, Jason Segel, Shrinking Season 1 bridges a riveting gap between comedy and drama as it explores grief and moving forward. From the first episode to the final few moments of the tenth, the series asks its audience to pay close attention to what therapy entails and how the consequences of one person's actions could open barred floodgates back up.

]]> Mon, 27 Mar 2023 21:00:22 GMT https://www.cbr.com/shrinking-season1-review/ Across the collection programming making up Star Trek's resurgence on Paramount+, one of the most widely acclaimed is the inaugural season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Led by Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, the first season has finally released on home video, including a standard Blu-ray, DVD and digital HD release, with a gorgeous steelbook 4K UHD available for preorder ahead of its release in May. Loaded with special features and with an impressive presentation for those looking to add Strange New Worlds to their shelf, the home video release is perfect for longtime fans and those who may have missed the series' debut on Paramount+ last year.

]]> Thu, 23 Mar 2023 19:09:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-1-blu-ray-review/ Promotional materials surrounding Star Trek: Picard Season 3 ahead of its premiere were built around the promise of the core Star Trek: The Next Generation cast reuniting for one last adventure. That promise is finally realized in the season's sixth episode, titled "Bounty," which brings the outstanding TNG characters back into the spotlight and continues Picard Season 3's love letter to the Star Trek franchise. Six episodes deep, Picard Season 3 stands as the best bit of Star Trek since the franchise's heyday in the '90s.

]]> Thu, 23 Mar 2023 19:00:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-6-review/ The fourth episode of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's The Mandalorian's third season, "The Foundling," is an occasionally thrilling but often rote recitation of information. While there is a kind of zany, pulpy, serialized adventure story verve to portions of the episode, courtesy of Carl Weathers' direction and Dean Cundey's cinematography, so much of it feels like an assortment of various story beats Favreau and co. needed to squeeze in somewhere along the way.

]]> Wed, 22 Mar 2023 20:14:31 GMT https://www.cbr.com/mandalorian-season-3-episode-4-review/ Superman & Lois Season 3 reminds audiences of what makes this DCTV series so great and ups the ante on an especially personal scale for the Kent family and their neighbors in Smallville. As Season 3 continues with its sophomore episode, titled "Uncontrollable Forces," the Kents are tested like never before at home. While there is plenty of trouble along the home front, the season's major antagonists are revealed, ready to take the fight to Superman on multiple fronts in a solid second episode.

]]> Wed, 22 Mar 2023 18:44:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-and-lois-season-3-episode-2-review/ It has been an absolutely gangbusters second season for Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Bad Batch thus far. If the latest episode, "Tipping Point," is any indication, The Bad Batch shows no signs of letting up in quality or intensity anytime soon.

]]> Wed, 22 Mar 2023 17:29:58 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-bad-batch-season-2-episode-14-review/ Although he wields a whip and is self-conscious about not hating snakes, the title character of Comedy Central's new animated series Digman! isn't really at risk of seeming like an Indiana Jones rip-off. The Indiana Jones movies are far from the only pieces of pop culture that have depicted archaeologists as globe-trotting adventurers, which is the concept that Digman! creators Andy Samberg and Neil Campbell are riffing on. It's a one-joke premise that the first four episodes never effectively expand on, making the series a disappointing follow-up to Samberg and Campbell's work on the beloved sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

]]> Tue, 21 Mar 2023 20:03:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/digman-tv-review/ The concept of The Big Door Prize, based on M.O. Walsh's 2020 novel, doesn't necessarily sound like it would lend itself to comedy. A mysterious machine suddenly appears in the general store of a small town, promising users to "discover your life potential" with just a few quarters. No one knows where the Morpho machine came from or who created it, but almost immediately, nearly everyone in the town of Deerfield accepts its authority, paying to receive a little blue card that tells them what their "life purpose" is. The existential crises inspired by the cards aren't particularly funny, but they're not emotionally engaging enough to take seriously.

]]> Mon, 20 Mar 2023 18:43:21 GMT https://www.cbr.com/big-door-prize-review/ After spending much of the preceding episodes being relentlessly hounded by the enemy, Star Trek: Picard Season 3 takes a moment to breathe while bringing back more familiar faces. This isn't to say that the season's fifth episode, titled "Imposter," dials down the stakes and suspense. Much of it revolves around a tautly paced and highly emotional conversation. However, the sweeping spacefaring action takes a back seat to expand upon what Jean-Luc Picard and his friends are up against, reminding viewers that the heroes are still on the defensive.

]]> Thu, 16 Mar 2023 22:22:24 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-5-review/ The final season of The Flash hits its halfway mark with a more comedy-oriented sixth episode, titled "The Good, the Bad, and the Lucky," with a shift in focus. Bringing back guest star Sugar Lyn Beard as probability-altering metahuman Becky Sharpe, the episode puts Cecile Horton and Allegra Garcia center stage as Barry and Iris take a vacation. Though the cast is as game as ever, a lot of the comedy tends to fall flat, making this extended interlude feel like an odd and uneven diversion in the middle of The Flash's parting tour.

]]> Thu, 16 Mar 2023 18:50:45 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-6-review/ In its third episode, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's The Mandalorian Season 3 pushes against the boundaries of what makes the show so recognizably itself. "The Convert" takes an unexpected narrative direction with a degree of nuance and craftsmanship that is unexpected for The Mandalorian, all while pulling influences from numerous other Star Wars contemporaries such as Tony Gilroy's Andor and Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Bad Batch.

]]> Wed, 15 Mar 2023 19:05:11 GMT https://www.cbr.com/mandalorian-season-3-episode-3-review/ If all that an individual has ever been bred for is to be a soldier, what do they become during times of peace? Increasingly, this is the central theme Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni's excellent Star Wars: The Bad Batch is exploring. From the previous episode chronicling Crosshair reaching the inevitable and tragic end of his commitment to the Empire to this week tackling an entirely different kind of challenge for the core Bad Batch, Star Wars: The Bad Batch continues to deepen its exploration of these characters and themes in deeply resonant ways.

]]> Wed, 15 Mar 2023 16:12:50 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-bad-batch-season-2-episode-13-review/ In nine episodes, The Last of Us has brought the celebrated video game to life and its ninth and final episode of its inaugural season completing the adaptation of the original 2013 game's narrative. Having the second-shortest runtime of any episode the entire season, the finale, titled "Look for the Light," covers a lot of ground in very little time. In the end, this proves to be the episode’s Achilles heel, maintaining the show’s consistent commitment to overarching quality but ultimately feeling rushed at the expense of any greater emotional payoff.

]]> Mon, 13 Mar 2023 17:20:48 GMT https://www.cbr.com/last-of-us-season-1-episode-9-review/ Star Trek: Picard Season 3 maintains the daunting stakes and explosive consequences as it progresses into the season's fourth episode, helmed by longtime Star Trek actor and director Jonathan Frakes. Titled "No Win Scenario," the episode resolves the immediate conflict in the faraway nebula that has put its characters on edge since the season’s second episode while offering its characters the chance to reflect on their lives and the changes they've endured. Deftly balancing both sweeping and more intimate threats while knowing when to take the time to breathe before diving headfirst back into the action, "No Win Scenario" continues the final season’s winning streak.

]]> Thu, 09 Mar 2023 23:27:04 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-4-review/ For a few episodes, The Flash fell into a bit of a creative rut, hindering its final season's attempt to gain momentum after its terrific season premiere. Fortunately, the season's fifth episode, titled "The Mask of the Red Death, Part 2," manages to course-correct as it concludes its opening story arc against the crimson supervillain. While the Red Death's impact as The Flash Season 9's initial antagonist may have been uneven, the show has cleared the decks to hopefully maintain a well-balanced pace as it prepares to launch into its second half.

]]> Thu, 09 Mar 2023 21:40:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-5-review/ The latest episode of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's The Mandalorian, "The Mines of Mandalore," gets the Star Wars series' third season off and running after a lackadaisical premiere. Where last week's "The Apostate" felt rudderless, "The Mines of Mandalore" propels the story forward. This episode dives into the season's primary narrative with gusto while keeping a watchful eye on the development of several key character arcs. It is a much stronger episode that serves as a rallying cry for The Mandalorian's third season.

]]> Wed, 08 Mar 2023 20:27:06 GMT https://www.cbr.com/mandalorian-season-3-episode-2-review/ The latest episode of Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Bad Batch, "The Outpost," is an emotional culmination of the series thus far. "The Outpost" is a meticulously crafted, achingly mournful episode that serves as a cathartic and rewarding payoff to story threads that The Bad Batch has carefully sewn into its core narrative since the beginning. The result is one of the best half-hours of television Lucasfilm Animation has ever released.

]]> Wed, 08 Mar 2023 15:01:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-the-bad-batch-season-2-episode-12-review/ As The Flash Season 9 nears the end of its first act, the final season has certainly upped the ante in terms of scope and stakes, but some bad habits from recent seasons continue to resurface. This episode answers some major questions about the Red Death that's been menacing Central City with middling results. There are certainly some great moments in Season 9's fourth episode titled, "The Mask of the Red Death, Part 1," but some of its payoffs don't land as well as they should.

]]> Tue, 07 Mar 2023 17:35:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-4-review/ Coming off two relatively low-key episodes -- at least as far as The Last of Us is concerned -- the hit HBO original series' eighth episode veers into straight horror for the season's penultimate episode. Titled "When We Are in Need," the episode pits Ellie against her most nightmarish threat yet and shockingly, it isn’t the clickers this time around. A slow burn sequence that quickly builds into the most harrowing sequences in the series thus far, The Last of Us doesn’t necessarily lean into the outright heartbreaking moments from preceding episodes but also doesn’t pull its punches as the season finale looms into focus.

]]> Mon, 06 Mar 2023 03:00:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/last-of-us-season-1-episode-8-review/ Star Trek: Picard Season 3 has launched at a breathlessly exciting pace and is loaded with fan-pleasing moments and massive plot twists in its first two episodes. The season's third episode, titled "Seventeen Seconds," maintains a steady sense of action but allows its characters the breathing room to unpack the big revelations from its preceding episodes. The episode keeps to the same high quality as its predecessors, though some cracks do begin to show as some of the character dynamics begin to feel slightly contrived.

]]> Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:11:08 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-picard-episode-3-review/ With a title as iconic as "Escape from Shit Mountain," this latest episode of Rian Johnson's Poker Face immediately sets a high bar. Fortunately, Johnson and co. are more than capable of delivering on the promise inherent to such a title and surpassing it. "Escape from Shit Mountain" is a phenomenal hour of television, with a creative team that continues to fire on every possible cylinder, delivering a wildly expansive and intimate episode.

]]> Thu, 02 Mar 2023 15:00:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/poker-face-episode-9-review/ The latest DCTV series, Gotham Knights, has premiered on The CW, providing a bold take on the Batman mythos, especially bold considering that Batman himself makes his on-screen debut on the show as a corpse. This premise could move in interesting directions, and its ensemble cast tries their best to elevate the material, but unfortunately, Gotham Knights is closer to a formulaic CW teen drama, complete with requisite needle drops and snarky asides. There are occasional strong character moments and loads of Easter eggs in each episode for eagle-eyed fans, but Gotham Knights fails to capitalize on its potential.

]]> Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:00:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/gotham-knights-premiere-review/ After a long hiatus and one less-than-stellar spinoff series in the form of The Book of Boba Fett, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's beloved Star Wars series The Mandalorian returns with its season three debut. Bringing Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and the pop culture phenom that is Grogu back to the forefront, this new episode of The Mandalorian, titled "The Apostate," starts things off on a familiar note, which serves to highlight the show's biggest strengths and weaknesses.

]]> Wed, 01 Mar 2023 16:31:34 GMT https://www.cbr.com/mandalorian-season-3-episode-1-review/ The latest episode of Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Bad Batch is the eleventh of sixteen total episodes in the show's second season. As a result, "Metamorphosis" is an immensely fitting title for the episode, as it sees the series itself evolving before our very eyes, as various threads from across both The Bad Batch and the larger Star Wars galaxy come home to roost in this captivating and suspenseful episode.

]]> Wed, 01 Mar 2023 14:00:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-bad-batch-season-2-episode-11-review/ While the Arrowverse comes to an end with The Flash Season 9, Superman & Lois is the only DCTV series on The CW whose future currently remains uncertain. That said, Superman & Lois leans into what it’s done best, coming out the gate swinging with some of the best superhero action on television with plenty of emotional depth and its heart clearly displayed on its sleeve. More tonally intense than seasons past, Superman & Lois Season 3 continues to fire on all cylinders as the current gold standard on The CW’s original programming line-up.

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2023 19:46:42 GMT https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-season-3-episode-1-review/ After a rare moment of respite, The Last of Us offers its viewers one final standalone interlude before the end of its inaugural season. Putting the spotlight on Bella Ramsey's Ellie, the season's seventh episode, titled “Left Behind,” offers more insight on Ellie’s traumatic backstory and offers a dark meditation on coming-of-age romance within the show's post-apocalyptic setting. A far more heartbreaking standalone story than the season’s widely acclaimed third episode, "Left Behind" gives Ramsey the finest showcase for their acting chops before The Last of Us ends.

]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2023 03:00:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/the-last-of-us-season-1-episode-7-review/ The Flash Season 9 offers a slight course correction from its preceding installment as it progresses into its third episode, titled "Rogues of War." Playing out like a super-powered heist story, the Arrowverse series brings back a bunch of familiar faces as it escalates its overarching conflict. Though there are a couple of plot contrivances and forced attempts at comedic moments, the episode brings back the sense of fun that its predecessor woefully lacked.

]]> Fri, 24 Feb 2023 15:00:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-3-review/ As it begins to wind down its first season, Rian Johnson's Poker Face continues to utilize its structure to push boundaries, delve into vigorously compelling narrative and thematic ideas, and do it all with some of the best cinematic craftsmanship on television right now. For its eighth episode, "The Orpheus Syndrome", this is quadruply true, as the titular Poker Face, Natasha Lyonne herself, steps behind the camera to co-write and direct an absolutely jaw-dropping mini-masterpiece of television.

]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2023 15:00:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/poker-face-episode-8-review/ After coming out the gate swinging with an intriguing season premiere that brought a much-needed sense of cinematic spectacle, Star Trek: Picard brings the big action beats and shocking plot twists with its second episode, titled "Disengage." The season continues to patiently establish its footing before bringing its ensemble cast together but veers into an ambitious spacefaring adventure. Perhaps more telling, Picard Season 3 has presented its audience with a story that is more interesting and engaging than anything it had done in its preceding two seasons combined.

]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2023 14:06:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/picard-season-3-episode-2-review/ Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Bad Batch has had a spectacular second season thus far. While the first season of Bad Batch was good, this season has improved in every regard as the creative team has meticulously refined it into a thematically rich character-focused ensemble piece. The team behind Bad Batch has continuously put the focus on the titular team and exploring them in fascinating ways.

]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2023 18:23:58 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-the-bad-batch-season-2-episode-10-review/ After The Last of Us delivered apocalyptic intensity and a heartbreaking ending to the series' fifth episode, the show offers the audience a chance to regroup and breathe with its considerably calmer follow-up. Titled "Kin," Joel and Ellie finally reach their destination only to find that their journey together is slated to go on a bit longer than they thought. While The Last of Us provides its most serene episode since Episode 3, violence inevitably rears its ugly head by the episode's ending, placing its protagonists at a dire crossroads.

]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2023 03:00:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/last-of-us-season-1-episode-6-review/ The final season of The Flash continues with a familiar challenge facing Team Flash while the Red Death’s vendetta against the superheroes escalates. Despite the season premiere being an effective reminder of how much fun The Flash can be, its sophomore effort, titled "Hear No Evil," falls into the other recent seasons’ bad habits. Still, there are solid character moments in the episode, progressing the overarching Red Death story as The Flash's farewell tour continues.

]]> Thu, 16 Feb 2023 19:41:08 GMT https://www.cbr.com/flash-season-9-episode-2-review/ The short-lived Starz comedy series Party Down is much less high-profile than other recent TV revivals, but still has a dedicated cult-following. Still, it's nothing compared to co-creator Rob Thomas's other cult-favorite series, Veronica Mars, which got its own revival in 2019. With lower stakes, Party Down can return without the crushing weight of fan expectations hanging over it, bringing back entertaining characters for more low-key goofing off. Party Down's stars and creative team settle back into the groove to deliver a promising third season.

]]> Thu, 16 Feb 2023 18:08:46 GMT https://www.cbr.com/party-down-season-three-starz-tv-review/ A generation's last stand begins as Star Trek: Picard's third and presumably final season begins after months of mounting anticipation. Right from the opening scenes of the season premiere, aptly titled "The Next Generation," it's clear that Season 3 has a much more cinematic scope and level of production value compared to its preceding seasons. Picard Season 3 feels like the fifth movie starring the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast that fans never got as the opening chapter provides an intriguing hook to pull audiences into Jean-Luc Picard's latest adventure.

]]> Thu, 16 Feb 2023 16:26:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-1-review/ In its latest episode, "The Future of the Sport," Rian Johnson's Poker Face continues to excel on every front. Now seven episodes deep, Poker Face has well and truly cemented its legacy as a phenomenal season of television and an absolute triumph in terms of showcasing just how fulfilling and satisfying episodic televisual storytelling can still be. In an era where nearly every other streamer is tethered to serialized storytelling that often feels stretched thin, Rian Johnson and the creative team behind Poker Face have gone all-in on deliberate and rigorous episodic storytelling. And "The Future of the Sport" may be its best episode yet.

]]> Thu, 16 Feb 2023 15:01:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/poker-face-episode-7-review/ The Apple TV+ sci-fi series Hello Tomorrow! presents such a striking aesthetic at first that it takes a little while to realize how lacking it is in narrative and character development. Set in a retro-futuristic world that looks like the 1950s with the technological developments that people from that era imagined, Hello Tomorrow! could be pitched as The Jetsons meets Mad Men. That's a fascinating concept, but creators Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen squander it almost immediately with sloppy world-building and mediocre interpersonal drama.

]]> Wed, 15 Feb 2023 20:35:24 GMT https://www.cbr.com/apple-plus-hello-tomorrow-tv-review/ The latest episode of Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Bad Batch, titled "The Crossing," sees the titular ensemble wrestling with the fallout of the game-changing events of the prior episodes in fascinating form. While there were gargantuan macro-level changes to the status quo of the larger Star Wars galaxy in last week's episodes, the changes that "The Crossing" explores are micro-level. In this way, The Bad Batch's continued steadfast commitment to prioritizing character and theme above all else continues to make the series an absolute delight.

]]> Tue, 14 Feb 2023 21:42:39 GMT https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-the-bad-batch-episode-9-review/ In the last month, audiences have been treated to twelve episodes of The Legend of Vox Machina’s second season, bringing the high fantasy saga conceived by Critical Role to life. The Season 2 finale follows Vox Machina’s rematch with the toxic dragon Umbrasyl, a member of the villainous Chroma Conclave that has plunged the fantasy world of Exandria into a state of constant terror. Working in tandem with the other two episodes released alongside it, the season finale, titled “The Hope Devourer,” ends its primary conflict while setting up an interesting direction for the now confirmed third season of The Legend of Vox Machina.

]]> Tue, 14 Feb 2023 20:26:25 GMT https://www.cbr.com/legend-of-vox-machina-season-2-episode-12-review/ For all the barbarian warlords and aquatic monsters that Vox Machina have battled through over the course of The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2, the biggest enemy for the eponymous company of heroes has been the Chroma Conclave. Introduced during the cliffhanger ending of the first season, the villainous group of dragons has pursued Vox Machina throughout the second season, most notably the toxic dragon, Umbrasyl. After a disastrous skirmish midway through the season, Vox Machina gets the chance for a decisive rematch in the season’s penultimate episode, carrying into its finale.

]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2023 21:50:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/legend-of-vox-machina-season-2-episode-11-review/ When The Last of Us aired its bittersweet third episode, series co-creator Neil Druckmann commented that fans were crying over the show's “happy episode.” With the first season hitting its halfway point with its fifth episode, titled “Endure and Survive,” it’s painfully obvious that Druckmann was not joking with his prior observation. The fifth episode is one of the most ambitious but also stands as The Last of Us at its absolute grimmest, delivering its rawest gut punch to date.

]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2023 03:00:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/last-of-us-season-1-episode-5-review/ One of the slow-burning subplots across The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 has been Grog Strongjaw rejecting the magical corruption from his cursed blade Craven Edge while confronting his ugly past head-on. That subplot has grown to become the principal storyline as the season enters its final act, with Grog facing the goliath herd that brutally disowned him years ago. As The Legend of Vox Machina unveils its last wave of episodes for the season, Grog's character arc finally reaches its climax in the most metal episode of the series.

]]> Fri, 10 Feb 2023 19:57:55 GMT https://www.cbr.com/legend-of-vox-machina-season-2-episode-10-review/