This week’s picks
manhunt
“He plays a supporting role,” a presidential aide explains of actor and future killer John Wilkes Booth, “but audiences know him primarily for his stunts.” .” Booth’s theatrical assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 was a feat to rival them all. Booth as an actor was much better than his older brother and father. Regardless, as Booth (Anthony Boyle) says in this drama, “Tomorrow I’ll be more famous than anyone in my family.” It begins with an escape from the stage. Tobias Menzies plays Edwin Stanton, who is tasked with capturing Booth. It’s a period drama with an extravagant, self-conscious prestige, and if a little dense at times, it tells a wild story charmingly.
Apple TV+, starting Friday
The Dry
Photo: Peter Loewen/ITV
The second series of the drama strikes the perfect balance between pathos and dark comedy, with Roisín Gallagher playing an alcoholic who returns to his family in Dublin. Shiv’s sobriety is contagious. Her mother, Bernie, now attends AA meetings (“Who doesn’t these days?”). But there are repercussions when Barney’s boyfriend declares there is no booze in her house. There are still some serious drinkers on the premises, so the problem is just lurking underground. It’s a smart study in determination and vulnerability, emphasizing that quitting drinking means finally addressing why you drank to excess in the first place.
ITVX, from Thursday
bandidos
This Mexican heist drama has an Indiana Jones feel to it, as a gang of misfits (does that always happen?) board a long-sunk Spanish galleon to retrieve Mayan treasure. Miguel (Alfonso Dosal) and Lili (Ester Exposito) obtain an ancient map and form a team of treasure hunters. But it turns out they’re not the only group of villains seeking this Holy Grail. And they certainly aren’t the best-funded or organized. It’s a very common occurrence, but it’s loaded with irreverent energy.
Netflix, starting Wednesday
invincible
The second series of this adult anime continues after a frustrating hiatus, with Mark still struggling to accept his involvement in the family business. His father, Omni-Man, is the most powerful superhero on Earth, but that doesn’t mean he can rely on his son’s cooperation. Mark continues to discover less heroic aspects of his father’s past. “We are saving lives and ruining lives at the same time,” Mark says. Now a new threat to Earth demands the family’s attention. But do family obligations take precedence?
Prime Video, starting Thursday
After newsletter promotion
bloody hundredth
If you’ve watched Masters of the Air and are hungry for information about the 100th Bomb Group’s real-life exploits in World War II, this documentary (narrated by Tom Hanks and written by Hanks, Executive produced by Gary Goetzman and Steven Spielberg). You got it covered. The Bloody Hundreds were so named because the missions they routinely attempted were almost suicidal. This tended to attract unusual characters to the unit, as both the drama and this documentary confirm. Several veterans still tell their stories.
Apple TV+, starting Friday
Chicken nugget
Whether you view the premise of this Korean comedy as pointlessly ridiculous or hilariously surreal is a matter of personal preference. But there’s certainly no denying that a show where women are turned into chicken nuggets for no apparent reason is at least intriguing. Mina’s (Kim Yoo-jung) father and boyfriend then go on a journey to reverse this curse before something even more terrifying (such as the nuggets being eaten) happens. The show leans into its absurdity and quickly admits that there’s no point in any of this.
Netflix, starting Friday
The Outlaw Affair: A French Nightmare
This new documentary series explores a miscarriage of justice in France that started small but ultimately had a big impact. Initially, the case centered on accusations of pedophilia within a single family in an outlaw town. However, as the investigation progressed, more town residents were found to be involved. However, French law struggles to balance the rights of accusers and defendants, and the entire case became a test for the French justice system itself. In this series, we also hear from several stakeholders and expert legal analysts.
Netflix, starting Friday
