The Spring Season's Best TV Shows

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – Episode: The Spring Season's Best TV Shows

Host: David Fuerst (filling in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Nick Kwa, Vulture Critic
Release Date: April 25, 2025
Duration: Approximately 29 minutes

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of All Of It, host David Fuerst welcomes Vulture critic Nick Kwa to discuss the best television shows of the spring season of 2025. The conversation delves into a variety of critically acclaimed series, offering listeners insightful analyses, notable critiques, and enthusiastic recommendations. Throughout the episode, listeners are encouraged to join the conversation by calling or texting their thoughts and favorite shows.

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Top TV Show Picks for Spring 2025

1. Andor
[02:30 – 07:37]

Nick Kwa enthusiastically endorses Andor, the second season of the Star Wars series, declaring it "hands down the best Star Wars project ever made" (02:30). He appreciates the show's departure from traditional Star Wars narratives centered around the Skywalkers and Jedis, highlighting its focus on "nobodies" rising to significance within a complex universe. Kwa emphasizes the series' sophisticated storytelling and its ability to attract both longtime fans and newcomers:

Nick Kwa (02:46): "Andor really, truly the first time that I've seen this franchise ask you to redirect all that fantasy towards the world. And that is a beautiful thing."

He compares the show to Better Call Saul, noting its depth and accessibility even to those unfamiliar with the Star Wars lore. The second season, which Kwa describes as both "the second and final" (07:16), builds towards the events of Rogue One, enriching the overarching narrative of the Star Wars universe.

2. Etoi
[08:03 – 08:49]

In response to listener feedback lamenting the end of Mrs. Maisel, Kwa introduces Etoi, a new ballet-centric series by Amy Sherman-Palladino. The show explores the dynamics between two ballet companies in New York City and France, focusing on revitalizing their respective troupes. Kwa remarks on the series' unique premise and his anticipation to watch it:

Nick Kwa (08:27): "It's a pleasure to See, Hamilton do have. He kind of speaks into confidence that you kind of associate him with his sort of biggest role, Don Draper."

3. The Last of Us Season 2
[08:49 – 12:21]

Kwa praises the second season of The Last of Us, highlighting its successful adaptation from the beloved video game. He notes the show's emotional depth and character development, particularly the nuanced portrayal of Bella Ramsey's character, who evolves from a sheltered 14-year-old into a more rebellious teenager:

Nick Kwa (09:16): "It's an excellent take on the zombie genre. A really moving character piece... It's a very good show."

Kwa also touches on the collaboration between creator Craig Mason and game co-director Neil Druckmann, appreciating the nuanced tweaks that enhance the storytelling beyond the original game narrative.

4. Black Mirror Season 7
[15:29 – 18:58]

Discussing Black Mirror Season 7, Kwa reflects on the series' enduring ability to mirror societal anxieties, particularly around technology. He acknowledges the mixed quality of the season, with some standout episodes and others less impactful:

Nick Kwa (16:40): "It's seven, yes. He's been making this boy since 2011... it's an evergreen way."

Kwa provides a critical analysis of a top episode that satirizes subscription services, drawing parallels to real-world issues like Big Pharma and financial dependencies:

Nick Kwa (17:26): "It's hard to watch that episode and not think about Big Pharma... how systems of capitalism forces us to be in bondage financially."

5. The Pit
[22:30 – 23:48]

Kwa introduces The Pit, a successor to the iconic ER series. Set in an emergency room in Pittsburgh, the show offers a gripping procedural format where each episode covers an hour within a 15-hour shift. He lauds its ability to blend classic medical drama elements with modern storytelling techniques:

Nick Kwa (22:30): "It's set in an emergency room in Pittsburgh... it's really nice to see characters carry over from week to week with rotating patient stories."

Kwa likens the show's structure to beloved series like House, appreciating its balance between character development and episodic patient cases.

6. Your Friends and Neighbors
[24:25 – 26:01]

Highlighting Apple TV's latest comedy-drama, Kwa discusses Jon Hamm's role as a former hedge fund manager navigating unemployment and financial desperation. While he expresses some reservations about the show's initial premise, he remains optimistic about Hamm's performance and the ensemble cast:

Nick Kwa (24:25): "Jon Hamm returns here as a big, rich white guy... it's a bit more of a family drama, a character piece."

Kwa anticipates the show's evolution and Hamm's portrayal of a complex, relatable character.

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Listener Interactions and Additional Recommendations

Network TV Resurgence
Listeners like Judy from Brooklyn commend the revival of network TV shows such as Elspeth Matlock, The Hunting Party, and The Midwife. Kwa agrees, noting a trend where network television is embracing procedural formats in response to the saturation of streaming content:

Nick Kwa (20:45): "Network TV sort of new shows... feels like a direct response to the riches that streaming has had..."

Abbott Elementary
Listener Edie shares her love for Abbott Elementary, a show that resonates with her professional background as a child psychologist. Kwa echoes her sentiment, praising the series for its authentic and heartwarming depiction of school staff relationships:

Nick Kwa (26:55): "Edmund elementary has been such a joy for as long as it's been around."

The Handmaid's Tale and Hacks
Another listener comments on the final season of The Handmaid's Tale, describing it as "more like a documentary" and "stressful," though acknowledging its critical acclaim. Kwa mentions the upcoming spin-off series and draws parallels between its dystopian themes and those of Black Mirror.

For Hacks, Kwa appreciates its fourth season, which continues to develop its core characters and themes, despite some mixed feelings about its narrative direction:

Nick Kwa (28:26): "Hacks has returned for its fourth season... if you love Hacks, it's more of the stuff that you love."

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Kevin wrapping discussions on various shows, emphasizing the diverse range of quality content available across both streaming platforms and network television. Listeners are reminded to catch up on the episode later if they experienced any streaming issues and are encouraged to share their favorite shows and thoughts via call or text.

Notable Quote Recap:

• Nick Kwa on Andor (02:46): "Andor really, truly the first time that I've seen this franchise ask you to redirect all that fantasy towards the world. And that is a beautiful thing."
• Nick Kwa on Black Mirror (17:26): "It's hard to watch that episode and not think about Big Pharma... how systems of capitalism forces us to be in bondage financially."

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Join the Conversation:
Listeners are invited to call or text WNYC at 212-433-9692 to share their weekend plans, favorite TV shows, and opinions on the discussed series.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the vibrant discussions and insightful critiques presented in the episode, offering a valuable guide for those looking to explore the spring's standout television offerings.

Transcript

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[Nick Kwa]

Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

[David Fuerst]

This is all of it. I'm David Fuerst in for Alison Stewart. Coming up on today's show, we speak with composer Andrew Lloyd Weber. Yes, Andrew Lloyd Webber. So get your questions ready. We'll also talk about where to find nature in New York City. And we'll send you into the weekend armed with suggestions of things to do, which we are also going to be asking you to supply. In about an hour, we want you to call in and share your weekend plans. That's all coming up, but let's get the show started with a TV show roundup. Last month, Vulture called the Pit, the Studio and Adolescents. Some of the best TV shows of 2025 so far and some of the most talked about shows in previous years recently returned. Severance wrapped up its second season. Max's the Last of Us returned to the mushroom zombie apocalypse. And people are buzzing about the second season of the Star Wars Rebel Spy series andor and there's a lot more on the small screen to talk about. Vulture critic Nick KWA normally comes on to talk about podcasts, but recently contributed to that piece on the best TV shows of 2025. And today he's here to suggest a few shows to check out right now. Nick, welcome back to all of it. Hello and listeners, what shows are you excited to watch? Is there a particular show that you've been keeping up with that is back for another season or maybe something you've seen in previews that you can't wait to watch? Give us a call or text 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC. And Nick, tell us, what is the show that you're most excited about right now?

[Nick Kwa]

Well, right now it's andor it is returned for its second season. I do think it's hands down the best Star wars project ever made. Especially if you are the best Star.

[David Fuerst]

Wars project ever made. Not just Star Wars TV show, but best Star Wars.

[Nick Kwa]

I totally believe this.

[David Fuerst]

Wow.

[Nick Kwa]

Yes. And I'm a huge fan of the entire franchise in general. I'm sort of really interested in its place and culture. But what this show does is really take everything, the sum of all the relationships you might have with this franchise and kind of move it forward into a place of real, genuine sophistication and intelligence and asking a lot of really interesting questions about the world and how we relate to each other. So much of the Star wars franchise these days is about itself, right? It's about the Skywalkers, it's about Jedis and things like that. Andor is really, truly the first time that I've seen this franchise ask you to redirect all that fantasy towards the world. And that is a beautiful thing.

[David Fuerst]

What expectations did you have for this project before it launched years ago?

[Nick Kwa]

I believe it's 2023. And I went into it like, you know, it was kind of in a moment of nadir. So Obi Wan Kenobi, that TV show just came out at a time and it just felt like, oh, we're just feeding the beast, we're just feeding the fantasy. It's more Skywalker stuff. Whatever. I don't really care. And suddenly, Andor, which is about a bunch of nobodies in this universe, really, it came out in a way, and it was just the most intelligent thing I've seen within this franchise. I've seen it forever. And it is this sort of larger story about how nobodies are somebodies within a larger evolution.

[David Fuerst]

Do you feel like you're grading on a curve because of some of your relationships with recent project? So, you know, how does it compare to the original Star wars film?

[Nick Kwa]

The thing is that maybe I'm. But I really don't think I am. I think even if you didn't watch Star wars at all and you came into this cold, this thing feels more like Better Call Saul than it does to me. It really feels within that tradition. But, yeah, if you did grow up with the mythologies of the original Star wars and all that feeling, man, you're only. It's only going to deepen that love. So we're going to Origins.

[David Fuerst]

It Better Call Cassian is the show Better Call Andor. Better Call Andor. Okay, got it. Got it. If you would like to join this discussion, maybe you have a different take or you want to talk about a completely different show. 212-433-9692. That's 212433, WNYC. And I do want to ask, you know, if. Do you have to be a mega Star wars fan and be well versed in all Jedi lore to know what' going on here, or can you just jump in cold with this series?

[Nick Kwa]

I would say you can jump in cold With a series. It really does help because it is ultimately a prequel to something, and obviously it's drawing a lot of these larger mythologies. But it really is written in a way to be dense to begin with. So much like if you could step into. I don't know. I really don't want to go too extravagant with these comparisons, but it is a novel of a thing you can walk in, and it doesn't really situate you in a way that really confident TV shows without a franchise do. It works. It fundamentally works at a storytelling level. That stuff is a plus if we.

[David Fuerst]

Do want to know exactly where it fits in, though, in the Star wars universe. Where does this story happen?

[Nick Kwa]

Right. So the series was created as a prequel to a movie called Rogue One, which was also Tony Gilroy, who made andor and also, more importantly, directed Michael Clinton, one of the best films of all time. He did a lot of work on Rogue One. And Rogue One itself was a prequel to the original Star Wars. You could step in fresh, and then you could ladder your way into the original franchise. You could do that, or you could just take it the way it is. It's really one of the great things about it is how accessible it is.

[David Fuerst]

And can you talk about Diego Luna's character? It is Cassian. Right. Tell us about this character. He's a thief. Is that right?

[Nick Kwa]

Yeah. So he starts kind of a drifter. You know, he starts out kind of. He owes people money, He's a thief. He's kind of a smuggler.

[David Fuerst]

This sounds like Han Solo's origin story a bit.

[Nick Kwa]

Absolutely. But he's a little bit more angsty. He's a little darker. He has this kind of a stranger quality to him. And the first season is really about the radicalization and the birth of a rebel. So we watch Andor as he kind of evolves through a series of experiences and be shaped by political awakenings around him to become a revolutionary and a rebel. And the second season de centers him a little bit, and it becomes the story about how difficult it is to build a resistance and what you kind of give up within that fight. It's really, really fascinating stuff.

[David Fuerst]

And we're in the second season. Is this going to be the last season?

[Nick Kwa]

Second and final. Without giving anything away. And really, you can't give anything away. It ends in the moments leading up to the movie Rogue One. And if you've seen Rogue One, you know how the story ends.

[David Fuerst]

But if you haven't, then let's not spoil it.

[Nick Kwa]

If you haven't. What a gift you have in front of you.

[David Fuerst]

Very cool. If you would like to join this conversation, the number 21243 WNYC. You can also. It's also, excuse me, spelling out the numbers there. Reading out the numbers. 212-433-9692. A lot of shows coming back, right. For another season. We do have a text right now, someone saying, I'm so sad that Mrs. Maisel is not returning.

[Nick Kwa]

Well, congratulations because you have a new show from Amy Sherman Palladino to welcome to your lives. I don't know how to pronounce this because I don't know French, but it's Etoi. Etoi. I believe it's a. It's a ballet term. My colleague at magazine, Jackson McHenry, loves this show. So if you're mourning Maisel, you have a new world of ballet that's set in both city and France waiting for you.

[David Fuerst]

Etoile. And this is a show about dancing, right?

[Nick Kwa]

It is about. It is about, specifically about the world of ballet. I believe the concept is. And I have not seen it yet, it is on my list. I will be watching it next week at some point when I need a pick me up. It's about two ballet companies, one in France and one in New York City who switches stars to revitalize their respective companies. So hijinks ensue.

[David Fuerst]

I believe hijinks ensue. Okay, let's move on to another show. This is the Last of Us. This is a post apocalyptic drama starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. This has returned for a second season earlier this month. It's based on a video game. Right. What made the Last of Us so effective for audiences that were maybe unfamiliar with the game had no idea it was even based on a game.

[Nick Kwa]

Yeah. So the game, the first one came out, boy, 10 years ago. I believe it's 2013, more than that at this point and at the time, and remains one of the most like, sort of effective pieces of narrative storytelling within a video game. And you can take that a bunch of different ways. But one of the ways you could also say that it was structured to be a playable HBO show. So the fact that it leapt onto an actual Scream as an actual HBO show makes a ton of sense. And at minimum, it is an excellent take on the zombie genre. A really moving character piece. And it has a really fundamentally interesting moral question that executes itself at the very end of the first season. So the second season, and my understanding, our understanding is that the it will be seasons two, three, maybe four, is adapting the second game, which came out in 2020 in the depths of the pandemic. Not the best time to play a zombie video game, but whatever. And if you are already watching this, you probably already know that something really big happened this past week. And I'm not going to talk about the spoiler here, but it is huge. And what happened this past week, which is a. The same thing that happens at the very beginning of the second game, reframes what the story is about. And I'm not going to sort of spoil anybody's experience here because it is quite interesting. But in the show itself, it has the addition of Caitlin Deaver, who is a fantastic actress. You might remember her from Booksmart, you might remember her from Unbelievable from a couple years ago. She just did a show called Apple Cider Vinegar, which is just okay, but she's fantastic in it. She's a remarkable addition to this cast as a really interesting character that asks again, a lot of interesting questions about mythologies and stories that we tell. It's a very good show.

[David Fuerst]

At minimum, what do you think is most interesting about how the creators of this series continue to expand the world of this video game and the show on screen?

[Nick Kwa]

I think it's less a question about expanding and more about sort of adaptive tweaking. So there are certain things and choices that they've made in the adaptation, particularly around the emotions of the piece. So Bella Ramsey, she plays a young woman now in the first series. I'm sorry, the first season. In the first game she was a 14 year old girl who is basically shepherded by Pedro Pascal's character through this apocalyptic wasteland. And it is about the bond between them as surrogate father and daughter. In this second season, it feels like they're amping up the emotions a little bit more. Bella Ramsey's playing this character as a bit more of a true teenager. She's petulant, she's rebellious and it's sort of an interesting emotion to have within the post apocalypse. And it's a little different from where the game was with that character. And so there are these little tweaks that I find quite fascinating. But it just speaks to the craft of creator Craig Mason, our Craig Mason, and Neil Druckmann, who was also a co director of the game. Really sort of interesting choices there.

[David Fuerst]

It's called the Last of Us and I have to mention that we're having a problem with our digital streams and that we are investigating. So we're getting to the bottom of that right now. I just want to let you know if you would like to join the conversation, 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC or Textlofit? WNYC, social media. And before we get any further, I you a bit of a separate question, I guess, and that is something that you recently wrote about your experience watching the new Minecraft movie. Can you explain?

[Nick Kwa]

Right. Well, so the story goes like this. My editor wanted a piece about this chicken jockey phenomenon that's been happening in theaters everywhere.

[David Fuerst]

We're speaking with Vulture critic Nick kwa. And please explain what the heck you're talking about.

[Nick Kwa]

Thank you for identifying me before incriminating myself. So this situation, this phenomenon is an outcome of a meme. So Jack Black, who is featured in the movie, there's a moment where he shouts chicken jockey, which is a reference to something that happens in the game. When he does that, it tends to happen that the teens and tweens who are in the movies watching this, they just go crazy when he says this word. They cause a ruckus. They throw popcorn everywhere. In one instance, a teen smuggled an actual chicken into the theater.

[David Fuerst]

Oh, my goodness.

[Nick Kwa]

It's a whole participatory thing. Very horrible for the janitors and the people doing the cleanup work. But I do find it sort of an interesting thing that we're seeing a real participatory, real excitement around young people with the movies at a time where the movies are worried about young people engaging in cinema. Now, I suspect that you're asking this question because of the context in which I wrote this piece, because I told my editor I could write this, but of that moment, because I was in the theater when this happened, was a little altered by the fact that I was on mushrooms when it happened.

[David Fuerst]

Okay.

[Nick Kwa]

And so it was the most. I would say it's the most visceral thing I experienced in the cinema in many, many years.

[David Fuerst]

I will not advocate for that or for bringing a chicken into the theater. I will say my son did go to see this film and was quite prepared to go berserk during these. During the moment that you're talking about. And the theater seem to have no qualms with people doing reasonable things during that moment.

[Nick Kwa]

Reasonable is a slippery line is the thing, you know? And so that's the. That's the thing we're kind of figuring out in this relationship between participant interaction and what's happening on the screen. I spoke to a local theater owner for the piece about this to get a sense of how people are feeling. It really is. On the one hand. On the other hand situation. On the one hand, we love to see this excitement. On the other hand, boy, are we worried about the payments we have to make if we get the screen damaged?

[David Fuerst]

Yes. Yes. Okay, good to keep in mind. And let's get back to some more TV shows. What should we go? How about Black Mirror? The most recent season of the British anthology season Black Mirror just came out on Netflix. Can you tell us your initial thoughts on season. Is it seven?

[Nick Kwa]

It's seven, yes. He's been making this boy since 2011. So season seven, what, 15 years now? 14 years. It's kind of wild. Charlie Brooker still at it. He's still making these really interesting Twilight Zone esque television internal narratives, little parables, little tales. The interesting question to ask at this point in time about the series is how it feels in an age where everything that we've worried about technology has basically come true. We're now more or less trapped by our phones. We're. We are in social media systems that have turned us against us and against ourselves. And it's kind of a grim time in the world. So do we want to spend more time in this grim show? And to some extent, yeah, you could argue it's a great way to work out your anxieties. It's the same reason we watch horror movies under bad situations. But this latest season, it's an interesting one. I will say it's a very mixed season. There are really, really bad episodes and there are really, really good episodes, which is again par for the course for Black Mirror. But if you're down with what Charlie Perkinson putting down, go at it. It's more of the same.

[David Fuerst]

Well, let's listen to a quick clip. This is part of the trailer. We'd like to welcome you back.

[Nick Kwa]

Ready? Yeah.

[David Fuerst]

Three, two, and action.

[Nick Kwa]

They call it mind expanding. It alters your neural structure. The this is a computer computer. Suddenly you're not just more receptive, you become a receiver.

[David Fuerst]

Oh boy. Well, Nick, have the creators of the show found new and interesting ways to scare us about technology this season?

[Nick Kwa]

The thing I was thinking back about the legacy of the show and everything that Brooker has sort of portended. It's always like specific to the moment. What we're worried about at that point in time, which is, you know, it speaks to sort of the original inspiration for the show, which is the Twilight Zone. And that show was sort of marked by the way it took the anxieties of its time to create stories that felt kind of universally and Evergreen, you know, scary in an evergreen way. There's one episode in particular, so at the very top, which ostensibly is about the horrors of subscription services, you're being upsold continuously. But the premise there is that Rashida Jones character is dependent on paying the subscription service to stay alive, to remain living as a full person without ads coming out of her mouth if she goes for the cheaper plan. That's one of the main horrors of that episode. But it's hard to watch that episode and not think about Big Pharma and not think about the debts that how dependent we are on system and how sort of systems of capitalism forces us to be in bondage financially to things that keep us alive. That should be human rights. It should be sort of basic rights. And I interviewed Brooker for this season just to get a sense of what his inspirations were. And it was shocking to me that he was like, oh, I wasn't even thinking about Big Farmer at all. So every time you watch an episode of the show, it is really about sort of the frequencies they're picking up off your current moment.

[David Fuerst]

Well, that's Black Mirror. We are speaking with Vulture critic Nick KWA about some of the most exciting series premiering on the small screen this spring and taking your calls. We're still getting a lot of reports that there's some problems with our digital stream. We are trying to research that and find out what's going on and fix that for you. If you would like to join the conversation, 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC. Take a quick break. We'll be right back. This is wnyc. This is all of it on wnyc. I'm David Fursten for Alison Stewart. We're speaking with Vulture critic Nick KWA about some of the most exciting series on TV right now and taking your calls. And thank you for letting us know about the problems with our livestream. We think they are resolved now. So thanks for letting us know. If you're still having problems, text us and also tell us your favorite TV show or something that you're watching right now. 212-433-9692 and let's take a call right now. Judy in Brooklyn, welcome to all of it.

[Judy]

Hi, I do not have cable. Never had cable. But this year there are really good shows on network TV. Elspeth Matlock, the Hunting Party and Channel 13 of course, called the Midwife. Second seasons of Wolf hall and Marie Antoinette.

[David Fuerst]

Judy, thank you so much for that. Nick, what about those shows and sticking up for network TV right now?

[Nick Kwa]

Oh, absolutely. As my colleagues Katherine Van Erendock and Joe Dalen have argued, network TV is back. So back in many senses. So back. Sovak, et cetera. As Badlock. There's Ellsworth, if you want to go. You've got Dr. Odyssey, you've got 911. And what is interesting about this particular moment is that the network television sort of new shows that are coming, like High potential is another one that's really good. It feels like it is a direct response to the riches that streaming has had over the past couple years. And then the sort of nadir of it, the, the bloated nature of streaming series, of how the lack of a broadcast discipline has caused or sort of re emphasized a certain hunger for a really good procedural or a really good sort of thing that you can expect coming in every week. So something like Elzabeth, for example, which comes out of a long tradition of the CBS network franchise, of the Good Wife and then the Good Fight, which was on streaming inquisitively, it has this classic murder mystery procedural concept at the center of each episode. And some things are just comforting and television should be comfort. And that's kind of really driving, we feel like, this resurgence of the network vibes. And you could argue that, as my colleagues have, that the Pit itself, which is not a network show, is perhaps the first true successful hybrid of taking all the good stuff about network procedurals with all the good stuff about streaming and finding this news center.

[David Fuerst]

Well, talk more about the Pit. You just brought that up and, oh, I'm seeing messages right now saying the live stream is good, so that's fantastic. But talk about the Pit. Yes, Right.

[Nick Kwa]

So we're, we don't know what the word is yet, but here over at Vulture, we're big pitheads. So we're, it's, it's a. You know, you could. We can't say this necessarily because the er, the ER estate is being contentious about it, but the Pit is successor to er, which is this iconic medical procedural from decades ago. Of course, Wiley, who came up through that show, is the anchor of the Pit. And the conceit here is that it's, you know, if you've ever seen 20, it's a 15 episode season where each episode is an hour within a 15 hour emergency room shift. It's set in a emergency room in Pittsburgh. And there is such a pleasure to going into a show and that you're going to go in and out with these characters that you're going to carry over from week to week, and that there's a rotating situation of different kinds of patients. So you're always kind of triggered by a new stimuli, a new catalyst, a new loop to close within each individual episode and across a couple episodes. And so it has this kind of really nice metabolism that really makes me think back to the times of House and all these other sort of medical procedures that I grew up watching but have not watched it anymore because I'm a cord cutter and I can't afford cable when I was in college. And so I was on streaming instead.

[David Fuerst]

Yeah, that's great. And we're getting a text right now. Maybe they missed the very top of our show saying, really want to hear us talk about Andor. And we did talk about Andor right at the very beginning. This person writing in to say by far one of the best written series in a long time. So that's very cool to hear.

[Nick Kwa]

Yeah, that's my people. That person's my person.

[David Fuerst]

That's your person. Let's talk about change of pace here. Jon Hamm starring as the lead in a new Apple TV comedy drama called you'd Friends and Neighbors as a former hedge fund manager. Tell us about the premise of this show.

[Nick Kwa]

Such a relatable central character. So your friends and neighbors, which is, I should say it has no relation to a movie, a benzilla movie from the 80s and 90s. I believe it's the 90s also call your friends and neighbors. So if the name of the show sounds familiar, don't worry about it. So Jon Hamm returns to his first big lead dramatic role, believe, since Mad Men. You know, it's not that he's gone away, but he's been around doing a lot of comedies and doing a lot of really good sort of like supporting parts and things like Landman. But, you know, he returns here as a big, rich, big white rich guy. And he stars as a New York hedge fund manager who is recently divorced and becomes suddenly unemployed from his hedge fund job and, you know, slips into criminal methods like breaking and entering and stealing to maintain his lifestyle. Basically, it's supposed to be a satire of rich people at this point in the series. We're not quite there yet, I guess. So it's a bit more of a family drama. It's a bit more of a character piece. I will say that I don't find it a terribly compelling hook of a show. There's just a little bit too much story in this. But, boy, is it a pleasure to See, Hamilton do have. He kind of speaks into confidence that you kind of associate him with his sort of biggest role, Don Draper. But it's interesting to sort of see him kind of work through this leading man position again. I'm a huge fan of him in general and he's flanked here by other stars like Amanda Pete and Olivia Munn. And this is interesting. I'm not totally sold on the show, but I'm still interested to kind of.

[David Fuerst]

See where he goes and give it time to evolve. It's probably still coming into focus. That's your friends and neighbors. And let's take call. This is Edie. Thank you for joining us. Welcome to all of it.

[Edie]

Oh, hi. Thanks for taking my call. I. I just want to shout out, you know, since you mentioned it, network tv, I actually haven't cut the cable yet. And one show that I really love is Abbott Elementary. I worked in schools my whole life. I'm a child psychologist. And those relationships between the staff, amongst the staff and be it teacher, teacher's assistant principal, therapist, it's really kind of funny and touching and on point.

[David Fuerst]

That's great. Thank you so much for sharing. Do you want to add to that?

[Nick Kwa]

Still a great show. It's been on for a bit now and it's nice to see a new institution being built. And Edmund elementary has been such a joy for as long as it's been around. It still continues to be a joy.

[David Fuerst]

And we just got a text. I'm watching and not necessarily enjoying the new and final season of the Handmaid's Tale, which it says here is more like a documentary at this point. However, from a critical's perspective, the season is really delivering.

[Nick Kwa]

I have not tuned into Handmaid's Tale in a while because and frankly, when I heard that a new final season came out, my first thought was like, boy, wow, I can't believe the show is still going on. But yes, it is still going on and I believe there will be a spinoff series from this show that has been greenlit and will come out eventually. And yes, it does. You could situate it in the same kind of thorny feelings era as Black Mirror. Both shows, portending when they first came out, portended a dark future and we seem to be living in them at this point.

[David Fuerst]

Well, we have a lot of texts coming through right now and if you missed the first part of our show, by the way, due to the streaming problems we were having, it will be available later today up on our webpage or wherever you get your podcasts. A lot of texts coming through right now. Someone says the studio love all the cameos of real life Hollywood actors directors, but it is a very stressful show to watch at times. Another text here says what about Hacks? Such a great show with real heart.

[Nick Kwa]

Hacks has returned for its fourth season and it is it kind of follows through on the premise that was set up at the end of the last season so Deborah Vance finally gets her late night show. The season begins with this core tension between Deborah and her sort of, I guess, surrogate daughter situation played by Hannah Einbender. I've seen a whole season. It goes to an interesting place. I am a little mixed on where it ends up, but yes, if you love Hacks, it's more of the stuff that you love. But we should have a big conversation about what the show wants to be interesting.

[David Fuerst]

Well, I have a lot of TV to catch up on based on this conversation, so thank you so much for giving me some watching to do.

[Nick Kwa]

Oh, my pleasure.

[David Fuerst]

We've been speaking with Vulture critic Nick Kwa about some of the great TV shows that are on screen right now, premiering and also continuing this season. Nick, thank you so much for joining us.

[Nick Kwa]

Thanks for having me.

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