Hacks: Final Season (HBO Max) – Thursday, April 9
“Hacks” has been one of the best shows on television throughout its run, which comes to an end beginning Thursday, April 9, on HBO Max. The fifth and final season of “Hacks” will see comedians and officially BFFs Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) in the aftermath of Deborah losing her late-night talk show in season four. I’m not ready to say goodbye to perhaps the best set of characters and cast of the last half-decade, but “Hacks” has the chance to do something few TV shows accomplish – going out on top.  

Big Mistakes (Netflix) – Thursday, April 9
Dan Levy’s first television series since “Schitt’s Creek” wrapped, and it being a collaboration with the fabulous Rachel Sennott has certainly piqued my interest. “Big Mistakes” will see Levy and Taylor Ortega as lackluster criminal siblings who are blackmailed into the world of organized crime. Oh, and Laurie Metcalf plays their mother, which is chef’s kiss casting. “Big Mistakes” premieres on Netflix on Thursday, April 9. 

The Audacity (AMC) – Sunday, April 12
AMC is still making great drama series. “Dark Winds,” which recently wrapped its fourth season, might be the most underrated drama on television. However, it doesn’t seem to draw the type of hype it once did with shows like “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” AMC hopes to bring some hype back with “The Audacity,” premiering Sunday, April 12. “The Audacity,” from creator Jonathan Glatzer, follows a self-appointed “inventor of the future” as a tech CEO, who is engulfed in controversy involving the exploitation of personal data. Billy Magnussen stars as the CEO with a talented supporting cast that includes Sarah Goldberg, Rob Corddry, Simon Helberg and Zach Galifianakis. AMC has already picked up “The Audacity” for a second season, ahead of its series premiere. 

“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” (Apple TV) – Wednesday, April 15
Showrunner David E. Kelley has adapted Rufi Thorpe’s novel Margo’s Got Money Troubles about a young woman navigating an unexpected pregnancy and financial struggles in the modern world. One of Hollywood’s most talented young actresses, Elle Fanning, plays the lead in this Apple TV dramedy premiering Wednesday, April 15. The show has an amazing supporting cast, which includes Nick Offerman and Michelle Pfeiffer as Margo’s parents, and Nicole Kidman and Greg Kinnear in other roles. 

Half Man (HBO) – Thursday, April 23
Richard Gadd’s “Baby Reindeer,” which aired on Netflix in 2024, was one of the biggest TV surprises and best TV shows of that year, winning Gadd a multitude of awards. His second TV miniseries, “Half Man,” premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Thursday, April 23, and stars Gadd and Jamie Bell as estranged “brothers” over multiple decades in Glasgow, exploring themes of brotherhood and the fragility of male relationships. The six-part series is another showcase for Gadd to display his multi-talented skills both in front of and behind the camera. 

Widow’s Bay (Apple TV) – Wednesday, April 29
Matthew Rhys has proven himself as one of television’s finest dramatic actors, but it’ll be interesting to see how he does in a comedy, with horror aspects thrown in. Showrunner Katie Dippold’s “Widow’s Bay,” premiering on Apple TV on Wednesday, April 29, will see Rhys as the mayor of a cursed New England town, who dismisses the superstitions of the townsfolk at his own peril. The show will co-star Kate O’Flynn and the wonderful Stephen Root. 

​Yeah, we're not fucking doing that. 

“Saturday Night Live UK” premiered on Sky One in the United Kingdom on Saturday, March 21, with ‘SNL’ legend Tina Fey as its inaugural host and English indie rock group Wet Leg as the first musical guest.

American TV watchers, like me, had to wait until Sunday evening to check out the U.K. iteration of ‘SNL’ when it dropped on Peacock.

The U.K. version of the show will be familiar to American audiences of ‘SNL.’ The show begins with a cold opening, the cast credits roll, the host gives a monologue, sketch after sketch airs (including things like faux commercials), the musical guest performs twice and the episode is broken up in the middle by Weekend Update, the fake news segment.

The only thing that might not work for American audiences is that things will undoubtedly and understandably get lost in translation with the differences in cultures and politics between the U.K. and the U.S.

The only time I really struggled to keep up was during the cold opening, which featured the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, being psyched up to take a call from U.S. President Donald Trump about the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. I hate to show my American ignorance, but I couldn’t even name the British P.M. before watching this episode (though they seem to change quite often lately).

George Fouracres, who impersonated Starmer, Hammed Animashaun, who portrayed deputy P.M. David Lammy and a Gen Z influencer played by Jack Shep had the honor of being the first ever cast members to shout the iconic “Live from London, It’s Saturday Night.”  

Fey, one of the most famous alumni of America’s ‘SNL,’ may have been a head-scratcher for some as the first ever host of ‘SNL UK,’ not being a U.K. citizen and all, but it made sense to begin with someone so familiar with the format of the show, especially from her time as head writer in New York. Most of the hosts going forward will likely be of U.K. origin, with Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan and British actor Riz Ahmed hosting the next two episodes.

Fey’s monologue was something U.S. fans are familiar with as she took questions from the audience, which included cameos from “Derry Girls” and “Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan, American actor Michael Cera and longtime British television host Graham Norton.

The show was pretty impressive for its first outing, undoubtedly drawing on a half-century of the American version to take the lead.

The 51st season of ‘SNL’ in the States has been one of the weakest this longtime fan can remember, so this U.K. premiere would’ve ranked in the top five episodes had it been done at Studio 8H in New York City.

Among the best sketches of the evening were a “Hamnet” parody where William Shakespeare, played mostly by Fouracres and eventually by Shep, returning home to Stratford-on-Avon from producing plays in London a bit more and more modern each time, a sketch about a group of technology folks who are in charge of making the Internet annoying by doing things like making the ‘X’ boxes smaller and smaller, and a fake commercial for a skin care line called Underágé.

The majority of standout cast member moments came from male cast members on the show, with Fouracres definitely getting the most screen time with his impressions of Starmer, documentarian David Attenborough, and a bit called “45 Seconds with George Fouracres. He might well be the “glue” of the show, a la Phil Hartman for the American version for so long.

Though he didn’t appear as the lead as much, Shep seems to be a true star in the making for the show, as the younger, outgoing Gen Z cast member, a la what Marcello Hernandez is to the American version today. Shep’s standout moment in the premiere was as Princess Diana in the Attenborough Last Supper sketch, despite not really saying anything. It was a bit of cheeky British comedy that worked for me but might offend a more hoity-toity British crowd.

Weekend Update is such a vital part of ‘SNL,’ and it’s nice to see the U.K. version come out strong with co-anchors Ania Magliano and Paddy Young hitting some targets, like Prince Andrew and the war in Iran, hard. I rather enjoyed the cheekiness of each of their punchlines and deliveries, and it made me believe Weekend Update should be a regular highlight of the early days of this show. The only thing I hope is that Magliano and Young develop a bit more chemistry going forward. The duo mostly read their own jokes on the premiere without back-and-forth.

The only female highlight, outside of Magliano on Update, was Emma Sidi as a dressing room attendant named Jugs, trying to beef up Fey’s measurements to impress those outside of the room. It wasn’t really my thing, but at least it gave Sidi some screen time – something, hopefully, the ladies of the cast will see more of moving forward.

One thing I figured might happen with the U.K. version of ‘SNL’ that we don’t get in America is more freedom with swearing, since most countries aren’t as prudish as the U.S. about such things. So don’t be surprised to hear things like “fuck” and “cunty” on the U.K. version. Hearing Shakespeare talk about his “cunty” earring was quite humorous.  

‘SNL UK’ will have the same pros and cons as the American version. There will be highlights and lowlights, likely all within the same episode, and some shows will be better than others. The show will be as good as its writing, so hopefully, head writer Jonno Johnson and staff prove to be the right staff for the show.

DTF St. Louis (HBO) – Sunday, March 1
Showrunner Steven Conrad’s “DTF St. Louis,” premiering on Sunday, March 1 on HBO, stars Jason Bateman, David Harbour and Linda Cardellini in a dark-comedy about a love triangle that turns deadly. The seven-episode limited series focuses on the dark side of what may happen during middle-age malaise. 

World Baseball Classic – Thursday, March 5 through Tuesday, March 17
Baseball’s version of the World Cup celebrates its 20th anniversary this March when the best baseball powerhouse countries around the world compete to see who is best in the World Baseball Classic. Japan, the winningest country in WBC history, looks to defend its title, but will have to do so with some of its star pitcher (Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Shohei Ohtani) unavailable during the tournament (Ohtani will be available to hit for Team Japan). The other favorites in the tournament will be the United States, Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Among the biggest Major League Baseball superstars in the World Baseball Classic will be Ohtani (Japan), Aaron Judge (United States), Tarik Skubal (United States), Paul Skenes (United States), Juan Soto (Dominican Republic), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Dominican Republic) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (Venezuela). The World Baseball Classic, which will be broadcast on Fox and the Fox Sports channels, begins Thursday, March 5 and will have its championship game on Tuesday, March 17.

Rooster (HBO) – Sunday, March 8
Showrunner Bill Lawrence is on a heater right now with the return of “Scrubs,” Apple TV’s “Shrinking” and Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso” returning later this year. Now Lawrence has teamed up with Matt Tarses for the Steve Carell-led HBO comedy “Rooster.” “Rooster,” premiering Sunday, March 8, stars Carell as an author who joins the faculty of the university where his daughter works, after she gets divorced to a fellow professor and causes damage to the school, leaving her job in danger. The series co-stars Charly Clive, Phil Dunster, Danielle Deadwyler and John C. McGinley. 

Sunny Nights (Hulu) – Wednesday, March 11
“Sunny Nights,” an original Australian comedy on that country’s streaming service Stan, makes its American debut on Hulu on Wednesday, March 11. “Sunny Nights” stars Will Forte and D’Arcy Carden as American siblings who relocate to Sydney in hopes of establishing a spray tan business only for it to go terribly array. Forte and Carden feel like an incredible comedy duo. 

98th annual Academy Awards (ABC) – Sunday, March 15
The 98th annual Academy Awards, Hollywood’s biggest night, airs on Sunday, March 15 on ABC. The show will be hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien for the second consecutive year and features director Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” with a record-breaking 16 total nominations. Judging by award season thus far, director Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” might be the night’s biggest winner, but the acting categories are as wide open as they have been in years, particularly the supporting categories.

Imperfect Women (Apple TV) – Wednesday, March 18
Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara feel like a possible dream team trio, which has creator Amy Weisman’s “Imperfect Women,” for Apple TV, on our radar. The series, based on a novel by Araminta Hall, is a psychological drama centered on a murder that tears apart the lives of three close friends. The eight-episode series premiered on Wednesday, March 18. 

Bait (Prime Video) – Wednesday, March 25
Emmy Award-winning actor Riz Ahmed brings “Bait,” a series he wrote, produced and stars in, to Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday, March 25. In the series, Ahmed plays an actor suffering an existential crisis when he finds out that he may become the next actor to portray the iconic James Bond. 

Dearest Gentle Reader, 
 
This author finds himself compelled to impart the most exciting news of the season! Everyone in the ‘ton will be delighted to know that last Friday, January 29th, “Bridgerton” returned with the first four episodes of Season 4, streaming on Netflix. The last time the ‘ton got a chance to attend a ball in Mayfair was back in June 2024. It is time, dear reader, to know if, in fact, the wait was worth it. 
 
As every “Bridgerton” fan knows, every season depicts the love story of one of the eight Bridgerton siblings. The first season was Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), the second was Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the third was Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), and this time around, it is Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) turn. Benedict has been depicted as bisexual throughout the series thus far, so it was not known if his love interest would be a man or a woman. It turns out to be Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha).  

Benedict has been notoriously known for not wanting to settle down. He is not interested in the balls or the customs of society, much to the chagrin of his mother, Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell). Back then, marriage was a major measure of success in a person’s life, and Violet just wants what’s best for her children. Violet decides to host a masquerade ball at her home and invites all eligible maidens. Benedict is late to the ball but quickly finds himself enamored with a mysterious maiden, Sophie. He teaches Sophie how to dance, and he is drawn to the fact that she also seems to be somewhat of an outsider to society’s demands. It turns out Sophie is a maid who snuck out of her house to attend the ball. She leaves without telling him who she is, leaving behind a glove. It is definitely a callback to the classic Cinderella story. There is even an evil stepmother, two stepsisters, and a father who tragically passed away as well. It could be uninteresting to viewers, given how this story goes, but the writers and cast sell it, and we are buying it.

A major asset “Bridgerton” has is its casting department. The casting directors have managed to cast each character to perfection every season. Not only did they initially get the right casting for the Bridgerton sibling, but they knock it out of the park every season to find someone for them with whom they have undeniable chemistry. Every season, the chemistry between the couples has been electric. We are drawn to their story and invested in their happily ever after. Every romance has been somewhat forbidden, but the writers have found new obstacles to keep it fresh every season.
 
Thompson and Ha’s Benedict and Sophie are dazzling to watch. The stakes are high in this story because a maid cannot be a lady at this time. This really complicates matters for our couple. How can they end up together? It is outside factors keeping them apart because their love for each other is written all over their faces. 

One of my only slight criticisms of this season is that other stories do not have stakes that are as high. In previous seasons, we had the love story plus the mystery of who Lady Whistledown was. When the audience found out at the end of Season 1 about Penelope being the mysterious writer, the drama was about when she would be discovered. With Penelope being outed in the finale of season three, there is no mystery. Penelope is now trying to manage her place in society, with everyone knowing who the writer is of “Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers.” While it is an interesting angle to watch, the stakes are low. Lady Agatha Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) is trying to break free from the overwhelming feeling she has that her life revolves too much around Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel). Other stories aren’t as riveting as they were in the past, either. One highlight, though, is the exploration of sexuality through the relationship between Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and John Stirling (Victor Alli). It deals with a little-talked-about subject of a woman being able to reach her pinnacle through sex.  

It is so exciting that “Bridgerton” is back. I cannot wait for the last four episodes to be released on February 26th. With a beautiful love story unfolding before our eyes, we cannot wait to see if Benedict and Sophie are able to have their happily ever after. While the other stories do not have very high stakes, they are still interesting. We have spent three seasons getting to know these characters, and now we are seeing some of the everyday problems in their lives. Will the rest of the season continue to deliver electric chemistry and a spectacular ending for Benedict and Sophie? Stayed tuned, dear reader! This author will return shortly with a report on the second part.

68th annual Grammy Awards (CBS) – Sunday, February 1 @ 7 p.m. (CST)
February on television begins the month in style with the biggest night in music, as the 68th annual Grammy Awards will hand out the industry’s most esteemed honors on CBS, beginning at 7 p.m. (CST). Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine nominations and is nominated for Album of the Year alongside Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Clipse, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, and Tyler, the Creator. The ceremony, broadcast live from Los Angeles, will be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah.

Winter Olympics (NBC, Peacock, USA Network & CNBC) – Friday, February 6 through Sunday, February 22
You’ll be able to enjoy all of your favorite winter sports like figure skating, skiing, hockey and curling throughout the majority of February, as NBC hosts coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics from Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The opening ceremony will be broadcast live in America on NBC at 1 p.m. (CST) on Friday, February 6 and rebroadcast in primetime that evening. The events will be spread across the NBC networks and Peacock, with the highlight events airing on NBC in primetime, delayed. The Games will see 116 medal events in 16 sporting disciplines, including the Winter Olympic debut of ski mountaineering. Among the American stars competing in the Games are alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, bobsledder Kaillie Humphries, cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, figure skater Ilia Malinin, hockey stars Connor Hellebuyck and Auston Matthews, snowboarder Chloe Kim and the return of alpine skier Lindsey Vonn.

Super Bowl LX (NBC & Peacock) – Sunday, February 8 @ 5:30 p.m. (CST)
Television’s most-watched event of the year, Super Bowl LX, will feature the AFC champion New England Patriots versus the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks, as the Patriots try to win their record-breaking seventh Super Bowl title, while the Seahawks look for their second in franchise history. These two teams matched up in Super Bowl XLIX in a thrilling matchup in which the Patriots won on a game-saving interception by Malcolm Butler. Worldwide music sensation Bad Bunny will perform the halftime show and millions of viewers will tune in to see which superstars headline the year’s most famous night of TV commercials.

Daytona 500 (Fox) – Sunday, February 15 @ 1:30 p.m. (CST)
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season hits the gas with its premiere event, the 68th running of the Daytona 500, which will see Hendrick Motorsports competitor William Byron attempting to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win the event in three consecutive years. Among the sport's biggest names looking for their first-ever Daytona 500 win are Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney. 

Dark Winds: Season 4 (AMC) – Sunday, February 15
“Dark Winds,” which still remains television’s best-kept secret, returns for its fourth season on AMC on Sunday, February 15. The series, which follows Navajo tribal police chief Joe Leephorn, will undergo a major change in its fourth season, with Leaphorn (the incredible Zahn McClarnon) and his deputy, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), traveling beyond their reservation to Los Angeles to search for a missing Navajo girl linked to organized crime. Season four will consist of eight episodes, and hopefully, this will finally be the year the Emmy Awards recognize McClarnon for his excellent performance. 

Paradise: Season 2 (Hulu) – Monday, February 23
“Paradise” was one of television’s most pleasant surprises of 2025, and the Hulu apocalyptic drama returns for its second season on Monday, February 23. The end of season one saw Emmy nominee Sterling K. Brown’s secret service agent Xavier Collins leaving the bunker in search of survivors of a nuclear holocaust, which was thought to have destroyed everything. Season one of the series received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, Brown for Outstanding Lead Actor, Julianne Nicholson for Outstanding Supporting Actress and James Marsden for Outstanding Supporting Actor. 

The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins (NBC) – Monday, February 23
The combination of Tracy Morgan, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock has given us comedy gold before on NBC’s legendary sitcom “30 Rock.” I’m hoping the trio can spark gold again in “The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins,” a sports comedy created by Carlock and Sam Means, produced by Fey, Carlock, Means and others, and starring Morgan as the titular Reggie Dinkins, a disgraced former NFL player who’s looking to rehabilitate his public image. The series co-stars Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander and Bobby Moynihan. The show received a special preview following an NFL playoff game in January and became NBC’s most-watched new comedy premiere in three years. Hopefully, that special viewing will lead more people to its premiere a month later. 

Scrubs (ABC) – Wednesday, February 25
“Scrubs” was one of television's best sitcoms during the early 2000s, with its original run on NBC from 2001 to 2008, and it finished with a disappointing final season on ABC. The revival of the show, premiering on ABC on Wednesday, February 25, will hopefully be more like the show’s original run than its ending. Series creator Bill Lawrence is riding a hot streak over the last half-decade with his Apple TV comedies “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” which followed the “Scrubs” method of including a ton of heart alongside its hilarity. The revival will feature the show’s original main trio of J.D. (Zach Braff), Turk (Donald Faison) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke), with Judy Reyes’ Nurse Carla (Turk’s wife) and John C. McGinley’s Dr. Perry Cox in guest roles. Unfortunately, the show doesn’t seem to include Neil Flynn’s Janitor, which was one of the highlights of the original series. 

Jamie Ending a nine-year, five-season sci-fi saga turned cultural phenomenon was a Herculean task, but the Duffer Brothers sparked belief in more ways than one for the “Stranger Things” finale.

While the series dragged out to absurdity thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, writers and actors' strikes and just timing, fans finally got their fitting end to beloved characters as this long Dungeons & Dragons-inspired campaign came to a close.

The phrase “I believe,” something The Party — Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) and Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) – says at the end of the finale which premiered Dec. 31, 2025, was the mantra for this season, written and directed by show founders Matt and Ross Duffer, and in the larger context, the series.

From the first episode, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) always believed that her son Will was alive and would be found. It kicked off a story of death, destruction and chaos that would culminate in a finale of hope.

The task was simple in concept — kill Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). But the path there was dangerous and unclear.

The Party, along with the other key players Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), Jim Hopper (David Harbour), Joyce and, oddly, Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman), have to breach the Upside Down through the military base opening, climb the radio tower and climb up into the Abyss before that world collides the Upside Down and eventually Hawkins.

To achieve this, El must go into the water tank one more time in Hawkins Lab in the Upside Down and telepathically find Vecna, bringing her sister Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), and it turns out Max (who had some residual powers thanks to her extended vacation in Vecna’s mind). The three do find him, and the Abyss screeches to a halt just before killing the whole crew waiting on the radio tower. The Duffer Brothers gave viewers the biggest scare when beloved Steve almost falls to his death, only for Jonathan to save his life.

Things, of course, go sideways when Vecna tricks Hopper into thinking he’s accidentally shot and killed El and prematurely pulls her from the tank. It’s a serious misstep that sets things in motion:

-Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) truly becomes Holly the Heroic by helping her 11 friends escape to the cave in Vecna’s mind.

-The military breaches Hawkins Lab, killing Kali, but sparing Hopper and Eleven thanks to Murray’s quick MacGyver skills by taking down a helicopter with a grenade.

-The rest of the crew has climbed up in the Abyss and discovered Godzilla, the spider-monster, the Mind Flayer.

-Vecna faces his biggest fear by going into the cave and relives the memory where this all started for him as a child.

Despite the reality that Vecna is what Henry Creel has become, it’s hard not to feel sorry for him in that cave. Will taps into the mind hive to see just how scared Henry is and tries to convince him to leave the Mind Flayer behind to help them. It’s a selfless moment for Will, especially knowing how much Vecna has tormented him for years. He sees that it was never really who he wanted to be.

But Henry stays Vecna. And he’ll die with that choice.  

In an epic battle, Eleven kills Vecna, and the friends help by debilitating the Mind Flayer. What was never on my bingo card for his finale was Joyce being the one to officially end Vecna. While he’s already been impaled, he lifts his head as if he’s going to come back from this somehow. Joyce calmly grabs her ax, looks at him, and says, “You fucked with the wrong family,” before chopping at his neck as his head eventually tumbles off.

During this gruesome moment, flashbacks of all the people they’ve cared about who have died by Vecna via the Mind Flayer play for us to see in the minds of those watching. It’s a bloody, but poignant moment of good defeating evil, a catharsis for every character and viewer.

While it feels over, it’s just not that simple. Eleven is the soul of “Stranger Things,” and her life as a prized military weapon isn’t something she can just walk away from. Kali put it in her mind that they must stay in the Upside Down as the world is destroyed, to make sure the military can never weaponize anyone again, via their blood. Though Kali dies before, it’s a choice Eleven decides to make in the end.

As the group travels out of the Upside Down, they’re promptly captured by the military. El taps into Mike’s mind, telling him she has to stay behind. It’s the only way to stop the cycle.

And while we see El disappear as the Upside Down disintegrates, it’s still not that simple.

The end of the episode flashes forward 18 months, the day of The Party’s graduation. We see each of them moving on with their lives in different ways: Steve is a coach, Robin and Jonathan are in college, Nancy drops out to work at a newspaper and Hopper proposes to Joyce. I guess we’re all just suspending belief here that the military let all of them go, especially Hopper, who just goes back to being the police chief after murdering several members of the military. 

Dustin, the valedictorian, gives the ultimate salute to their fallen friend, Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), in his epic graduation speech that has all the vibes of a John Hughes movie. It’s bizarre to see them living everyday lives, but it’s also such a gift.

The series ended just as it began — with a game of D&D in Mike’s basement. The Party visited their childhood one last time, playing a game of fictional monsters after conquering the real ones. It’s here that we learn Mike, the Dungeon Master and storyteller, has a theory about the love of his life, El, as the “mage.” The military’s frequencies had disrupted her powers and debilitated her. But not the last time they saw her, meaning, Kali, before she died, assisted her with illusionary powers to help Eleven disappear instead of die in the Upside Down.

Mike weaves the tale of where he thinks each of his friends will end up. The most touching story is how El is alive in a remote area, staring at the most beautiful waterfalls. Giving the characters (and fans) a viable theory that El is alive was a beautiful sendoff for the group, as each of The Party says, “I believe.” I agree with The Party — Eleven is alive somewhere, but I would have loved to see a little more of a wink that it’s true. But that’s where faith comes in. 

The friends leave the basement and their childhood behind as Holly and her friends try their hand at D&D.

I believe the Duffer Brothers did it. They created a twisted, heartbreaking and hopeful tale full of uniqueness, nostalgia and nerd culture that cannot be replicated. While it was not the best episode of the series, the finale closed the chapter well on an iconic show. The Duffer Brothers are genius storytellers — the ultimate Dungeon Masters. 

by Julian Spivey & Tyler Glover
​
Many of our favorite television series are returning in January, ensuring we kick off 2026 in fine pop-culture fashion. 
​

Will Trent: Season 4 (ABC) - Tuesday, January 6
ABC’s Will Trent has been the best drama on network television for the majority of its run. The series that stars Ramon Rodriguez as the titular detective premieres Tuesday, January 6. Season three was particularly tough on Will Trent with a breakup, the accidental shooting death of a teenage boy and another breakup, so hopefully he’ll be able to catch a break in the fourth season, while still providing us with entertaining cases of the week. 
​

The Pitt: Season 2 (HBO Max) - Thursday, January 8
HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt,” which recently ranked as the No. 1 TV show of 2025 on this website, returns for its second season on Thursday, January 8. The reigning Outstanding Drama Series Emmy winner sees a time jump of more than half a year to a hectic July 4th weekend for the Pittsburgh emergency room, and its incredible staff (and the show’s cast). Once again, the show will follow a singular day at the hospital told in hour-long increments. Let’s see if the magic of season one remains. 

All Creatures Great & Small: Season 6 (PBS) - Sunday, January 11 
“All Creatures Great & Small,” which airs in the U.K. in the fall and as part of the PBS “Masterpiece” series in the U.S. every winter, debuts its sixth season on Sunday, January 11. The series, which follows a small-town veterinary practice in 1940s Northern England, is TV comfort food. We’ll see what Siegfried, James Herriot and company have in store for us in season six, with World War II surely still raging.  

Shrinking: Season 3 (Apple TV) - Wednesday, January 28
Apple TV’s “Shrinking” is very likely the single funniest comedy on television, and yet it also contains a whole lot of heart, making it one of the best overall shows. It was disappointing we didn’t get season three at the end of 2025, but at least it wasn’t pushed too far into 2026. Season three of the show will follow the incredible ensemble cast, led by Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, and Jessica Williams, and will see Michael J. Fox return to acting in a much-anticipated guest role. There’s a good chance this one will end up in our year-end top 10. 
​

Bridgerton: Season 4 (Netflix) - Thursday, January 29 
Dearest gentle reader, the wait is almost over! Soon, Lady Whistledown will return to give us the latest delicious gossip on the members of the ‘ton in Netflix’s hit series, “Bridgerton.” Every season, we get to see a different member of the Bridgerton family find love during the social season. This time, it is Benedict’s turn. “Bridgerton” fans are in for a treat as this season promises to be a Cinderella-like story. The first four episodes will premiere on Thursday, January 29th, followed by the final four on Thursday, February 26th, 2026.

As “Stranger Things” takes its final crawl after a nine-year, five-season run, I’ve ranked the show’s top 10 characters: 
​
10. Robin 
Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) made her debut in Season 3 as Steve Harrington’s coworker at Scoops Ahoy in Starcourt Mall. Initially, Robin had a cool persona, but her character evolved — likely due to the trauma of fighting off monsters — into a quirky bestie who fit right into the group. She might be the comic relief this season, but she’s also the heart. Her story of accepting herself was a big reason why Will was starting to feel safe enough to reveal that he is gay. I’m reserving my judgment until the finale of whether Will actually came out to everyone, or if that was Vecna incognito. But regardless, Robin’s friendship with Will was crucial this season. 

9. Will 
Will “Badass” Byers (Noah Schnapp), as I now refer to him after he became a freaking sorcerer, has undoubtedly changed from a timid kid to a whiny teenager to a courageous, determined one. His feat of strength in the final season’s “Chapter Four: Sorcerer” was one of the best moments of the entire series. He’s always been a key piece of this story and will no doubt be a significant part of the finale. 

8. Joyce 
I went back and watched the first episode of “Stranger Things,” and seeing all of these characters before their lives got uprooted was a bit like opening a time capsule. I felt nostalgic for them. Joyce (Winona Ryder) was just a single mom trying to do her best. This season, she’s learning to trust her son’s abilities, despite every instinct that’s telling her to run away and keep him safe. She knows Vecna has to be destroyed, and watching the character balance her own fears with what she knows has to be done is captivating. 

7. Nancy 
I’ve always had a soft spot for the brilliant student-later-turned-journalist, Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer). She’s grown from a naive teenager into a tough woman who is fully prepared to take out Vecna on her own if she has to. Even though she’s somewhat caught up in a love triangle, I think she’ll wind up on her own — in life or death. 

6. Vecna/Henry Creel/Mr. Whatsit 
Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) might be one of the greatest TV villains of all time because of his multifaceted personality. His backstory as the young Henry Creel (Maksim Blatt/Raphael Luce) is tragic, and you absolutely can sympathize with a child who was victimized into an experiment. At the same time, he’s made some serious evil choices as the monster Vecna. And then you have the creepy Mr. Whatsit, who is kidnapping children. It’s a fascinating character who might just get freed from his prison of darkness in the end, one way or another. 

5. Max 
I can see where it’d be hard for a character to enter the friend group of Eleven, Mike, Dustin and Lucas and fit in so effortlessly. While fans were still getting to know this group, Max entered the scene in season two. As cool as Eleven is because of her unique powers, Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) is honestly cooler. At this point, I care more about the love story between her and Lucas than even Eleven and Mike (in the end, I do want them together, though). Aside from Eleven and possibly Nancy, there aren’t many characters out of this bunch who could have wandered around in Vecna’s mind that long and still kept it together so well. Holly needed her, Lucas needed her, and she did her absolute best for them while saving herself. 

4. Steve 
Oh, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) — you beautiful young man. Vecna better not mess with Steve, or fans will weep. It’s been a running joke on social media to the tune of “Mr. Sandman,” singing, “Mr. Vecna, please don’t kill Steve,” but we all mean it. Don’t kill him, please. It’s a true testament to this character’s evolution that he’s the one fans are most worried about, especially when you go back to episode one, where all he wants is to get in Nancy’s pants. I’m so glad the Duffer Brothers saw the potential of this character because he went from a stereotypical ’80s popular jerk to the mother hen of the characters. His relationship with Dustin is one of the best on the show. He was marked for death in season one, until the Duffer Brothers realized they wanted him to stick around. Hopefully, they continue to show him that mercy. 

3. Dustin 
Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) is the most interesting out of the original friend group. He’s nerdy, super smart and known by fans as the “glue” for all of them. From being the bridge between Mike and Lucas when Eleven showed up, to raising a Demogorgon to his grief over Eddie’s death, you can’t help but root for him. From the beginning, he’s been one of my favorite characters. I’ve long believed that if they do kill Steve in the finale, it’ll be because he is saving Dustin. “You die, I die,” as those two said, but let’s have neither of you die, OK? Please and thanks. 

2. Hopper 
Seems like eons ago that the character wasn’t just simply “Hopper,” but Hawkins Chief of Police Jim Hopper, Jr. (David Harbour), a Vietnam veteran, divorced and an alcoholic, grieving the loss of his only daughter, Sara, to cancer. Fast forward to season five and he’s father to Eleven, boyfriend to Joyce, a former Russian POW and the leader trying to keep all these young people from going completely off the rails into danger. Despite her resistance, he’ll continue to be Eleven’s protector and the north star of the show. 

1. Eleven 
“Stranger Things” may have originated with the disappearance of Will Byers, but Eleven/Jane (Millie Bobby Brown) has always been at the center of what makes this show unique. She is the protagonist to Vecna’s antagonist, showing what love and kindness can create despite the horrors they both experienced. Her relationship with Mike was precious as children, adorable when they were teens and now, I’m so curious to see what happens to them as they make this final push to finally end the suffering. Will El get her happy ending — with Mike, Hopper, the chance to live a normal life without the military hunting her? Eleven is the soul of “Stranger Things,” and while I care about all of these characters — please, again, not Steve! — what happens to Eleven will matter the most in the finale. 

Mike Franks was a character I really enjoyed on the CBS crime procedural “NCIS” whenever he would pop up in the first half of that show’s much-too-long run, as played by Muse Watson. Franks was the mentor to the show’s hero Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), and somehow an even more old-school, grizzled federal agent than Gibbs. When a prequel to “NCIS” was announced, I knew they had to get two things right – they had to get younger Gibbs right (I’m still learning to live with Austin Stowell in the role) and they had to get younger Franks right, and Kyle Schmid, an actor I wasn’t familiar with before his role as Franks, is terrific. Schmid has the intensity you’d expect from the character, but you also get many glimpses at a softer side, thanks to the series being able to delve deeper into this character. I wasn’t sure I’d even want to continue another “NCIS” series, but Schmid’s performance has gone a long way in making me glad I gave it a shot. 

Bryan Cranston only appeared in three episodes of Apple TV’s “The Studio” as Continental Studios CEO Griffin Mill, but he absolutely stole every scene he was in, leading to his well-deserved Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Cranston steals every scene he’s in, especially in the final two episodes of the season, in which his old school studio head honcho was slammed out of his mind on mushrooms, leading up to a big presentation. This role showed Cranston can and will do just about anything for a laugh and plays slapstick as well as anyone in the business. 

Last year's list had Hannah Einbinder’s Ava Daniels at No. 1. In the fourth season of “Hacks,” it was Einbinder’s fellow Emmy-winning cohort on the show, Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, that had time to shine – although, after winning an Emmy for each of the show’s four seasons, you could argue she’s been shining the entire time. Season four sees Deborah living the apex of her career’s dream, hosting a late-night television talk show, which she once had ripped from her hands. It’s a struggle at first, and she’s warring with Ava, who blackmailed her way into the head writer gig on the show, but eventually things start to click for the show within a show. Then something happens that forces Deborah to make a hard decision – she can either fire Ava or keep her TV show. After years of having Deborah and Ava stab each other in the back, usually Deborah doing it to Ava, the decision Deborah makes is one viewers have been waiting for, and it’ll be an interesting way to see the show enter its fifth and final season. 

Honestly, I could’ve picked every member of the five main “English Teacher” characters/cast members for this list, as the show, which probably had the most laughs per episode of any comedy on TV this year, other than “The Studio,” had a perfect ensemble. I settled on Markie, played by Sean Patton, the gym teacher and football coach of the show’s high school setting, for the remarkable way he plays off each of the show’s characters, but primarily providing a conservative, masculine foil to Brian Jordan Alvarez’s English teacher Evan. In the hands of another actor, and definitely another set of writers, this character would’ve been stereotypical and unlikable, but Patton and the show’s writing staff make him this giant teddy bear of a character, who you might not always agree with, and he certainly doesn’t always share your feelings or opinions, but he still loves you like a brother.  

​It is always hard to portray real people, but I suppose it helps when few people know a lot about a real person, even if that person was Vice President and later President of the United States. Nick Offerman is also really good at playing different variations of Nick Offerman – loud, brash, masculine, tough, but with a bit of a soft side. His performance as politician Chester Arthur, who goes from political bouncer to President in a short time, in the Netflix four-episode limited series “Death by Lightning,” was one of the most fun on television all year. I remarked after the show’s run that everybody in the cast – Michael Shannon, Matthew Macfadyen, Bradley Whitford and Shea Whigham – was terrific, and Offerman’s performance still blew every other one out of the water. 

What would you do if you were one of the last true people on earth? That’s what romance novelist and all-around pessimist Carol Sturka is forced to reckon with in writer/producer Vince Gilligan’s latest TV series “Pluribus.” Rhea Seehorn, who blew away audiences in Gilligan’s previous TV series “Better Call Saul,” plays Carol, a woman who has lost everything but refuses to give up her humanity. It’s an incredible performance, filled with evident anger and a bubbling-under sadness that feels perfect for this year.  

I’m not sure anybody had a more complicated acting job than Britt Lower’s Emmy Award-winning performance as both Helly R. and Helena Eagan on the second season of Apple TV’s “Severance.” All of the cast's performances as the innie and outie versions of their characters are fascinating. Still, Lower’s performance is the only one that changes so drastically. More importantly, at times we don’t precisely know which character she is – is she Helly R., is she Helena Eagan, or is she Helena Eagan impersonating Helly R.? Lower’s little intricacies while playing each character were one of the highlights of the show’s second season. 

We knew Noah Wyle could play a doctor well. Hell, more than 30 years into his acting career, that’s the thing we knew about him the best. He spent a decade playing the young John Carter on NBC’s “ER,” a role that earned him Emmy Award nominations. All these years later, Wyle put on the scrubs and stethoscope again, to play a senior attending physician in a busy Pittsburgh emergency room, while suffering from PTSD brought on from treating COVID-19 and losing loved ones to it. Wyle gives a remarkable performance as a doctor on his last legs, trying to save lives and teach young doctors how to save lives, all the while reeling from mental anguish. It was a well-earned Emmy Award win for Wyle. 

There wasn’t a more heartbreaking performance on television this year than Tom Pelphrey as Robby Prendergrast in the HBO crime drama “Task.” Predergrast is a good guy, just trying to provide for his family – two young kids and a grown niece – after his brother is murdered and his wife has run off. The way to do this is to take revenge on the biker gang that killed his brother by robbing their drug stash houses. A good guy forced to do bad things to survive is always going to be an interesting character for me as a viewer, and Pelphrey’s performance as Prendergrast makes you care so much for this character, who needs to catch a break. 

Typically, we don’t include actual people in this list, but we have made an exception before (Amber Ruffin made the cut in 2017 for her hilarious appearances on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers”). Few people had a more challenging year in the television industry than late-night hosts Stephen Colbert of CBS’s ‘Late Show’ and Jimmy Kimmel of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” In May, it was announced that Colbert and the entire ‘Late Show’ would be canceled after the current season, which ends in May 2026, despite being the most-watched late-night show on network television. It was seen by many as a political firing to appease the Trump administration, so that Paramount, which owns CBS, could be sold. Essentially, many viewed it as a bribe. Then, in September, ABC kowtowed to threats from FCC commissioner Brendan Carr and being yanked by affiliates of media groups Nexstar and Sinclair, and pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s show for what it said was an “indefinite” period, after the host made comments about the death of political activist Charlie Kirk on his show. A protest of ABC and Disney (which owns ABC) in the aftermath of Kimmel’s show being pulled led to his reinstatement the next week, and he’s since been given a contract extension (which I’m not sure would’ve happened, had it not been for the backlash to him being pulled). Colbert and Kimmel both handled their respective controversies with hilarity and grace, and neither refused to give in to or back down from censorship and fascism.