tv review

‘Ironheart’ Has Kinks to Work Out, But Flies High Enough

Marvel gets another addition to its solid-enough club with Phase Five closer 'Ironheart,' now streaming on Disney+.

io9 Reviews Justin Carter Jun 24

Altered Carbon Is Solid Cyberpunk, But It’s Not Netflix’s Game of Thrones

Depending on who you ask, Altered Carbon is either Netflix’s answer to Game of Thrones, or a Blade Runner knockoff. But the truth is, it’s neither. It’s an entertaining show that, unfortunately, never manages to break out and become that genre-spanning hit Netflix was surely hoping for. Cyberpunk fans will love it, book fans will…

Television Beth Elderkin Jan 31

Legion Just Made Its Case For Being the Most Insane Show on Television

The fourth episode of Legion is a complete mind-fuck, to put it mildly. It answers a couple of questions, asks about 30 dozen more, and leads you to doubt everything that’s ever happened on the series so far. If the previous episode made us feel like we were finally safe and sound, this episode just…

io9 Beth Elderkin Mar 2

On Legion, David May Have Only Traded One Prison for Another

The premiere episode of Legion was about driving all of us to the brink of insanity, so getting a chance to rest and refresh in the mutant resistance’s superhero camp seems like it would just what David needs. But something very fishy seems to be going on in Summerland… “Chapter 2″ of Legion takes us…

io9 Beth Elderkin Feb 16

Legion Isn’t Just a Good Superhero Show, It’s a Great Show, Period

Legion isn’t going to make people believe in heroes, because it’s not a show about being super. It’s a complex, twisted look at a man who struggles with feeling powerless, even as he discovers he’s the strongest mutant in the world. But, that might make it one of the most powerfully entertaining shows on television.…

io9 Beth Elderkin Feb 9

On Riverdale, the CW’s Addictive Archie Soap, Friendship Is Magic

From the opening moments of Riverdale, you will either decide it’s too over-the-top for you or fall in love with its commitment to being as ridiculous as possible. But if you stick with it, you’ll find that there’s a lot more heart to the show than you expected. It’s weird, campy, beautiful, and delightful. I…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta Jan 26

A Series of Unfortunate Events Is Good But Depressing as Hell

Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events comes online today. And it’s got some beautiful design work and funny performances. But, mostly, it’s bleak as hell. Based on Lemony Snicket’s (real name: Daniel Handler, who acts as an executive producer on the Netflix show) 13-book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events in no way skimps on…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta Jan 13

Emerald City Is So Shallow That It Almost Appears Deep

NBC’s ambitious Emerald City, premiering tonight, is occasionally stunning, sometimes emotionally interesting, and often an audacious reimagining of not just The Wizard of Oz, but all of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books. But mostly it’s as empty as the Scarecrow’s brain. Emerald City has taken years to reach our screens. It was first meant to air…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta Jan 6

Beyond Is the Perfect Scifi Show to Have on While Cleaning Your Home

Freeform (née ABC Family) has invested a fair amount of time and money into Beyond, which premiered on TV last night and whose whole first season is already available online. So should you go run out and binge it? Not really. But if you’ve exhausted all the other shows you want to watch and you…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta Jan 3

The Man in the High Castle Season Two Is Too Good to Binge

Amazon’s original series Man in the High Castle returns for season two today, and the series—about an alternate 1960s where the Nazis and Japanese jointly conquered the United States during World War II—is as gorgeously realized, smartly expanded, and thoughtfully created as ever. At the end of season one, regular factory worker Ed (DJ Qualls)…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta Dec 16

Alien Abduction Comedy People of Earth Succeeds by Focusing on the Humans

For whatever reason, there are a lot of new genre comedies coming out this TV season. The lesser ones are mining comedy solely from their premise. The good ones, like People of Earth, are using its premise to explore characters. People of Earth is a show with ambitions that seem much larger than the half-hour…

Television Katharine Trendacosta Oct 31

Dirk Gently Is a Frustrating, But Mindlessly Entertaining Mess of a Show

Here’s the thing about BBC America’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency: It is, by virtue of its pacing, entertaining. But at the end of the episode, you can’t figure out why you watched it. Dirk Gently doesn’t make you invested in any aspect of the show. That’s partly due to the fragmented story-telling convention…

Television Katharine Trendacosta Oct 21

Syfy Takes Some Liberties With Childhood’s End, But Its Powerful Message Stays the Same

A fleet of alien ships suddenly appears overhead, carrying a mysterious race of visitors with weirdly benevolent intentions: They’re here to fix all of the world’s problems. Great! So what’s the catch? That’s the set-up for Arthur C. Clarke’s novel Childhood’s End, now a Syfy “event series” that kicks off on Monday. Childhood’s End was…

io9 Cheryl Eddy Dec 11

How Humans Became One of the Most Compelling—and Human—Shows on TV

What does it mean to be human in a world where A.I. doesn’t just exist, but is an ordinary facet of life? AMC’s Humans, which wrapped up this past weekend, has been asking that throughout its run. It hasn’t quite given us all the answers yet, but what it has given us is some of…

io9 James Whitbrook Aug 18

Powers Is A Flawed But Fascinating Look At Messed-Up Superheroes

This week, Sony released the first three episodes of Powers, the live-action adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming’s comic about police officers who deal with superpowered crime. And while it’s slow getting going, Powers takes some intriguing looks at a world where superheroes brush up against reality. If you’re familiar with the…

Television Lauren Davis Mar 10

The best part of Revolution is its hatred for America

This scene is an example of how great the show Revolution could be. It’s about the corruption of government, the cynicism of the press, and a post-apocalyptic world that isn’t too far from our own. Revolution is beginning to come into its own in season two, especially when it deals with the evils of America.…

Television Annalee Newitz Nov 1

Borealis: The Best Political Science Fiction Movie You’ve Never Heard Of

A politically-savvy, action-packed movie/TV pilot, called Borealis, appeared and then disappeared without a trace last week. It’s one of the great tragedies of TV series that don’t get pickup — you catch a glimpse of the awesomeness that could have been, and then you are left pining for more. Produced in Canada, it’s the near-future…

Television Annalee Newitz Jan 17

Why Person of Interest is one of those rare shows that deserves its popularity

Last week’s episode of Person of Interest basically brought together everything I love about this show: the brooding paranoia, the weird alliances between criminals and cops, the strange moments of humor, and the unapologetically intense violence. Now that this series’ first season is nearing its final few episodes, it’s time to assess. Unlike many of…

Television Annalee Newitz Apr 8

Where did The River go wrong as a TV series?

ABC’s supernatural adventure drama The River started out with so much promise. The characters were compelling, the Amazon setting intriguing, and the reality TV crew vs. family secrets theme created instant conflict. And yet, after a bumpy 8-episode run, the show plunged from 8.35 million viewers for the pilot (a respectable debut) down to 4.09…

Television Annalee Newitz Mar 21

Three reasons to watch The River tonight, and one reason not to

Produced by Steven Spielberg, and created by Paranormal Activity writer/director Oren Peli, new TV series The River boasts some pretty great credentials out of the gate. But can one-hit-wonder Peli, whose movie we loved, really handle a weekly horror series? We’ve seen the two-hour premiere of the show, which airs tonight, and we’ve got a…

Television Annalee Newitz Feb 7

tv review

‘Ironheart’ Has Kinks to Work Out, But Flies High Enough

Altered Carbon Is Solid Cyberpunk, But It’s Not Netflix’s Game of Thrones

Legion Just Made Its Case For Being the Most Insane Show on Television

On Legion, David May Have Only Traded One Prison for Another

Legion Isn’t Just a Good Superhero Show, It’s a Great Show, Period

On Riverdale, the CW’s Addictive Archie Soap, Friendship Is Magic

A Series of Unfortunate Events Is Good But Depressing as Hell

Emerald City Is So Shallow That It Almost Appears Deep

Beyond Is the Perfect Scifi Show to Have on While Cleaning Your Home

The Man in the High Castle Season Two Is Too Good to Binge

Alien Abduction Comedy People of Earth Succeeds by Focusing on the Humans

Dirk Gently Is a Frustrating, But Mindlessly Entertaining Mess of a Show

Syfy Takes Some Liberties With Childhood’s End, But Its Powerful Message Stays the Same

How Humans Became One of the Most Compelling—and Human—Shows on TV

Powers Is A Flawed But Fascinating Look At Messed-Up Superheroes

The best part of Revolution is its hatred for America

Borealis: The Best Political Science Fiction Movie You’ve Never Heard Of

Why Person of Interest is one of those rare shows that deserves its popularity

Where did The River go wrong as a TV series?

Three reasons to watch The River tonight, and one reason not to

Someone Finally Took a Good iPhone Photo of the Moon. Good Luck Copying Their Trick

In Letter, OpenAI Reportedly Says Elon Musk and Meta Are Coordinating ‘Attacks’ Against It

Artemis 2 Day 6: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Anonymous Sources Detail Sam Altman’s Alleged Untrustworthiness in New Report

Steven Spielberg Still Wants to Make a Horror Film ‘Someday’

Waymo Has Stopped Testing Its Robotaxis in New York City and No One Knows What Happens Next

Samsung Pushes Monitor Deals Further, the 34″ ViewFinity Hits a Record Low at Nearly 40% Off

The Best Anti-Meta Smart Glasses Are About to Have Tough Competition

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Let us help find what you are looking for...