What’s Popular On Streaming Now

Multiple times per week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

Following her sinister turn in the The Walking Dead universe, Samantha Mathis refuses to turn in a performance that’s less than compelling. And with public’s ongoing fascination with royals, it’s fitting that we’re now seeing a show that fully revolves around Catherine de’Medici (who received a salty portrayal in Reign but with not enough screentime) in both her younger and older years. She entered the French Royal Court as a teen and married a one of the Henrys, after which heir production became a top priority, and she learned the fine art of maneuvering to keep one’s head.

This adult-animation mainstay is guaranteed to be a hit throughout its run, and creator Dan Harmon is still chipping away at the mega-renewal that the series scored a handful of years back. This season abandons the multiverse (which should be at least briefly retired everywhere) concept in favor of a new hobby for the leading pair. So expect things to feel more grounded but still irreverent and full of bodily fluids and adventure, which will give you a much needed respite from our world today.

This week’s episode (still starring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters who Hulks out) gave a glimpse of a cameo that caused Marvel fans to sit up in their seats. This is all on top of sympathy for Steve Rogers’ chaste reputation and literal twerking moves from Megan Thee Stallion. Disney’s helming of the MCU isn’t as totally pristine as it used to be, and that’s a good thing. Now, can we get some more Wongers up in here, please

Tom Cruise will literally do anything to inspire movie watching, and as Brian Grubb recently pointed out, that isn’t even a necessary set of life-risking moves on Tom’s behalf. Don’t try to stop him, though. He’s feeling the need for speed again, and Maverick returns to his former stomping grounds at the behest of Iceman. There’s some Jon Hamm and Miles Teller (as the son of Goose) and Jennifer Connelly to be seen, and this wouldn’t be a Top Gun sequel without slightly sensual beach volleyball. Tom knows how to blockbuster, alright.

Jon Hamm steps into an iconic Chevy Chase role for a comedic turn that must be a wonderful break from his usual roles, which often involve playing sociopaths and manipulators. It’s a franchise revival/sequel that’s been in the making forever, but Superbad‘s Greg Mattola is on the scene, proving that this definitely won’t be a boring affair. And yes, this sequel carries the breezy tone that one would expect, even if Hamm takes a more understated approach to the lead role, so it’s either an upgrade or downgrade, depending on your audience POV.

We still don’t know if Netflix will greenlight another season of this masterpiece of a comic book adaptation, and Neil Gaiman has been forthright about the show’s great expense being a key consideration for renewal. Whatever happens, at least we received a bonus episode of an arc that’s near and dear to source material fans, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste gave us an updated Death that feels like a trip to the (benevolent) afterlife. Tom Sturridge is pitch perfect as the gloriously-haired Morpheus, as is the rest of the principal cast, so let’s keep fingers crossed for more.

A post-Emmys boost put this show on radars for those who haven’t yet had the pleasure of watching Murray Bartlett as a passive-aggressive master of ceremonies for a luxury resort. Granted, his Armond is pushed to the brink, but he is a delight to witness, and a second season (with only Jennifer Coolidge as a cast constant) will soon arrive in a different setting. Aubrey Plaza joins the show as another privileged vacationer, and this social satire was a sleeper series that suddenly became a must watch near the end of Season 1. Get caught up before more chaos begins.

This ain’t your daddy’s Middle-earth, or is it Jeff Bezos finally got his Game of Thrones-style epic, and Neil Gaiman did not write this show, which has riled up some anti-wokers, but overall, this show looks to be well worth the price tag so far. And it’s being released weekly, which means that you should have no problem juggling it alongside the other view epic-fantasy juggernauts going strong right now. J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled Second Age finally made it to the screen, and a young Galadriel rules supreme.

This franchise revival simply cannot be topped when it comes to harnessing the right degree of nostalgia and making it appealing for the younger generation. Season 5 still has show still has the “Eye of the Tiger,” and Terry Silver must be thwarted before he destroys the very soul of the Valley. Unfortunately, Miyagi-do is in a shambles, but hopefully, the grown-ups will get it together, or the kids will have to do it for them while Chozen keeps things lively.

Are you ready for one next-to-last rodeo in Gilead Perhaps not, but the stellar performances (by Elizabeth Moss and Yvonne Strahovski, among others) will keep you going into the final crushing crescendo. Back when this show launched, we didn’t quite realize that society would keep turning toward the incarnation that Margaret Atwood predicted, and this season is as grim as ever, but maybe we’ll at least get more Kate Bush. Things kick off with June going toe-to-toe with her own identity while Serena, freshly widowed, rises into public view in Toronto. Reforms are afoot, so we’ll see whether this season destroys viewers in the end or gives a little hope.

How long can King Viserys I keep standing (and having sex scenes) before his whole body rots away It’s not going great for his physical health, and he’s also losing it upstairs while attempting to solidify the Targaryen line of succession. If bitter rogue prince Daemon has anything to do with it, the whole house might go down in a blaze of scandal, but we already know that things don’t turn out well for these blonde wigs in the end. The Contender vs. Defenders are still lining up, and this week, the actors who portray two main characters will say goodbye as they’re replaced by slightly older versions. It’s a risk, but at least we’ll still have the show’s same dragons.