Television

Season 2 doesn’t just match the first season, it confidently surpasses it. The Peacock series firmly solidifies its own unique rhythm, tone, and even a richer sense of purpose.

This isn’t something that’s so bad it’s good. It’s good because it’s so bad, and you have no choice but to hop on its particular wavelength of smart stupidity. But once you’re on, it’s a pretty hilarious ride.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a genuine treat for those who have become true fans of the MonsterVerse over the years.

Besides far too many of the jokes feeling a bit uninspired and clunky, Bupkis struggles to figure out a consistent tone or set any real parameters for the heightened reality it all takes place in.

While it may seem like a disposable bit of extra content in the increasingly crowded Marvel pool, it ends up being one of the more straightforwardly funny ones of the bunch.

The Duffer Brothers and their creative team are still able to deliver on the heart and excitement that made the show such a phenomenon to begin with.

At the heart of it all is an astoundingly great performance from Cena. It’s easily the best of his career so far.

There are ways of telling stories of extraterrestrial invaders and the apocalypse they bring without a need to focus on the screaming and destruction, and Invasion is certainly trying to tread the same line as Arrival or Signs, but Kinberg and company too often seem to forget to make things exciting and entertaining as well. Still, the whole picture may prove worth it by the series’ end, and there are certainly memorable moments to be found throughout for those patient enough to sit through it.

Mike Flanagan delivers yet another captivating tale of love, loss and supernatural terror, but Midnight Mass goes bigger and bolder than he ever has before. It’s possibly his best work yet, and has set an incredibly high bar for Halloween this year.