121 (Page 6)

These women put on a mask, are tasked to make people happy, and aren’t doing it for the money because of how little it pays. It’s a striking resemblance to the life of an independent wrestler or a circus freak. And the latter is pretty much how these women are seen by cold and callous higher-ups who seem to only see a bunch of boxes to tick, with admittedly not a lot of specifics to their recruitment process. The insights from talking heads reveal some character from both what’s said and unsaid, and prep time and dance performances get their fair share of the spotlight. So, we can’t say there is no journey to follow—it's a frustrating one—but it’s tough to maintain an extended interest given the ceiling of substance here.

Genre: Documentary, Reality

Actor: Judy Trammell, Kelli Finglass

Rating: TV-14

This is a pretty easy premise to invest in: psychotic exes. They don’t fumble the bag, either, giving us a series that takes an active stance against a justice system that is often asleep at the wheel in these cases, and spotlights the victims more than anything else which creates some semblance of hope in a tragic genre. The abusive cycle of manipulative behavior is insane—some people just never find fault in themselves or their logic—and the series captures the escalating frustration in the stories. Still, some outcomes give you immense comfort, and when it comes to this genre, that’s a huge win.

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Rating: TV-MA

Centaurworld’s humor itself helps us navigate the absurdity of it all. Very quickly, you can tell you’re watching a tight show, where very little feels like a weak link or out of place—the music, the lyrics, the connecting worlds, the character motivations—all of it pulls its weight to make this colorful show come alive. After you get a feel for the heartfelt songs and psychedelic animation style, the show can feel like a modernized or at least a different kind of Disney. But the trippy/colorful assault vibes are pretty evident from the get-go, so you’ll know right away if this is meant for your soul or not.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Jessie Mueller, Josh Radnor, Kimiko Glenn, Megan Hilty, Parvesh Cheena

Rating: TV-Y7

Where’s Wanda? is a playful seesaw of odd comedy and crime/mystery. Its humor is over the top awkward, and it feels like it goes out of its way to test your limits for cringe. Wanda (Lea Drinda), in particular, is someone you can be naturally drawn to with an endearing but elusive presence, and they give you just enough per episode to care that she’s gone. The jumping timeline takes the scenic route at times, but if that scene involves the chemistry of the Klatts (Heike Makatsch and Axel Stein), I wouldn't mind at all. Altogether a lovably magnetic comedy you just can’t look away from.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Axel Stein, Devid Striesow, Heike Makatsch, Joachim Krol, Kostja Ullmann, Lea Drinda, Leo Simon, Nikeata Thompson, Palina Rojinski

Rating: TV-14

There are maybe 3 likable, level-headed cast members in a sea of instigators and neutrals in this trashy reality show. Combustible elements everywhere, fighting in front of the guests on episode 1, egos and exes trying to work together, and of course the most insecure and inept ones get the most TV time. They tell you that working for Lisa is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and while she provides order to the chaos with her caring principal energy, they don’t really bother to fill you in on who she is. Within the confines of the show, she's an accomplished professional trying to run a business, so she hired staff through a reality show full of copy-paste people who are nothing without conflict.

Genre: Reality

Actor: Andre Mitchell, Anthony Bar, Caroline Byl, Emily Kovacs, Eric Funderwhite, Lisa Vanderpump, Marciano Brunette, Stephen Alsvig

Rating: TV-14

Renegade Nell is an upbeat historical fantasy series boasting great chemistry from the main cast. It's anchored by our fiery lead actress Nell (Louisa Harland), whose colorful bloodlust and banter always bring a lot of energy to the show. Her fun, easy dynamic with her siblings and allies on the run is reason enough to make this a light, comforting watch. Plus, with a plot revolving around murder, revenge, and accusations, it is easy to be invested, with all its moving parts leaving you curious and wanting more. Episodes can feel a bit stuffed, but if you stay beyond the second episode, you're probably staying for the whole thing.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Adrian Lester, Alice Kremelberg, Bo Bragason, Craig Parkinson, Enyi Okoronkwo, Florence Keen, Frank Dillane, Jake Dunn, Joely Richardson, Louisa Harland, Nick Mohammed, Pip Torrens

Rating: TV-14

This is a 3-episode true crime docuseries that shows great care to the victims and affected parties of this particular case. Whether they're detectives, autopsy specialists, victims' relatives, witnesses—all seem to share in this safe space, exploring thought processes behind why a certain place or person might be targeted, while at the same time extending support to the queer community directly harmed by this trauma. The production and reenactments are sleek without being overbearing or needing to sensationalize unnecessary details. The only time the atmosphere shifts is when we see the perpetrator's perspective, which is a kind of creepy that draws no sympathy or intrigue to itself. Its pace can drag in the middle of an episode, but it's a true crime mini-series with a straightforward, respectful approach, and these days that's more than enough.

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Actor: Debbie Pollack, Katrin Faust, Lucia Lu, Miroslaw Wawak, Monika Laschke, Niklas Kohrt, Patrik Berg, Rick Hübner, Tristan Bumm

Director: Caroline Schaper, Jan Zabeil

Rating: TV-MA

Chastity High is a lovely concept to begin with, from its basic premise to its episode titles being so unapologetically saccharine. Once you do see an episode and get a feel for characters that are childlike/childish in presentation mixing it up in these adult scenes, it can be tonally confusing who the show’s audience is. Those two extremes aside, the show does present a good mix of money drama and teen drama on the journey back to the flash forward prologue, and overall feels like a light, easy watch with enough storylines to potentially keep you hooked for multiple episodes.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Ai Mikami, Honda Kyoya, Rintaro Mizusawa, Ryubi Miyase, Yudai Toyoda

Director: Ryō Ōta, Soushi Matsumoto, Yuka Yasukawa

Rating: TV-MA

It starts off rather plain and descriptive, almost like a Wikipedia article in documentary form with how unremarkable it is. While it maintains that bare minimalism throughout, the aggravating sadness begins to seep in as stories get a little more personal, ages get a little younger, and the list of transgressions starts getting longer. You can’t help but feel for these women and their families who are very much trapped or used by this exploitative “agency” and threatened by other dangerous circles. If you can stomach keeping it going, it’s tragic and disgusting in the most barebones and straightforward way.

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Rating: TV-MA