BY Dave B.

In Netflix’s Messiah, a mysterious man gains a following in Syria after seemingly miraculously saving Damascus from being overrun by ISIS. After the man accomplishes several more unexplained “miracles”, including saving a girl from a tornado that wrecks a Texas town, he gains an international following. But a hardened CIA agent is determined to prove that the mystery man, now regarded as the Son of God by many, is actually a dangerous fraud.

By Dave B.

In Shadow (2019, currently on Netflix), as three empires battle for control of a strategic city, the commander of one of the empire’s armies challenges a rival to a duel to settle once and for all who the city belongs to. This serves as the opening move in a series of complicated plans that pit the stratagems of a king and a general against the indomitable will of a lowly servant who just wants to return home. 

By Dave B.

​HBO’s Watchmen takes place in the same world as the “The Watchmen” comics and movie, from which it’s name is derived. The world of Watchmen is similar to our own and shares historical parallels, but is distinct in that differences in some critical events led to the widespread adoption of masked vigilantism as a way to fight crime. In Watchmen, vigilantes in masks have been outlawed, but the Tulsa, Oklahoma police themselves wear masks and adopt secret identities in the normal course of their duties, nominally for the protection of themselves and their families. When it is discovered that the all-powerful Dr. Manhattan is on Earth and living under the guise of a normal human, carnage ensues as various groups vie for his power. As a backdrop to all of this, the legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre’s unresolved legacy looms large.

By Dave B.

The Irishman (Netflix) gives a fictionalized account of the life of Teamster official Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) as he balances his friendship with the head of the Bufalino crime family, Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), with his loyalty to his friend and Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). 

By Dave B.

​The second season of The End of The F***ing World (Netflix) takes place about two years after the dramatic conclusion of Season One. James and Alyssa have not seen each other since the culmination of their adventure. Alyssa (Jessica Barden) is engaged to be married and James (Alex Lawther) is recovering from partial paralysis and the loss of his father. But fate is not done with these two yet, as the first season’s most pivotal event comes back to haunt them in the form of Bonnie (Wunmi Mosaku), a deeply disturbed foe with an implacable grudge against the two teens.

By Dave B.

​Killing Eve (BBC America, AMC) is back for its second season. Yay! Picking up immediately after the end of Season One, we find Villanelle (Jody Comer) hiding from assassins after being unexpectedly stabbed by Eve (Sandra Oh) in last season’s finale. Now working for MI6, Eve must deal with the professional and personal ramifications of her obsession with Villanelle, while Villanelle learns to accept her new existence, untethered from the bonds that used to constrain her, as she tries to develop a relationship with Eve. 

By Dave B.

The third season of The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) finds June on a mission to fight back against the tyrannical regime that has destroyed her life. Finding herself in a new home with an unorthodox Commander, June displays a newfound ruthlessness as she organizes the oppressed Handmaidens and Marthas to carry out an audacious plan that will strike straight to the heart of Gilead’s most powerful families. 

By Dave B.

They Come Knocking is Blumhouse’s latest entry into its Into The Dark horror anthology. In it a father and his two daughters go on a road trip to lay to rest the ashes of their wife and mother. However, their grieving is interrupted when a group of strangers (creepy as hell kids) demand to be let into the family’s trailer. After being denied, the kids disable their vehicle, leaving the trio stranded with no cell service and fighting to survive a force that they can barely comprehend.

By Dave B.

Based on the classic satirical novel of the same name, Catch-22 (Hulu) follows Yossarian and his bomber squadron as they fight their way up through Italy in the final act of the European campaign of WWII. For Yossarian and his compatriots, it seems as if the war will never end as the number of missions they must fly in order to be sent home is constantly raised. Yossarian tries every trick that he can think of (except for some of the most obvious ones) to try to avoid the missions and postpone what he sees as a pointless death in a war that is nearly won.

By Dave B.

The hard-drinking, irreverent, super-powered antiheroine is back for her third and final season on Netflix. In this 13-episode season, the eponymous Jones is estranged from her sister following Trish taking it upon herself to end the threat posed by Jessica’s mother, once and  for all. After undergoing a radical procedure, Trish has gained superpowers of her own and is determined to bring justice to New York City. The siblings are forced to work together to defeat a non-powered, but brilliant serial killer, named Salinger.