Its cold outside: Do you have a good show to watch?

As fall has rolled in properly there are several new shows out on streaming and networks plus the return of some favorites. I’ve watched several of these shows and here are my takes on some of the most talked about:

Dune: Prophecy – Confusing but elegant and catchy 

Dune: Prophecy is a set 10,000 years before the events of Dune. The series created for HBO is meant to connect with the Dennis Villenueva adaptation of the story released in 2021 and 2024 and the style of the show is very similar to the recent films. The first episode sets up a political drama complete with the backstory of the mystic Bene Gesserit who are significant in the Dune films. The initial episode provided a lot of questions and eerie mystical sequences which are a little confusing to follow but ultimately concludes with a pretty straightforward set up for political instability not unlike popular HBO dramas of the past such as Game of Thrones. It’s visually excellent and sucks viewers in pretty quickly. Worth watching for those who like the slower paced dramas.

Dune: Prophecy is a weekly released serial on HBO and it’s streaming platform, Max. 

Landman – Kind of cheesy but prepared to grab audiences

Landman is a new offering on the Paramount+ streaming platform. Showrunner and creator Taylor Sheridan is perhaps best known for his smash hit Yellowstone but he is a prolific writer who has written several of the gritty, western dramas which are major fan favorites such as Tulsa King starring Selvester Stallone and Mayor of Kingstown starring Jeremy Renner. He also wrote two films this critic considers to be some of the most underrated in the last decade and personal favorites which are Wind River and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Definitely watch those movies if you haven’t. 

Landman starts off less than strong. Following a Texas oil man played by Billy Bob Thorton, it’s a lot of heavy handed accents, caricatures and cringe-worthy dialogue – not dissimilar at all to Yellowstone. Further, the actors playing teenagers look about 45 years old which makes their plotlines extra creepy. But also like Yellowstone, Landman knows how to grab it’s audience. Just when the audience is about to write it off as complete nonsense, the story takes a surprising and gripping turn which is enough to lock in a viewing commitment for the duration of the season. Audiences will be asking: what will happen next?  

Landman is a weekly serial on Paramount+ and worth checking out particularly for those who enjoyed Yellowstone. 

Silo – Intriguing and familiar dystopian sci-fy

The Conservative Critic and many others slept on season 1 of Silo which was frankly criminal considering it’s being led by the unimpeachable Rebecca Ferguson who has yet to put out a piece of storytelling that wasn’t near perfection. No one else in franchise history managed to improve on the already near perfect Mission Impossible series. Silo season 2 is now being released weekly on Apple TV+ and the marketing for the show was significantly increased, capturing a brand new audience. 

Silo’s concept is familiar. A group of humans are living in a confined space in a dystopian reality where their planet (presumably but certainly Earth) has become uninhabitable outside the confines of their space – but there is no certainty of the truth of their circumstances. This setup was the basis for the superb Snowpiercer (the TV show was better than the movie) and The Matrix. 

The concept is familiar but well executed particularly in the performances. The tension is high and mystery intriguing enough to keep viewers invested. Where there seems to be a plot whole or a failure to suspend belief, there is often a plot twist instead. 

Silo season 1 is on Apple TV+ and season 2 is being released weekly. 

Found – Great if you like formulaic detective shows and don’t mind some annoying characterizations

Found is a quintessential ~procedural drama~ (detective show) in its second season. It follows a private detective agency (for some reason they’re actually a public relations firm which makes no sense but essentially a private detective agency) staffed entirely by victims of kidnapping. Naturally, they specialize in recovering kidnapped and missing individuals. But their fearless leader, Gabby Mosley played by Shanola Hampton has a dark secret which is that she has kidnapped her kidnapper and is keeping him in her basement to help her with cases. 

The set up goes well beyond the realm of credibility and the characters are by and large insufferable. Each member of the firm has their own idiosyncrasy brought on by the trauma of their kidnapping which the show makes central to their personality. For example, one team member is agoraphobic and boy are viewers reminded of it every single moment of each episode. 

Despite the obnoxious characterization, the show works as a mystery detective fix. Implausible set ups are a cornerstone of the genre (Sherlock Holmes is a genius with essentially super powers) and it follows the formula of suspect interview and dramatic conclusions as well as any other procedural offering. 

Found is on NBC or streaming on Peacock and is worth checking out if you like crime shows and don’t mind working past heavy handed characters. 

Not seen yet: Penguin, The Day of the Jackal, Say Nothing, Interior Chinatown 

There are a ton of highly rated shows out there right now that the Conservative Critic still has on the checklist. Check back for updates as they get a watch or reach out if you’ve seen any and have an opinion!