When the focus is on Pyre, interrogations and the investigation, “Under the Banner of Heaven” can be a harrowing deep dive. But flashbacks that depict how tenets of the faith were rooted in the church’s history, while relevant to the characters’ motivations, leads to some plodding pacing.

These characters offer a fresher take on “Star Wars” lore than Andor’s story, which is a rote rebel mission. If the series finds a way to further blend familiar storytelling with the more-unusual-for-“Star Wars” vibe of palace intrigue, “Andor” might yet prove itself to be a favorite among fans much the way “Rogue One” has become embraced in the eight years since its initial theatrical run.

Where this all goes and whether the balance tips more toward character and story or more toward video game-like battle scenes is unclear, but if the first two episodes are any indication, character stories will win out. As long as that remains the case, I’ll gladly go along for this sci-fi ride.

“Rutherford Falls” has the building blocks to become a smart comedy hit. It just needs more time to build its characters’ relationships.

It’s more like soapier, sexier Jane Austen-lite that would benefit from a dash more wit.

Through the first five episodes, the new “Frasier” proves adept at the classic sitcom form and it’s certainly funnier than many of the CBS comedies viewers have seen in recent years.

Even if some elements of “Dopesick” feel too pat, the story as a whole is a worthwhile indictment of a government regulation system that allowed Purdue to operate for years with impunity, ruining the lives of thousands of Americans.

There’s a too-crazy-to-be-true quality to Johnson’s real-life story that plays well in a TV comedy but it’s wisely leavened with more grounded, vulnerable moments, particularly the warts-and-all portrayal of Johnson’s father (Joseph Lee Anderson), and the complicated relationship Johnson had with his dad.

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” is a bit of a come down from “WandaVision.” “Falcon” isn’t bad, just more familiar.

Through it all the performances of Paulson, Davis, Cynthia Nixon (as Paulson’s potential love interest) and Sophie Okonedo (as a mental hospital patient) keep “Ratched” watchable even as the quality droops under the weight of too much melodrama.

“Woke” is a funny, smart show and the always likable Morris handles the lead character’s predicaments in the every-man style fans of “New Girl” would expect.

The premiere episode, with a story by “Good Wife” creators Michelle and Robert King and directed by Robert King, efficiently introduces new characters. Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson) warms up to Elsbeth’s quirky ways quickly and serves as a grounding force. NYPD Police Capt. C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce, always a welcome presence in any series) comes across as more of a wary ally.

There’s a lot of wandering around before the show gets to that. Viewers’ enjoyment of “Fallout” may depend on their tolerance for the fetch-quest story that makes up the bulk of the first season.

The combination of Tudyk’s otherworldly performance and Sheridan’s execution of stories running on multiple, parallel tracks make “Resident Alien” a welcome addition to the dwindling ranks of scripted basic cable originals.

“Usher” saves almost all its big revelations, emotionality and its most biting humor for its last episode — which explains all that’s come before as the pieces fall into place as surely as the house of Usher must also fall, given the show’s title. It’s a satisfying ending, even if the series as a whole doesn’t quite live up to Flanagan’s previous, better efforts.

The show has a “Breaking Bad” circa 2008 vibe, a show where smart people make bad choice after bad choice. But don’t take that as a knock on “Average Joe,” which is better than average and does what it sets out to do quite well.

“The Chair” has a lot it wants to address — gender dynamics in academia, cross-cultural adoption, grief and self-destruction, white privilege, wokeness and cancel culture — and it’s probably too much for a six-episode, half-hour show that’s also a romantic comedy. ... To its credit, “The Chair” offers no easy answers. It’s more interested in exploring the complexities of transgression and the multitude of reactions than in villainizing or lionizing the individuals involved.

Like many programs of the streaming age, this one probably would be better as a movie – Jack continues to find ways to kick the can of truth down the road into a potential second season — but ultimately “Hello Tomorrow!” made me hope the show will have enough tomorrows to reach an adequate resolution.

Co-created by Sadfie and Fielder, “The Curse” accomplishes what it sets out to do with gusto – amuse through embarrassments that make “Curb Your Enthusiasm” seem staid – but I could only make it through three episodes before deciding I didn’t need to subject myself to more.

It’s hard to judge from the pilot and a second episode what the balance of superheroics/teen troubles will be on a weekly basis, but if The CW insists on making more superhero shows at least this mashup of past Superman TV shows gets off to a rousing enough start.

Big, loud and sorta dumb but often fun.

It’s a fascinating, previously unexplored (as far as I know) premise for a dramatic series (with a great theme song, “I Remember You (Hey, Little Bird)” by Buffy Sainte-Marie). But stretching the story over six overly long episodes does the show no favors as it veers between taut drama and occasional lapses into obvious, stereotypical heroes and villains.

“Genera+ion” will likely prove insufferable to plenty of adults while ringing true to at least some adolescents. ... “Genera+ion” is more grounded and relatable in other scenes, particularly those featuring Chester and Sam or the longing for friendship, acceptance and love as evinced by Greta.

Spooky without getting too scary, the show walks a fine line – edgy enough but not too mature as to be off-brand for Disney — as it embraces a serialized storyline by creator Tracey Thomson (“The Young and the Restless”) that will keep young viewers (and their parents) guessing as the characters attempt to unlock the town’s secrets.

There are some good twists through the first two episodes that largely focus on Matty and lawyer Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), Matty’s boss.

“The Gold” proves less compelling than “Hijack,” but perhaps more cerebral with a greater emphasis on character development and the stratified nature of England’s social classes.

“Impeachment” is not subtle but it can be entertaining. The real-world scandal, driven by gossip and people constitutionally incapable of keeping their mouths shut, was equal parts salacious, delicious, infuriating and just plain sad, which is true of “Impeachment,” too. The series thankfully allows space to be hilarious.

The first two episodes move at a brisk enough pace and have a few shocking, gory turns as “Lawmen” depicts battles and shootouts with fatal head wounds galore. As a balance to that, Oyelowo brings a decency to Bass and a sweetness to the relationship between Bass and his wife, Jennie (Lauren E. Banks).