Although the new fourth season lacks a defining episode like season three’s sixth episode, “Abidooniidee (What We Had Been Told),” featuring lead character Joe Leaphorn on an emotional, hallucinatory journey, season four manages to advance all its characters’ stories, even as they spend more time than ever off the reservation.

In lesser hands, a series spinoff of the theatrical “Alien” franchise might seem like just another IP play — a money grab. But pair Noah Hawley, the writer behind FX’s “Fargo,” with “Alien,” and you get a show that’s significantly better than that.

It’s rare for a TV comedy to return in as strong form as this new “Scrubs.” Fans who loved the show in its early seasons on NBC should happily scrub back in for ABC’s new iteration of the series.

If you have been on board already, season three proves as addictive as season two, albeit slightly more heightened because the technology of this timeline’s 1990s is advanced beyond space-faring technology then or now.

Roberts’ all-in performance and those of her co-stars, especially Allison Tolman (“Downward Dog”) as a sympathetic reporter and Shea Whigham as an accurately unhinged G. Gordon Liddy, are a delight, and the whole endeavor is entertaining enough to recommend.

The series gets off to a somewhat sluggish start but by the end of the first hour, “Mare of Easttown” gets its hooks into viewers, building tension around the murder investigation that engulfs Mare’s life. Episode two ratchets up the mystery further as multiple suspects come into focus.

Filmmaker Michael Paul Stephenson not only scores points on style but also substance, revealing the character of a state scientist and citizen scientists as well as the impact of greed on scientific research that comes in a last-act twist.

Really, it’s hard to imagine how “SNL50” could have gone any better as it delivered a welcome mix of comedy and music over almost 3½ hours, wrapped in a warm blanket of nostalgia (without getting sappy).

Funnier and more of a rom-com, “Too Much” largely isn’t too much in the way “Girls” was, thanks to Dunham leaning into a lighter tone and the likability of star Megan Stalter. ... Stalter is a riveting performer.

What’s great about this second season is the way Storer and co-showrunner Joanna Calo find growth in each of the characters while still staying true to who they were when viewers first met them.

Themes include the use of government propaganda on Earth to frame events on Mars in a negative light, also relevant to real-world current events. Science fiction is often at its best when it reflects the here-and-now, which “For All Mankind” has done from the start, contributing to the strength of the show’s dramatic storytelling.

While early episodes are heavier on “300”-style bloody fights and full-frontal male and female nudity – sometimes in the same scene! — the franchise’s delicious character drama amps up a few episodes into the season. This is the good stuff that makes “Spartacus” more than the sum of its arguably gratuitous parts.

A jaunty spy thriller score set the tone for what the fast-paced show becomes in episode two once Cassie regularly imagines conversations with the dead guy (Michiel Huisman, “Game of Thrones”) as her way of coping. “The Flight Attendant” becomes a comedic mystery-thriller and Cuoco’s presence and performance capably sell its delicately balanced tone.

Season two goes deeper as it explores the characters’ insecurities and strengths. “Ted Lasso” remains funny and focused on kindness. A wealth of compassion for its characters courses through the show’s writing.

The good news is the show’s second season, streaming Tuesday, is more like the back half of season one: funnier and more involved because we’re dealing with established characters and because the writers, led by showrunner John Hoffman (“Grace and Frankie”), have a firmer grasp on the show’s tone and a more confident hand in its plotting.

This is a show that knows what viewers want and gives it to them. “Interview” is not precious about its subject matter. ... Through the first five (of eight) episodes, it’s got all the makings of a deserving cult hit.

“Reggie Dinkins” uses quick cuts and cartoon-like tangents in a manner that will feel familiar/comfortable to “30 Rock” fans. The return of “Scrubs” and the debut of “Reggie” offer solid evidence that with the right talent involved, comedies still have a place on broadcast TV.

“Task” proves engrossing and propulsive throughout, a smart, generally sophisticated crime drama, although there are a few too many moles and turncoats that detract from a story that otherwise feels authentic.

“Chad Powers” offers a welcome mix of cringe comedy, raunchy humor and even some sweet, odd couple moments.

This Netflix limited series manages to stand on its own. At six episodes, compared to eight for “Dopesick,” “Painkiller” tells its story with more expediency.

The show’s fly-on-the-wall intimacy – surely it will make some viewers uncomfortable — combined with Carmichael’s winning but deeply flawed nature makes this series a viewing experience that’s hard to tune out.

“Diarra from Detroit,” furthers the niche streamer’s reputation for quality shows after last summer’s Pittsburgh-set “Average Joe,” which had a similarly well-balanced tone of comedic drama.

Even as the series depicts period-accurate racism directed at Nina and her Native American colleague, Awan (Asivak Koostachin, a standout for his character’s cheerfully innocent disposition), “Duster” isn’t a super-serious show. It’s as playfully madcap as Holloway’s character.

Paramount+ only made the first episode available for review, and it’s a taut hour of drama with a few moments of levity courtesy of Ford’s trademark, low-key sarcasm.

“3 Body Problem” is the rare series that consistently surprises, making me (mostly) forget my worries during initial episodes that this could be another “Lost,” a show with great ideas but no concrete story path.

Coarse but clever comedy abounds in “Sprung,” with Plimpton stealing almost every scene as a crusty mama bear with a contorted face and a squishy core.

Fast-paced and funny with an undercurrent of authentic emotion, “Rooster” is a half-hour comedy worth crowing about.

Superior to a Disney Channel, three-camera sitcom, each episode features a couple of original tunes that should get toes tapping.