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This week’s streaming lineup is stacked with powerhouse performances, Houston connections, and stories that move from the shadowy corners of espionage to the glittery mess of family drama. Whether you’re looking for thrillers, courtroom battles, or binge-worthy scandal, here are four series you’ll want to press play on.
Slow Horses (Season 5)
A standout returning this week is Apple TV+’s Slow Horses. Based on Mick Herron’s acclaimed spy novels, the series follows MI5 operatives who’ve made mistakes significant enough to be exiled to “Slough House”—the dumping ground of British intelligence. Written off as useless, the so-called “slow horses” are left to push papers and fade away… except things never stay quiet for long.
At the center is Jackson Lamb, the flatulent, rude, unkempt, yet razor-sharp leader of Slough House, played with brilliant bite by Gary Oldman. Known for roles like Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise, Oldman has found his longest-running role yet in Slow Horses.
When I caught up with Oldman ahead of the Season 4 premiere, he reflected on how unusual this role has been for him. “I’ve experienced Cinematically. I’ve experienced a sort of recurring character. I was a Gordon for three Batmans and I came back as Sirius Black in the Potter Series,” he said. “But I have always been a fan of long form TV and would look on it somewhat enviously thinking, wouldn’t that, oh, I would love to do that and come back with a recurring character, the same group of people.”
He went on to describe the camaraderie that’s developed on set: “What I’ve discovered is really that we are like a family, and to the credit of the show, we’ve had the same dp, Danny Cohen, and we’ve had the same sound operator and we have the same sound, makeup, costume, and of course the actors. So now we are four years in. We are a very sort of close-knit family. That side of it I have really enjoyed. It’s almost like being in the same experience that one might have with a theater company.”
Season five (yes, the show’s momentum is that strong) debuts September 24 on Apple TV+.
The Savant
Next up, Also on Apple TV+ is The Savant, starring Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain. The series introduces us to Jodi Goodwin, better known as “The Savant,” an undercover investigator whose job is to infiltrate online hate groups and prevent domestic extremist attacks before they happen. Inspired by the 2019 Cosmopolitan article “Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens?,” the series is rooted in real-life reporting and takes viewers inside the dangerous, hidden world of extremist networks.
Chastain leads the cast alongside Nnamdi Asomugha as her husband, Charlie Goodwin, with Cole Doman (Sharp Stick), Jordana Spiro (Ozark), and Trinity Lee Shirley (Swagger) rounding out the ensemble. When I spoke with Chastain ahead of the series premiere, she explained that the most important part of playing this character was protecting the real person she’s based on.
Chastain said that “important thing when playing this character was to keep her safe, which meant kept keeping her identity a secret in private. So, we spoke on the phone, but I didn’t want to use anything in playing her that would identify her and open her and her family up to danger.”
She went on to say that while she avoided details that might expose her subject, she “definitely took inspiration from her interior life, her emotional life. I asked her a lot of questions about what it was like this balancing act, but then I also asked simple questions. What’s your favorite music? What’s your favorite food? What do you do when you’re stressed out? And that helped as well. But I had to kind of build from scratch in order to not put her in danger.”
The first two episodes debut on Apple TV+ September 26, followed by weekly installments in the eight-episode season.
Beauty in Black (Season 2)
If you like drama, mess, and tea served hot, look no further than Beauty in Black, returning to Netflix for its second season. Created by Tyler Perry, the series follows Kimmie, an exotic dancer whose life becomes deeply intertwined with a wealthy and dysfunctional cosmetics family. At the heart of the family empire is Mallory, played by Houston’s own Crystle Stewart—Miss USA 2008.
When I asked Stewart whether she saw parts of herself in Mallory, she laughed and admitted there were some similarities. “Yeah, she’s that girl,” Stewart told me. “So, I think her business savviness, her business acumen that’s similar to mine, her assertiveness, her love for fashion, her philanthropic efforts.” But she went on to point out where she and her character differ: “She can be nice in public, but I think that’s more of a tactic versus personality trait. I think I’m nice in person, so there’s some similarities, but on the other end, her nastiness and her willing to do anything to keep that control in the business, I think that’s where we differ.”
The show was one of Netflix’s most-watched dramas during its first season, and season two doubles down on the crime, glamour, and betrayals fans loved.
Part 1 of the new season is streaming now, with Part 2 dropping later this month.
Reasonable Doubt (Season 3)
Finally, Hulu’s Reasonable Doubt returns for its third season, bringing more drama both inside and outside the courtroom. From executive producers Kerry Washington and Larry Wilmore, the series stars Emayatzy Corinealdi as Jax Stewart, a defense attorney balancing high-stakes cases with life as a single mother of two.
The show cleverly takes inspiration from Jay-Z’s 1996 debut album of the same name and even names its episodes from some of Hov’s most well-known records—borrowing titles like “99 Problems” and “Can’t Knock the Hustle” in Season 1, “Can I Live?” in Season 2, and continuing the theme this year with episodes called “Run This Town” and “No Church in the Wild.”
Created by Scandal writer Raamla Mohamed, the series has built a passionate fan base for its mix of sharp writing, stylish direction, and layered characters. Season 3 also features Houston’s own Angela Grovey as Krystal Walters. When I spoke with Grovey about stepping into this season, she shared what to expect.
“With Jax and Louis, they’re navigating the sticky situation we left you with in Season 2 involving a baby, and then we really shake things up in the office.” She continued about some new additions to the cast, “Joseph Kore is joining us as Bill Sterling this year, and he really stirs things up at the firm. There are some power dynamics and struggles going on at our law office that play a big role this season.
After premiering with two episodes, the series continues with “Run This Town” on September 25.
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Brad Gilmore
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