TV Reviews

Arts

'The Bear' dishes up a sneaky, smart show that's just as manic as restaurant life

1:40pm July 20, 2022

by John Powers

Set in a sandwich shop in Chicago, this sharply written eight-part series is stingingly accurate about restaurant work — the merciless stresses, oversized personalities and battlefield camaraderie.

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Nathan Fielder walks people through different tricky conversations and scenarios on The Rehearsal.

Arts

In HBO's reality series 'The Rehearsal,' participants practice real-life scenarios

1:28pm July 14, 2022

by David Bianculli

Part comedy, part drama, Nathan Fielder's new show is a social experiment of sorts, where people work within elaborate sets to try to figure out ways to resolve complicated real-life situations.

Bob Odenkirk plays the title character in the Breaking Bad spin-off series Better Call Saul.

Arts

'Better Call Saul' might be the greatest of all time — if it can stick the landing

12:27pm July 11, 2022

by David Bianculli

The Breaking Bad spin-off has been excellent since it debuted in 2015. As the series wraps up, the final episodes will determine just how great a show Better Call Saul ends up being.

Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and Matthew Modine as Dr. Martin Brenner in Stranger Things.

Arts

'Stranger Things' season finale succeeds by leaning into excess

5:23pm July 01, 2022

by Eric Deggans

The characters' relationships develop and they face an array of surprises and complications in the bustling storyline that closes the fourth season.

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Jeff Bridges makes 'The Old Man' worth a watch

5:15pm June 25, 2022

by Eric Deggans

FX's The Old Man can be predictable, but the performance by star Jeff Bridges — who plays a retired CIA operative living under a fake name — makes it worthwhile.

Jeremy Allen White as Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto, Lionel Boyce as Marcus, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richie.

Arts

FX's 'The Bear': A funny, raw, real drama in a restaurant kitchen

5:00am June 20, 2022

by Glen Weldon

Jeremy Allen White plays a wunderkind chef who returns to his family's restaurant after a tragedy. The Bear knows exactly what it's doing, and it does it well.

National

Review: 'The Old Man' is worth watching for Jeff Bridges' performance

4:43pm June 16, 2022

by Eric Deggans

FX's The Old Man can be predictable, but the performance by star Jeff Bridges — who plays a retired CIA operative living under a fake name — makes it worthwhile.

Arts

Jeff Bridges makes a triumphant return to TV in 'The Old Man'

1:19pm June 15, 2022

by David Bianculli

Bridges plays a former CIA operative who re-surfaces after decades off the grid in FX's seven-episode miniseries. The Old Man will hook you with its slow build and shifting perspectives.

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Arts

Questions of faith and sanity bubble to the surface in season 3 of 'Evil'

1:54pm June 10, 2022

by David Bianculli

Evil, which premiered on CBS in 2019, has shifted over to the Paramount+ streaming service, where it's taken full advantage of its relocation. The latest season keeps increasing in intensity.

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Brodie (Devin Way) and Ruthie (Jesse James Keitel) are some of the peacocking queer folk on Peacock's Queer as Folk.

Arts

'Queer As Folk' gets a stiletto-heeled reboot that takes time to feel comfortable

8:53am June 09, 2022

by Glen Weldon

The cast is more diverse, which allows the reboot to address conflicts and give voice to characters the old HBO Queer as Folk never could, while keeping the soapy melodrama of it all.