‘The Pitt’
Starring: Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, Sepideh Moafi
Season two of HBO’s award-winning hospital drama was every bit as stressful and satisfying as the first. Set 10 months on, it once again follows the workers in the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, led by Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Wyle), over the course of a single shift, this time on the 4th of July. Creator R. Scott Gemmill crams a lot more than just gripping medical drama into the show — exploring politics, grief, love, mental health, PTSD, friendship and camaraderie, and much more. The ensemble cast might just be the best in the business right now.
‘The Bear’
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
For its fifth and final outing, “The Bear” returned to the basics of its excellent first season — keeping its main characters within the confines of the titular restaurant and bombarding them with problems: a biblical-level storm, faulty reservation system, burst pipes, flooding, no money for ingredients, and way too many bookings to reasonably handle. But with head chef Carmy having quit at the end of last year’s run, new leader Syd somehow kept everything on track without resorting to the kind of public meltdown favored by her predecessor. Like “The Pitt,” most of the season was set across a single shift, and like “The Pitt,” there was great satisfaction in watching skilled workers navigate multiple barriers competently. The finale was, for some, a little too neat, but who could really begrudge these characters a happy(ish) ending?
‘Industry’
Starring: My’hala, Marisa Abela, Kit Harington
The fourth season of HBO’s investment-banking drama was its strongest yet — and the bar was already high. While the financial world remains the hook of the story, season four saw creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay taking bigger and wilder swings than ever, going heavier on the dark humor, and offering insightful explorations of anti-‘woke’ culture, racism, classism, sexism and sexuality, and much more. Cast newcomers including Kiernan Shipka, Max Minghella, Charlie Heaton, and Toheeb Jimoh all put in stellar turns to live up to the standards set by regulars Harington, Abela and My’hala. Down and Kay have said season five will be the last, and they’ve set it up to be one hell of an ending.
‘Invincible’
Voice cast: Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons
If there’s a fault with “Invincible,” it’s that — unlike most animated series — you can’t really just dip into it to see what all the fuss is about. It’s so densely packed with narrative twists and character development that you need to watch from episode one to fully appreciate why it’s so critically beloved. Season four kept up the ridiculously high standards — from the writing to the star-studded voice cast — and offered further proof, if it were needed, that “Invincible” — based around titular teenage human-alien hybrid crimefighter Mark Grayson — is the best superhero show around.
‘The Other Bennet Sister’
Starring: Ella Bruccoleri, Laurie Davidson, Donal Finn
Based on Janice Hadlow’s novel, this inventive series focuses on Mary Bennet — the socially awkward middle child in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” previously overshadowed by her more glamorous sisters. It follows Mary to London, where she’s taken a job as a governess in the household of her aunt and uncle, where she finds herself wooed by two very different men. “It succeeds because it understands something Austen adaptations often overlook: Not everyone is Elizabeth Bennet,” our reviewer wrote. “Some people are awkward. Some take longer to find their voice. And, sometimes, those are the stories worth telling.”
‘Widow’s Bay’
Starring: Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Kevin Carroll
Katie Dippold’s comedy horror show really balanced the two genres to perfection. Rhys plays Tom Loftis, the mayor of the fictional titular New England island town, who’s originally from the mainland and is skeptical of local superstitions about Widow’s Bay’s supposed centuries-old curse, leading to clashes in particular with the outspoken Wyck Crawford (Stephen Root). Loftis, and the audience, soon find out that those superstitions are well-founded.
‘Wonder Man’
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, X Mayo, Ben Kingsley
The 17th (!) TV show from the Marvel Cinematic Universe was arguably the best so far. One reason for that is there’s very little superhero-ing going on. Another is there’s a really solid, often funny, story here. Since those with superpowers have been banned from working in Hollywood, actors like Simon Williams (Abdul-Mateen) have had to learn to hide their powers. When Williams tries to land the lead role the titular in-universe film, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Trevor Slattery (Kingsley), a former villain attempting to forge a new life as an actor.
