Spring TV Roundup, Week 8

We’re making our way toward Memorial Day and the start of summer. But, before we get there, we’ve still got some new shows making the rounds. What of these new shows is 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 Spring. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Thursdays:
Duster, Streaming Thursdays at 10 p.m. on HBO Max (Premiered May 15)
About: First it was HBO Go, then HBO Max, then Max, and now HBO Max again. Either way, the streamer has continued to produce interesting new series. This one from J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan takes the action back to the 1970s. It’s set in Arizona, following a top wheel man named Jim (Josh Holloway). The series takes its name from his car—a 1970 Duster—which he uses to run jobs for the head honcho in the area, Saxton (Keith David). Jim has a complicated life and a complicated past, which makes him a target for a hotshot new FBI agent, Nina Hays (Rachel Hilson). Nina has her own reasons for wanting Saxton and his crew, and she tries to leverage Jim to do it. At first, it doesn’t work. But when she reveals a personal connection to Saxton Jim might share, he’s hooked. An uneasy alliance forms. The series airs Thursday nights on HBO Max. Episodes run about an hour, with the first season running eight episodes. I liked the hook and the performances. The pilot had some nice moments, and it sets a strong ongoing path for the series. This could be one of the more interesting series of the late Spring and early Summer period.
Pilot Grade: B-

Fridays:
Murderbot, Streaming Fridays on Apple TV+ (Premiered May 16)
About: This new comedy for Apple TV+ comes from Paul and Chris Weitz, who wrote the first two episodes released and served as directors. It stars Alexander Skarsgard as a robotic being that is consigned to providing security around the galaxy. He figures out a way to bypass his controls, but then gets assigned to a new mission. The group he’s with seem nice, but there is inherent risk he’ll be discovered and turned in. Meanwhile, there are some interesting challenges on their new home planet. This series, based on the book from Martha Wells, certainly has a unique style. The dialogue here is a lot of fun, especially the inner monologue from Murderbot (Skarsgard). The cast is solid, too, including familiar faces like Sabrina Wu and David Dastmalchian in the crew. The episodes are about a half an hour, with the first two out now and the rest of the subsequent 10-episode season dropping weekly. I liked the first two and I like the potential in this world. Apple TV+ has done well with quirky comedies, and this could be the latest hit.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: B-

Streaming Series:
Bad Thoughts, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered May 13)
About: This new series for Netflix is a sketch comedy series from the mind of Tom Segura. Each episode has a central theme and then some dark sketches on the theme. It plays a bit like a warped, comedic take on Black Mirror at times. Episodes are short—with each of the six episodes running between 17 and 22 minutes. That makes for a short binge as the whole series is only a little more than an hour. Still, your interest in it will likely depend on how you feel about the style of the sketches and the comedy. It wasn’t to my taste, but if you like things a little darker, this might be for you.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Bet, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered May 15)
About: This is a teen drama of sorts. It centers on a transfer student from Japan that lands at an elite boarding school where everyone is a gambling degenerate. She immediately shakes up the power structure and starts to rise to the top, but she has a secret agenda of revenge for something from her past. The series is based on a popular Manga, and that helps inform the chaotic and unique visual style. The season is 10 episodes, each about 35 minutes. That keeps it to a quick binge, but is it worth the investment? If you’re a fan of the source material or like the style of the early episodes, it probably will hook you. But I wasn’t taken with the story and the style wasn’t enough of a hook for me. It’s a big swing but it didn’t land for me.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Overcompensating, Now Streaming on Prime Video (Premiered May 15)
About: This new comedy from Prime Video comes from Benito Skinner, who is also the star. In it he plays Benny, a popular football player from a small town who is ready to tackle college. He’s hopeful that he might find the courage to be himself. But he’s not ready to admit he’s gay. Complicating things is the connection he makes with Carmen (Wally Baram), a fellow freshman he meets at orientation. Some sparks nearly fly, but really, they form a deep friendship. Can they lean on each other and finally feel the freedom to be themselves as they navigate this new college experience? This is an interesting hook. There are some familiar faces like Connie Britton and Kyle MacLachlan that appear early in the series. But this show is at its best when Skinner and Baram are on the screen. They have an easy rapport that’s a lot of fun. Episodes are about a half an hour, with the full eight-episode season now streaming. It’s worth diving into for fans of comedy and this type of story.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+