Winter TV Roundup, Week 5

 

We’re into February now and we’re getting a lot of returning shows mixed with a few new high-profile series. But what of these new series are worth your time to check out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Wednesdays:
Feud: Capote vs the Swans, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX (Premiered January 31)
About: Film and television has long been fascinated with the writer Truman Capote. This new installment of the anthology series from Ryan Murphy is focused on Capote (Tom Hollander) and his friendship turned fight with a few wealthy elites in New York City. Among those was Babe Paley (Naomi Watts), Nancy “Slim” Keith (Diane Lane), C.Z. Guest (Chloe Seviny), Lee Radizwill (Calista Flockhart), Ann Woodward (Demi Moore), and Joanne Carson (Molly Ringwald). We see their decades-long relationship play out, with what starts as a deep friendship turning into a feud after Capote uses their lives as fodder for his new book. The series comes from Jon Robin Baitz, based on the novel by Laurence Learner. Gus Van Sant directed the first two episodes, which were released on Wednesday. The rest of the eight-episode season drops weekly. We have a few of these anthology series on FX, and it’s been quite some time since the first season Feud. This one has an interesting hook and some strong performances. I enjoyed Watts particularly in the first two episode, while Hollander does a nice job of capturing the unique mannerisms and voice. Ultimately this is about something of a high society bitch fight. It has its moments in the first two episodes, but I’m not sure I need to live with these characters for eight hours. By the end of the second episode, it was feeling a little tiresome. How you feel about what’s happening here will likely govern your interest. Regardless, it’s a well-produced series.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C

Thursdays:
Genius: MLK/X, Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NatGeo (Premiered February 1)
About: The Genius series is another anthology series, this time for National Geographic. In past seasons, we’ve looked at Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Aretha Franklin. Now, the series is turning its focus to a pair of leaders in Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. The pilot for this eight-episode season kicks off in 1964, on the cusp of the Civil Rights Act being passed, as MLK and Malcolm X meet for a public handshake. We quickly flashback to the 1930s, meeting these icons as young men. We see how they grow and the way their family life and background shaped their approach to the world. By the end of the pilot, we’re back to our main actors—MLK (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierce)—as they’re beginning their work. The first two episodes were released on Thursday, and stream on both Hulu and Disney+ weekly. The episodes run about an hour. Like past versions of the series, you get a lot of information. This is meant to be more of a historical presentation than just a purely scripted piece of entertainment. I enjoyed Harrison and Pierce in their roles, and I like the fact it’s looking at both leaders, offering something of a compare and contrast of their life and work. This will be appealing to those who want to know more, and it feels like a great addition to the February scripted landscape.
Pilot Grade: C+
Second Episode: C+

Streaming Series:
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Streaming Fridays on Prime Video (Premiered February 2)
About: Once upon a time, this was a movie featuring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Then it was announced the concept would be adapted to series with Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bride. Waller-Bridge latter left the project and was replaced by Maya Erskine, and the question was how they would bring this movie concept to life. The answer is they aren’t, really. And that turns out to be a good thing. While the film dropped in on a married couple who turned out to be spies working for rival agencies, this one is about a pair of new spies that are teamed together as a married couple. In fact, at times, it feels more like what would have happened with The Americans if we’d met Phillip and Elizabeth as strangers first paired to do a job. In this case, Jane (Erskine) and John (Glover) are operatives without an organization. They are accepted by a mysterious group who, through an opening interview, learns more about them—ending with an offer for there to start new lives. These two strangers are now a team, living in New York and legally married. As we drop into the pilot, they are learning about their new lives, learning about each other, and figuring out how to do this new job. The writing is crisp and the chemistry between the leads crackles. All eight episodes of the season dropped on Friday and are now available to stream. Each episode is between 45 and 50 minutes, moving at a crisp pace. Glover created the series and wrote the episodes along with Francesca Stone, who collaborated with him on Atlanta. The pilot was incredibly engaging. I loved the writing, the performances, and the way the story was put together. It was crisp, engaging, and exciting, drawing you into the world. The second episode was strong, too, setting the template for a fun series that will make for a quick and easy binge. This feels like one of the better new series in 2024.
Pilot Grade: A-
Second Episode: B