Riveting. ... These directors do not disappoint.

A Teacher is not about the guys. This is a star vehicle for two women — Mara in front of the screen and Hannah Fidell behind it. ... If you want to see a creative female mind exploring how female power, when it runs into the brick wall of societal taboo, can be self-destructive, A Teacher is your show.

Casting is key, and Annaleigh Ashford nails it as Gina. ... I enjoyed Bob (Hearts) Abishola immensely last season, but the show’s modest ratings suggest that this is a make-or-break year. And I like what I see so far here, so I can’t help but… be positive.

It’s fabulous. Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma, Peaky Blinders) lights up the screen. This is a sterling example of streaming TV giving a story its due when Hollywood had long ago decided it was too big and complicated for a two-hour film.

Deaf U, with its short (20 minutes or less) episodes, intriguing characters, and fascinating exploration of deaf subculture — albeit one that doesn't exactly cast deaf people in a very favorable light — is a worthwhile drive-by docuseries. DiMarco has cast the show well, finding interesting leads who reflect both the racial and hearing diversity of the Gallaudet community.

I thought it was great. Lively writing in an entertaining, network-quality serial thriller about artificial intelligence running amok. John Slattery — pitch-perfect casting.

Guided by a steady adaptation from veteran screenwriter Mark Richard and a gripping performance from Hawke, this filmed version is a rollicking good time, a lovely complement to McBride’s literary achievement that should drive more readers to the book.

A bigger problem with The Comey Rule is that it tells a complex historical event from the point of view of one person. ... Ray tries his best to pull in other voices, but the word Comey is in the title and the reality is that this story is much bigger than him.

Agents of Chaos, is not for the weak of stomach. ... Fortunately, he knows how to lighten the load. Imagine a four-hour Frontline investigation with a sense of humor and a rock-and-roll soundtrack — that’s Agents of Chaos in a nutshell.

Challenger: The Final Flight is an immersive and nearly flawless four-part docuseries that had me hooked from the get-go. And here’s the amazing part — there’s almost no mystery to it.

An uneven, at times suffocating set of sanctimony from screenwriter and novelist Paul Rudnick.

Space is more of a backdrop for Away’s actual drama, which is about smart, ambitious people getting in each other’s way, and their own, and whether keeping your feet on the ground might not be the better decision.

Pursuit of Happiness doesn’t just go wider, it goes deeper. Ravi Patel has a way with words, and can draw surprisingly meaningful nuggets from his own life.

It works because some serious comedy writers are on the team and have made improvements to the Ted Lasso cartoon from the NBC ads. ... The writing is sharp and fresh..

Its computer-desktop motif and Zoom-like video conferencing are rather prescient, given that the show was made months before the COVID-19 pandemic. But other attempts to freshen the Muppets formula felt unnecessary and gratuitous.

This deep access, and the compelling narrative the filmmakers weave out of their footage, makes Immigration Nation the most important documentary Netflix has fronted since Ava DuVernay’s 13TH. Even if it doesn’t convince you that ICE should be abolished, I guarantee you’ll be unsettled watching the agency’s response.

The Jim Gaffigan Show, his 2016 TV Land sitcom, was aptly named since Gaffigan was the only person funny in it. And that still was almost enough to save the show. Almost. Jim Gaffigan: Pale Tourist feels like one of those near-misses, too, but it’s less than two hours of your life and loaded with laughs, so I’d still recommend watching it.

Love on the Spectrum takes these adults well past their comfort zones, testing their emotions and their interpersonal skills in dating situations that I found myself relating to way more than I expected. ... It’s not as moody or emotionally wrought as scripted shows like Netflix’s Atypical. But its quest is one that feels so relevant right now.

With its small cast and heavy reliance on CGI, Brave New World has the look and feel of a modestly-priced Syfy miniseries. It will appeal strongly to some but not to most.

There is much more to chew on than simply a story about refugees in Australia. Stateless is that rare show that demands a fairly sizable investment of your time; once you let it in your head, you may have a hard time getting it out.

This show feels very on-brand for Apple in that it emulates the glossy production values and reverence for the brilliant and famous that have been hallmarks of Apple’s advertising campaigns over the years. I’m not really into half-hour commercials, but if you really, really like the people profiled in Dear… it likely won't feel like a commercial to you.

A superb drama. ... Quiz is everything McMillion$ should’ve been: propulsive, efficiently told drama that boils down a lorry full of facts to the simple 50:50 question: Did they or didn’t they?

The good news is that this is not the worst space parody ever. In fact, it rockets off the pad with a fall-down-funny pilot episode. From there, though, it hits turbulence. ... The best thing about Space Force is Carell and Kudrow. ... Unfortunately, because of the absurdity of their situation, Carell and Kudrow get precious little screen time together. That leaves this show at the mercy of John Malkovich, who is determined to give us one of those peculiar Malkovichian characters.

Welcome, if long-overdue, tribute.

It is a must-watch doc. ... The enduring impression of this film isn’t of the interested actors who found it convenient to use Norma McCorvey — it’s of McCorvey herself.

The stories are relatable and the dialogue, if predictably TV-ish at times, gets at big issues about loss and what really matters in life — topics I think we can all relate to a little more closely these days. ... The casting, the dialogue, the pacing, the relentless Windham Hill-quality soundtrack — Council of Dads feels like a fly trap designed to capture as many This Is Us viewers as possible.

Edgar-Jones and Mescal are utterly convincing as two brainy kids who know instantly that they have a special bond, yet are clueless how to express it. ... It is a pleasure to watch, just as the book was a pleasure to read — except different.

From the get-go, Defending Jacob grabs and holds your attention, hour after hour, as you try to figure out whether the kid did it, and if the parents are going to make it through the trial without imploding. .... It’s the best Apple original series yet, and proof that like fine wine, some stories just need time to age and breathe a little.