Bad Sisters is a dark comedy-thriller from Apple TV+ that arrived with little fanfare in 2022 and promptly became one of the most celebrated television series of the decade. Created by Sharon Horgan, who also stars, the series follows the four Garvey sisters in Dublin who conspire to murder their abusive brother-in-law John Paul Williams — a man so comprehensively awful that audiences are cheering for his death before the end of the first episode. The show's masterstroke is its dual-timeline structure, which reveals in the opening minutes that John Paul is dead, then spends ten episodes showing how he might have gotten that way.
The ensemble is uniformly brilliant: Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene, and Eve Hewson each bring distinctive textures to the Garvey sisters, creating a family unit so believable and warmly drawn that viewers will want to be adopted into it immediately. Claes Bang is magnificently hateable as John Paul, a performance that requires the audience to understand exactly why murder feels justified while also illuminating the specific and insidious ways such men operate within families. The comedic timing across the ensemble is impeccable, arriving in moments you least expect and making the darkness all the more bearable.
What elevates Bad Sisters beyond its clever premise is its profound emotional intelligence about grief, family loyalty, and the way women are conditioned to endure harm rather than name it. The series was renewed for a second season, which expanded the universe while maintaining the tonal balance that made the original so distinctive. Bad Sisters is that rare achievement: a show that is genuinely funny, genuinely suspenseful, and genuinely moving, often within the same scene.
Disclaimer is a 2024 Apple TV+ psychological thriller miniseries written and directed entirely by Alfonso Cuarón, marking his long-anticipated return to television after decades of celebrated feature film work. The seven-episode series stars Cate Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful documentary filmmaker whose seemingly perfect London life begins to unravel when a mysterious novel appears on her bedside table. The book, written by a grieving elderly widower named Albert Kasser — played with brittle, consuming fury by Kevin Kline — appears to tell the story of a woman who had a secret affair with his son and may bear direct responsibility for the young man's drowning death.
Cuarón constructs Disclaimer as a formal and psychological puzzle, deploying non-linear storytelling, competing narrators, and deliberately unreliable memory to keep the audience perpetually off-balance and unable to trust what they are seeing. The series alternates between timelines — a charged present, in which Catherine's marriage and career begin to disintegrate under the weight of secret-keeping, and a sunlit Italian past, where a younger Catherine played by Leila George embarks on a passionate, dangerous holiday romance. Sacha Baron Cohen delivers a genuinely astonishing dramatic performance as Catherine's increasingly suspicious husband, while Kevin Kline anchors the series with a portrayal of grief-fueled obsession that is simultaneously chilling and heartbreaking in equal measure.
Disclaimer became a major awards season contender following its October 2024 debut, with Blanchett's performance drawing widespread praise for its controlled, interior intensity and the courage required to play a character the audience is systematically encouraged to mistrust. Cuarón's filmmaking — shot on large-format film stock with rich, deeply cinematic textures — drew sustained attention for elevating prestige television to the visual level of international art cinema. The series sparked heated debate about its moral provocations, its handling of gender, memory, and narrative power, confirming Cuarón as one of the most formally ambitious and intellectually provocative storytellers working in any medium today.
Yellowstone is an epic modern Western drama created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, chronicling the Dutton family's fierce and often violent struggle to protect the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch — the largest contiguous ranch in the United States — against encroaching developers, a neighboring Native American reservation, and state and federal government interests. Kevin Costner stars as John Dutton, the family patriarch, a morally complex figure whose ruthlessness in defending his land is matched only by his fierce love for his children and his unshakeable belief in the primacy of the land itself.
The show draws on the grand tradition of the American Western while grounding it firmly in contemporary conflicts over land rights, political power, and family legacy. Taylor Sheridan's writing is notable for its nuanced treatment of competing worldviews — neither ranchers nor indigenous characters are positioned as straightforwardly heroic or villainous, but as people with legitimate, irreconcilable interests colliding over land that all of them love and none of them can share. Kelly Reilly's performance as Beth Dutton became the show's defining fan-favorite element, her ferocious intelligence and emotional commitment making Beth one of the most compelling and discussed characters in contemporary American television.
Yellowstone became a phenomenon on Paramount Network, consistently drawing some of the largest cable television audiences of its era and spawning a franchise of prequel and spinoff series including 1883 and 1923. The show's fifth season became tabloid fodder as Kevin Costner departed amid a contract dispute, leaving the finale and the future of the flagship series in an unprecedented state of uncertainty that captivated both fans and the entertainment press.
"Six Feet Under" is an American television series created by Alan Ball. It aired on HBO from 2001 to 2005 and follows the lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles.
The show explores themes such as mortality, grief, and family dynamics. Each episode begins with the death of a person, whose body is then prepared for burial by the Fisher family. The series features a talented ensemble cast, including Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, and Frances Conroy.
The series received critical acclaim for its unique and unconventional approach to storytelling, as well as its ability to tackle difficult and sensitive topics with empathy and humor. It has been praised for its strong writing, powerful performances, and emotional depth. "Six Feet Under" remains a beloved and influential series that continues to resonate with viewers today.
"I Know This Much Is True" is a six-part miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Wally Lamb. The series was created and written by Derek Cianfrance and premiered on HBO in May 2020.
The series stars Mark Ruffalo in a dual role as identical twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. The story follows Dominick as he navigates his troubled relationship with his brother, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. The series explores themes such as mental illness, family dynamics, and the nature of identity.
The series has received critical acclaim for its powerful performances, particularly Ruffalo's portrayal of both brothers, and its emotional depth. It has also been praised for its sensitive and nuanced portrayal of mental illness and the impact it can have on families. Overall, "I Know This Much Is True" is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of the human experience.
"The Newsroom" is an American television series created by Aaron Sorkin. It aired on HBO from 2012 to 2014 and follows the behind-the-scenes workings of a fictional cable news network, ACN.
The show's main character is Will McAvoy, a news anchor who decides to take a new approach to reporting the news after a public outburst. The show explores topics such as political correctness, journalistic ethics, and the role of the media in society. It also features a talented ensemble cast, including Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, and Olivia Munn.
The series received both praise and criticism for its portrayal of the news media, with some viewers praising it for its thought-provoking and insightful commentary on the state of journalism, while others criticized it for being overly idealistic and lacking in realism. Nevertheless, "The Newsroom" remains a popular and influential series that sparked important conversations about the media's role in modern society.
"The Plot Against America" is a six-part miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Philip Roth. The series was created by David Simon and Ed Burns and aired on HBO in March 2020.
The series is set in an alternate history where Charles Lindbergh, a famous aviator and isolationist, becomes president of the United States in 1940, defeating Franklin D. Roosevelt in the presidential election. Lindbergh's presidency leads to the country taking a turn towards fascism, and the series follows the experiences of a Jewish family living in Newark, New Jersey, as they face the consequences of this shift in power.
The series explores themes of anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and the erosion of democracy. It has been praised for its powerful performances, strong writing, and timely relevance in the current political climate. The series also received multiple Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Mark Ruffalo's performance as the patriarch of the Jewish family.
