Amid the plentiful greed and treachery on display as the field relentlessly dwindles, we also witness moments of great bravery and sacrifice.

Much like in the unsurpassed second season, the joy of The Bear comes in watching these dedicated co-workers set challenges, find their passion and grow in their jobs as artistes.

The tension between her undeniable talent and her understandable insecurities makes Patience a winner in its first six-episode season, with a second season underway.

While many of the more predictable twists and inevitable road bumps merit an eye roll or two—Santi has daddy and trust issues that erupt at the most inconvenient times—there’s no way you won’t root for this ad hoc family.

Pee-wee as Himself is a fascinating, endearing, and moving portrait.

Though it’s as weightless in impact as a Hot Wheels hot rod, the eight-episode action series is a perfectly enjoyable showcase for Lost alum Josh Holloway‘s effortless swagger and Cheshire cat charisma as carefree mob-family driver Jim Ellis.

The past comes vividly to life, spinning a fable of unrequited love and undying sibling devotion worthy of Jane’s own fictions.

While you might sometimes roll your eyes at their antics, you might also occasionally dab your eyes as they withstand the fissures and fractures of enduring friendships and relationships while the seasons fly by, reminding them and us that any time spent together with our nearest and dearest is precious and fleeting.

When Étoile stops trying too hard and gives itself up to that sort of starry-eyed euphoria, it’s a terpsichorean treasure.

Their [Deborah and Ava) generational differences and conflicting attitudes provide an endless well of barbed humor, but never have these frenemies been at such odds as when the brilliant fourth season begins.

The second season lands its body blows to the soul early and often, as characters reel from unimaginable loss with fury and despair, debating revenge and the remote possibility of mercy.

Even when the corny situations are clearly beneath them, as when they vie for the attention of a hunky housekeeper (“We’re dangerously close to the plot of a porno”), the show balances its uproarious off-color saltiness with a squishy sentimentality that’s so old-school it’s almost refreshing.