Television

I’m torn about this one. Apple TV+’s Friends and Neighbors, starring Jon Hamm, is both crackling and dull at once. The series introduces Hamm’s protagonist—smart and analytical—who can read people (in his bubble) in seconds. Then, flip a switch, and he’s making one disastrous decision after another.

What saves this frustrating premise is Hamm’s fourth-wall-breaking narration with AI-generated “explainers” and poignant moments with his kids, sister, and parents that reveal a profound sadness beneath his facade. Despite her mental health struggles, his sister (Lena Hall) emerges as authentically real. Most compelling is Lu (Randy Danson), the sardonic pawnshop owner who “sees” (through) him for what he is—an amateur fumbling outside his safe bubble.

The writing thuds regarding the female characters, specifically Amanda Peet (Hamm’s wife) and Olivia Munn, who primarily serve as plot devices, in contrast to his troubled yet genuine sister and the perceptive Lu.

You’ll find yourself grinning at Hamm’s performance as a hapless thief despite yourself, as you question the whole premise — perhaps that’s precisely the point.

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Dying for Sex is a new provocative, life-affirming miniseries on what it means to truly live—right up to the end.

Now streaming on Hulu, this poignant and unflinchingly bold comedy-drama stars Michelle Williams as a woman reclaiming her agency while facing terminal illness.  Loosely based on the real-life story of Molly Kochan and adapted from her hit podcast, the eight-episode series follows Molly, a Stage IV metastatic breast cancer patient who leaves her stifling marriage to pursue sexual liberation.

After her cancer diagnosis, Molly (Williams) trades hospital gowns for hotel rendezvous, vibrators, and kinky encounters, seeking intimacy she never experienced with her emotionally distant husband Steve (Jay Duplass). Jenny Slate (Everything Everywhere All at Once) shines as Nikki, Molly’s fiercely loyal best friend, whose chaotic energy balances Molly’s quiet determination. The show’s explicit yet intentional sex scenes serve as both comedic relief and emotional catharsis, reflecting Molly’s urgency to feel alive.

Williams is an acting powerhouse with two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Critics’ Choice Awards and five Oscar nominations. Her understated performance in Dying for Sex captures Molly’s vulnerability and grit, while Slate delivers laugh-out-loud moments as a best friend oscillating between panic for her friend and unconditional support.

Critics have praised the series for its ability to avoid melodrama, opting instead for raw, darkly funny honesty about mortality that seamlessly merges comedy with heartbreak.

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If you thought season 2 of And Just Like That was a wild ride, complete with Met Gala mishaps, rekindled flames, wardrobe fabulousness and a farewell to Carrie’s iconic U-E-S apartment, buckle your Manolos for season 3, which doubles down on newness, nostalgia, and just the right amount of chaos.

Season 2 left us with Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Aidan (John Corbett) agreeing to a five-year break (yes, five years-because nothing says romance like a half-decade timeout), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) forging ahead as a single woman exploring new connections, and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) embracing her art world comeback while juggling family life. The finale felt like a curtain call, with Carrie and Seema on a Grecian beach and Samantha’s fabulous cameo.

Executive producer Michael Patrick King promised “new everything”: apartments, romances, and a fresh batch of characters to shake up our favorite New Yorkers’ lives. Carrie’s writing a “romantasy” novel (working title: Sex and the Cauldron), and her voiceover is back, providing classic, meme-worthy musings. The Carrie-Aidan love affair isn’t over, but with Aidan’s absence, temptations abound.

Set for streaming May 29 on Max, the 12-episode season isn’t perfect but succeeds as a heartfelt love letter to both old fans and a new generation. The show’s still a saga of love, friendship, and reinvention, proving that, just like that, these women (and their drama) remain as irresistible as ever.

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The Studio is an absolute blast. The brilliant Seth Rogan co-created the series and stars as the newly appointed head of Continental Studios. His boss – Bryan Cranston, replete with ivory turtleneck, medallion and mustache in a 1970s throwback vibe – has just finished negotiating with the Kool-Aid people for a franchise. Enter Martin Scorcese, in a cameo with his own Kool-Aid concept. That’s Episode 1. 

Catherine O’Hara plays Rogan’s just-fired boss, Ike Barinholz his best friend/competitor second guy, Kathryn Hahn plays against type as the crass, outrageous 50-decibel level studio marketing head. Each episode brings in a cast of who’s who in Hollywood, a more relevant and hipper Love Boat amalgam including Ron Howard, Anthony Mackie, Steve Buscemi, Greta Lee, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Ice Cube, Quinta Brunson, Jean Smart and more. Most of these people play themselves, and the satire abounds as they present themselves as the over the top, attention-seeking celebrities Hollywood creates. 

What is endearing in this send-up is Rogan himself. He does nothing to make himself look slick, he is his same slightly rumpled self in his (wrinkled) Brunello Cucunelli suit, awkward in meetings, showing up as a spectator on set, still not fully aware of his power yet fully celebrity-obsessed. His joy and anxiety at achieving his career pinnacle is genuine, and only the authentic Rogan can carry this off, satire or not.  

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