“Death By Lightning” rousingly entertains and enlightens in equal measures while giving a talented cast some colorful real-life figures to portray while handing them extra-tart dialogue to chew on. It’s one of Netflix’s better series this year.

This season takes risks galore and comes up a winner every time.

Creator/writer Catherine Moulton takes her time in unfurling the action, which opens the door for Ayling-Ellis and Moore to add depth and dimension to their beautifully written parts. It’s their electric performances that elevate this from being your average crime thriller. And the last two episodes are outright nail-biters.

True to the show’s high standards, each episode contains some of the sharpest writing and the best acting (Edebiri’s panic attack almost gave me one) in a regular series.

Terrific. .... “Get Millie Black” devotes time to all of its characters’ stories, which heightens its portrayal of why Black is so determined to bring bad people to justice at all costs.

“Heartstopper” is a gem, and remains perhaps the most uplifting, refreshingly optimistic and utterly charming series currently running on TV or streaming platforms.

If Netflix’s “Tiger King” made your jaw drop, get ready for it to fall to the ground while watching Lance Oppenheim’s wild three-part HBO series. It addictively covers the house-of-cards succession plans being hashed out for the Texas Renaissance Festival. Oppenheim melds documentary vérité for a fascinating depiction of 86-year-old King George’s (George Coulam) pursuit to pick a “suitable” successor.

“A Thousand Blows” builds to a climax as secrets get revealed and motivations become circumspect. It’ll leave you dangling and begging to jump into its ring once more.

One of Apple TV’s best series of the year.

If you manage to survive the first episode without losing your lunch, you’re in store for a disturbing, supremely well-made horror show that’s written, acted and directed with Ari Aster-like skill.

"Black Doves" does go off the rails, but it does so with a wink. Everyone in the cast understands this is not deadly serious and gets into the energetic spirit. But it is the pairing of Knightley and Whishaw that make "Black Doves" fly high.

Some of the bits don’t fly, such as a character being afflicted with “bird blindness,” a joke that makes a big thud. But getting to hang out with these bad boys and girls as well as one of our favorite sidekicks, the American eagle, Eagly — who faces his own threat — makes you forget about the dents here and there.

“Ludwing” never loses its pip nor its charm and a large reason why it works rests on Mitchell’s tensed-up shoulders and the show’s creators. He’s no cookie-cutter ace detective; rather he is a welcome addition to the pantheon of fictional detectives.

It also deals, at times seriously, with issues about overcoming trauma. All of this makes one hope that this “Liars” club sticks around [at] least for its junior year. We might even follow them to grad school.

As you probably guessed, “Sunny Nights” switches from chuckles to beatings (a waterboarding scene goes on much too long) and even bloody deaths. The disparate parts create a gumbo filled with so many ingredients that it keeps us surprised and discombobulated.

I gobbled down six of the eight episodes available for review, and will say – without even the slightest reservations – that “Lotus” regulars should check in for this third season. You won’t be disappointed. Just be prepared to get your jaw dropped and your raised eyebrows torched right off.

“Beef Season 2” will invariably be compared to Season 1, and while it’s not quite there it’s in the same neighborhood.

The writing remains sharp as a stiletto, and the cozy mystery is puzzling enough to keep us guessing. Streep and Rudd make it even more entertaining. They’re having a grand time, and so will you.

My only beef about this intricately plotted season is that its eighth episode lacks a true ending, making us gnash our teeth for another season.

Like “Mare,” it’s a polished act — from the directing and writing to the career-high performances from a perfectly selected cast.

Magnificent. .... “Fellow Travelers” cycles through many time periods and historical LGBTQ markers — all vividly brought to life. But first and foremost, this is a love story, one that breaks your heart.

Macmanus expertly weaves in how Gacy was brought to justice and highlights both the dogged determination of those involved with the law — detective Rafael Tover (Gabriel Luna) and prosecutor Bill Kunkle (Chris Sullivan) — as well as how the system failed to stop Gacy before. It adds depth and context, but it is the overwhelming sadness over how Gacy robbed these boys and young men of their futures that hits the hardest.

Without giving too much away, this “Bridgerton” chapter mines richer, riskier material, a direction that series creator Shonda Rimes navigates with skill, particularly her writing on the final episode.

While some might be put off by “Ripley’s” measured tempo and its detached icicle of a protagonist, noir fans won’t be and will admire how effectively it revives an often overworked genre. Simply put, “Ripley” nails it.

An improved second season patches up a few rough edges in Netflix’s enjoyable spy romp, and does so by repositioning its jocular, off-the-cuff spirit in mostly a new setting, South Korea.

The first episode alone is a grabber, defying our every expectation. Can’t say how. Throughout, the storytelling and world-building maintain the highest standards. And that final episode promises there’s even more yet to come. If you love “Dune,” this is a gimme.

Showrunner Adi Shankar (“Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix”) takes time and care with the multi-layered world building while pumping it all up with adrenaline, heavy-metal-esque action sequences. They razzle dazzle.

The ones who makes this all work are the two leads. Kingsley is a natural-born showman and channels legendary thespian vibes with every line he delivers, while Abdul-Matten II makes you feel the neuroses rooted in the psyche of his trying-too-hard character, who feels like an imposter.