Based on the first three episodes, Dunham is ready to end her story with satirical precision and self-aware compassion.

What makes “Perry Mason” absorbing is how well the show balances the sorrow of the case Mason is investigating – an infant has been kidnapped, and killed – with vintage touches, including a terrific cast.

In addition to Kravitz’s performance, the most enjoyable elements of “High Fidelity” are the music (good luck getting “Come on Eileen” out of your mind after the first episode), the glamorized sense of place (Brooklyn comes off as a gentrification postcard), and the R-rated but totally entertaining back-and-forth between Rob and her record-store employees, Simon (David H. Holmes) and Cherise (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).

If there are fewer laugh-out-loud moments in Season 2, the series goes deeper, and the actors are more than able to rise to the challenge of blending humor and drama.

A delight, as it blends the costume drama conventions we’ve come to know and love with bracingly contemporary elements.

“Sometimes, I’m not sure why I make the choices I do,” Fielder says. Viewers may not know either, but “The Rehearsal” is unique in making us wonder. Whether you laugh, or stare in amazement, “The Rehearsal” will definitely keep you watching.

Severance gets the second half of Season 7 off to a brisk start.

The show drops in lovely little moments, funny, melancholy and insightful.

The good news is that Ballers has its own energy, humor and terrific performances, notably by Johnson.

Wolk is likable, but so far, the show is so heavy on concept – what would life be like if you made different choices at a crucial moment? – that it skimps on characterization. Will I watch it again? Yes, to see if the show can move beyond its premise, and get into some actually absorbing drama.

The Returned has the nightmarish quality of a ghost story, but could benefit from some of Norma Bates' frenzied energy.

At close to eight hours over four parts, the film at times feels overly long, with considerable time and attention is paid to Ali’s boxing matches. The final chapter feels both truncated and sad. ... But overall, the documentary makes abundantly clear why Ali became the most famous man in the world, and why, when he died in 2016, he was widely loved.

The series isn’t perfect, but at its best, “Inventing Anna” tells a story that, especially when staying close to real episodes involving Anna and those around her, is entertainingly, jaw-droppingly outrageous.

Season 3 gets off to a busy, skin-crawling start.

By the time Corden sang a wry little tune thanking us for watching, he seemed as comforting as a cup of tea and a biscuit. He may not be boldly going where no late-night host has gone before, but based on first impressions, Corden looks like he'll be making himself at home in no time.

Even when The Defiant Ones pauses to reflect on grim reality and troubled times, its tone is generally laudatory. We may wish for more depth and perspective. But then along comes another vintage clip of U2 in its prime, or Snoop Dogg's laid-back assurance, or a young Springsteen and the E Street Band, and the music takes over, and takes us away.

“The Twilight Zone” has a lot to recommend it, but it’s hard not to feel that if the generally hour-long episodes were cut in half, the show’s overall quality would zoom up several notches.

The cast is stocked with solid actors--Leoni, Tim Daly as McCord's husband, Zeljko Ivanek as the President's chief of staff, Bebe Neuwirth as McCord's chief of staff--and the writing is fairly sharp, if a bit pretentious.

A tedious flash-forward, flashback structure involving the students doing something that looks very, very bad in the woods hints that "Scandal"-style plot craziness may be right around the corner. [But] It's worth tuning in to see Davis display her versatility in the kind of multi-dimensional, non-stereotypical lead role she hasn't had an opportunity to play in movies.

Characters behave pretty much exactly as we've come to expect; plush décor and candlelit dinner parties dazzle the eye; and the actors dive into their scenes with the gusto of carnivores dining at a top-dollar steakhouse.

At its best, The Last Tycoon is an absorbing trip back to Hollywood's not-so-Golden Age. And even when it slips, it's still pretty good melodrama, with desperate characters, unexpected deaths and gorgeous people pretending they're keeping it together even when they're not.

It's no "Downton Abbey" (especially during tedious scenes involving the palace staff), but Victoria has enough glittering chandeliers, glowing candlelight, luxurious furnishings, sumptuous gowns and dazzling jewels to make it undemanding, cozy viewing.

The two Season 3 episodes made available to critics feature both familiar strengths and weaknesses of the series so far.

It's a pleasant enough blend of travelogue and gentle humor.

Latifah’s presence gives it a little something extra. Her charismatic underplaying draws you in, and adds a sense of mystery even when the writing is clunkily obvious. ... “The Equalizer” packs enough action to satisfy its post-Super Bowl audience, most likely. But it’s refreshing to see a few quieter moments of insight, mixed in with the good guys prevailing.

The pilot has a propulsive pop energy, and melodramatic swagger.

Even with its plot holes (everyone seems to greet the abrupt arrival of Jim’s not-previously-mentioned son with a remarkable lack of curiosity), “Dexter: New Blood” is made with care. Solid performances from Hall, Alcott, Carpenter, Jones and Clancy Brown as a town businessman who’s clearly keeping some secrets, pump energy into the series.

Though the '60s music is sometimes laid on with a heavy hand, Aquarius benefits from its stylish look, and a moody atmosphere that doesn't become oppressive, thanks to Duchovny's mordant wit. It's an unusual summer season offering, sometimes unsettling, but worth checking out.